It’s amazing when an old dog teaches you new (sales) tricks.

Here’s the story:

My wife and I are travelling through Guatemala and Mexico. 

While wandering the cobblestones of Antigua, we were charmed by Marco, an 80-year-old guide/hustler, who offered us a tour of a local coffee plantation. 

Marco told us the tour was $5, but he wasn’t clear on whether the price of the plantation ticket was his fee. Nevertheless, the tour and price sounded right, so we jumped on a local “chicken bus” with Marco and another couple. 

Marco was friendly, shared information about Antigua and Guatemala and mentioned a tour of the local volcano.

At the plantation, Marco was in his element. He knew everyone, easily answered our questions, and shared snippets of his life story: his seven children, a reunion with his first wife, and 60 years as a guide. 

It was impossible not to like Marco. He was down-to-earth, interesting, and honest, empathetic, and straightforward. In other words, he had all the traits of a great salesman.

At the end of the tour, Marco took us (surprise, surprise!) to the plantation’s gift shops, where you could buy all kinds of coffee-related products. 

Here’s where Marco’s skills shined: He didn’t push or cajole.. He was the antithesis of the pushy salesman. 

When we showed no interest in the plantation’s gift shop, he simply shrugged it off. 

It was a classic lesson in soft selling—the ability to build relationships and nurture prospects with no sales pitches or pressure to do anything.

Then came the moment of truth near the end of the tour. 

“Let’s talk business,” Marco said, sitting us down. His product? A trekking tour to a local volcano (Mount Artatenango). His target? Four well-nurtured prospects.

Marco talked about the volcano, the length of the trip, and what was provided (three meals, jackets, and gloves). As important, the price (US$40) seemed great—almost too good to be true. 

Now, here’s the thing: my wife and I did not plan to hike up a volcano. We had done some long and challenging hikes in the Yukon earlier in the summer.

But as you can imagine, Marco’s sales magic worked on us. We happily handed over cash for the tour, and he gave us a handwritten receipt in return. Marco then walked us back to the street, wished us luck, and jumped on a local bus to his nearby home. 

We felt lucky to have serendipitously run into Marco and get what seemed to be a great deal on a tour.

Back at our hotel, the fog of Marco’s charm began to lift. 

We had met a freelance guide on the street, taken a cheap coffee plantation tour, and booked a volcano expedition. 

My wife and I are experienced and careful travellers, but we only had a handwritten receipt and contact information for Marco’s son. When we called his son, his answers weren’t convincing.

We started to think that there was a real possibility that Marco, the master salesman, had pulled off a beautifully played scam on four tourists. 

We were taken by his friendliness, the information about his family, and his “nice, old man” persona. Resigned to our mistake, we made a Plan B while harbouring a flicker of hope that Marco was the real deal.

The next morning, we waited outside our hotel as instructed. Much to our astonishment and delight, a guy showed up and asked if we were taking a tour of the volcano. 

But Marco’s sales efforts weren’t over. When we arrived at the travel agency, they explained the additional costs for the rentals (jacket, gloves, hat), entry fees, and an option to hike closer to the volcano.

In other words, classic sales of the basic package with upselling options that were nearly impossible not to purchase. 

Sales lesson: Marco had positioned the tour as a bargain in his sales pitch without telling us about the extras. 

We did the tour, which was spectacular and totally worth it (it was, by far, the highlight of our trip to Guatemala), although the climb to the volcano was steep and long. 

As importantly, I saw first-hand how a skilled and savvy salesperson creates relationships, closes deals, and, in the process, makes it look like you’re doing them a favour rather than the other way around! 

If I had contact information for Marco, I’d tell the Harvard School of Business to hire him as a guest lecturer! 

After all, who better to teach the art of the sale than an 80-year-old Guatemalan guide who can convince tourists to climb a volcano they never planned to see?