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- Love Your Kids? Teach Them to Sell — And Change Your Family Tree Forever
Love Your Kids? Teach Them to Sell — And Change Your Family Tree Forever
Johnny-Lee Reinoso
November 18, 2025
Some parents teach their kids to play piano. Others sign them up for travel soccer, robotics club, spelling bees, or coding bootcamps.
All amazing activities. All packed with benefits, no doubt.
But if you want to give your child the single most transferable, future-proof, life-changing skill on planet Earth, you need to teach them something far more foundational:
Teach your kids to sell.
And I’m not talking about turning them into little entrepreneurs obsessed with profit margins. I’m talking about equipping them with the most human, timeless skill known to man: influence. persuasion. people skills. confidence. courage. conversation. resilience. connection.
Sales is not a career, it’s a superpower that can take you (and your kids) to amazing heights.
And the earlier a child learns it, the stronger that superpower becomes.
Let’s get into why teaching your kids to sell is one of the greatest gifts you could ever give them—not just for today, but for the next 50 years of their life.
Sales Is the #1 Most Useful Skill in the Workplace (and in Life)
Everyone is in sales. Doctors sell. Lawyers sell. Teachers sell. Founders sell. Engineers sell their ideas. Managers sell their teams on a vision. Parents sell their kids on eating broccoli.
Everyone is selling something, all the time. Most people just don’t realize it.
But the people who master it—really master it—become completely unstoppable.
Because sales is the only skill that:
Works in every industry
Never goes out of style
Pays you based on your courage and drive, not your degree
And creates opportunities where none existed before
And the best part?
Sales can be learned early… very early.
Kids are little sponges. They’re fearless and haven’t yet been conditioned to fear rejection. They’re naturally curious and naturally bold. If you ask me, that’s a perfect recipe for building lifelong communication skills long before the “real world” ever demands them.
Start Young: The Lemonade Stand Years (Ages 6–10)
Forget iPad time. In fact, throw the iPad out the window.
Six-year-olds can run a lemonade stand (mine have). Seven-year-olds can learn to sell cookies or candy bars (mine have). And eight-year-olds can learn to greet customers, shake hands, and say “Thank you!” (mine have!).
And this isn’t about profit at all; this is about presence.
It’s about teaching them:
How to look someone in the eye
How to speak clearly and confidently
How to overcome the little flutter of shyness
How to count change and track simple sales
How to smile through a “No thank you” and stay positive
These are reps. And they’re reps that matter. In fact, these reps will compound for decades to come.
Think of it this way: A lemonade stand is your child’s version of a sales gym. It builds muscles no classroom ever can or will.
RELATED: The 2026 Sales Domination Blueprint
Level Up: Door-to-Door Grit (Ages 10–14)
Once kids get older, it’s time for the next evolution in their training:
Door-to-door service sales.
I’m talking:
Lawn mowing
Leaf raking
Snow shoveling
Dog walking
Car washing
Imagine the courage it takes for a 12-year-old to knock on a stranger’s door, introduce themselves, and ask for business.
That single act can teach more grit, courage, and resilience than an entire year of school.
Here’s what kids learn during this phase:
1. How to handle rejection (the healthy way)
“No thank you.” “We already have someone.” “Not today.”
Most adults fear rejection so deeply that it paralyzes them. Kids who grow up hearing “no” early learn to shrug it off and keep moving forward. That confidence becomes their superpower.
2. How to negotiate
“How much do you charge?” “Well, for $20 I can do the driveway, but for $30 I’ll do the sidewalk too.”
To be honest, these conversations shape future leaders. After all, negotiation skills can take you to the very top of your company org chart or even your industry.
3. How to take initiative
Instead of asking for allowance, they’re earning. They’re serving. And they’re creating something from nothing. That’s sales!
That kind of mindset never leaves them. And trust me, they’ll never be hard-up for cash once they learn to knock on doors and change the hearts and minds of complete strangers.
Teen Years: The Big Leagues (Ages 14–18)
By the time kids hit their teens, they’re ready to graduate to selling in the digital world.
This is when you encourage them to skip the McDonald’s or retail route, and instead start:
Selling simple products online (Etsy, Ebay, etc.)
Running small side businesses with a simple offer via b2b cold calling
Learning marketing
Joining entrepreneurship programs
Even landing entry-level SDR work (some companies hire teens!)
By 17 or 18, your child could already know how to:
Cold call
Build rapport
Ask high-quality questions
Pitch ideas
Overcome objections
Close small- to medium-sized deals
Build a network
Communicate like a leader
Do you know what that means? Your teenager just leapfrogged 95% of adults in the workforce.
Why Sales Is a Generational Skill
If you teach your child to sell, you are not just giving them a job skill.
You are changing your family tree.
Sales builds: ✔ Confidence ✔ Courage ✔ Financial independence ✔ Communication mastery ✔ Leadership ✔ Emotional intelligence ✔ Social adaptability ✔ Resilience ✔ Creativity ✔ Problem-solving under pressure
These are the traits that create CEOs, founders, leaders, and top-producers.
Imagine your kid teaching their kids these skills someday. That’s legacy and impact right there. That’s generational wealth—not just in money, but in mindset.
Final Words
The world will always need salespeople because there will always be something to sell. And there will always be buyers who need guidance, clarity, and confidence.
Mark my words: the humans who can influence, communicate, and persuade will always be in demand.
So go back to basics and teach your kids to sell.
Don’t have kids? Teach your friends’ kids to sell! Or teach your neice/nephew, cousin… or start a local youth program teaching sales. You’ll brush up on your own foundational skills in the process.
Your kids will thank you when they’re 18… their spouse will thank you when they’re 28… their bank account will thank you when they’re 38… and their kids will thank you 50 years down the line.
Give them the skill that opens every door. Give them sales!
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso
For more hard-hitting b2b sales tips, follow Johnny-Lee on Instagram and YouTubeSome parents teach their kids to play piano. Others sign them up for travel soccer, robotics club, spelling bees, or coding bootcamps.
All amazing activities. All packed with benefits, no doubt.
But if you want to give your child the single most transferable, future-proof, life-changing skill on planet Earth, you need to teach them something far more foundational:
Teach your kids to sell.
And I’m not talking about turning them into little entrepreneurs obsessed with profit margins. I’m talking about equipping them with the most human, timeless skill known to man: influence. persuasion. people skills. confidence. courage. conversation. resilience. connection.
Sales is not a career, it’s a superpower that can take you (and your kids) to amazing heights.
And the earlier a child learns it, the stronger that superpower becomes.
Let’s get into why teaching your kids to sell is one of the greatest gifts you could ever give them—not just for today, but for the next 50 years of their life.
Sales Is the #1 Most Useful Skill in the Workplace (and in Life)
Everyone is in sales. Doctors sell. Lawyers sell. Teachers sell. Founders sell. Engineers sell their ideas. Managers sell their teams on a vision. Parents sell their kids on eating broccoli.
Everyone is selling something, all the time. Most people just don’t realize it.
But the people who master it—really master it—become completely unstoppable.
Because sales is the only skill that:
Works in every industry
Never goes out of style
Pays you based on your courage and drive, not your degree
And creates opportunities where none existed before
And the best part?
Sales can be learned early… very early.
Kids are little sponges. They’re fearless and haven’t yet been conditioned to fear rejection. They’re naturally curious and naturally bold. If you ask me, that’s a perfect recipe for building lifelong communication skills long before the “real world” ever demands them.
Start Young: The Lemonade Stand Years (Ages 6–10)
Forget iPad time. In fact, throw the iPad out the window.
Six-year-olds can run a lemonade stand (mine have). Seven-year-olds can learn to sell cookies or candy bars (mine have). And eight-year-olds can learn to greet customers, shake hands, and say “Thank you!” (mine have!).
And this isn’t about profit at all; this is about presence.
It’s about teaching them:
How to look someone in the eye
How to speak clearly and confidently
How to overcome the little flutter of shyness
How to count change and track simple sales
How to smile through a “No thank you” and stay positive
These are reps. And they’re reps that matter. In fact, these reps will compound for decades to come.
Think of it this way: A lemonade stand is your child’s version of a sales gym. It builds muscles no classroom ever can or will.
RELATED: The 2026 Sales Domination Blueprint
Level Up: Door-to-Door Grit (Ages 10–14)
Once kids get older, it’s time for the next evolution in their training:
Door-to-door service sales.
I’m talking:
Lawn mowing
Leaf raking
Snow shoveling
Dog walking
Car washing
Imagine the courage it takes for a 12-year-old to knock on a stranger’s door, introduce themselves, and ask for business.
That single act can teach more grit, courage, and resilience than an entire year of school.
Here’s what kids learn during this phase:
1. How to handle rejection (the healthy way)
“No thank you.” “We already have someone.” “Not today.”
Most adults fear rejection so deeply that it paralyzes them. Kids who grow up hearing “no” early learn to shrug it off and keep moving forward. That confidence becomes their superpower.
2. How to negotiate
“How much do you charge?” “Well, for $20 I can do the driveway, but for $30 I’ll do the sidewalk too.”
To be honest, these conversations shape future leaders. After all, negotiation skills can take you to the very top of your company org chart or even your industry.
3. How to take initiative
Instead of asking for allowance, they’re earning. They’re serving. And they’re creating something from nothing. That’s sales!
That kind of mindset never leaves them. And trust me, they’ll never be hard-up for cash once they learn to knock on doors and change the hearts and minds of complete strangers.
Teen Years: The Big Leagues (Ages 14–18)
By the time kids hit their teens, they’re ready to graduate to selling in the digital world.
This is when you encourage them to skip the McDonald’s or retail route, and instead start:
Selling simple products online (Etsy, Ebay, etc.)
Running small side businesses with a simple offer via b2b cold calling
Learning marketing
Joining entrepreneurship programs
Even landing entry-level SDR work (some companies hire teens!)
By 17 or 18, your child could already know how to:
Cold call
Build rapport
Ask high-quality questions
Pitch ideas
Overcome objections
Close small- to medium-sized deals
Build a network
Communicate like a leader
Do you know what that means? Your teenager just leapfrogged 95% of adults in the workforce.
Why Sales Is a Generational Skill
If you teach your child to sell, you are not just giving them a job skill.
You are changing your family tree.
Sales builds: ✔ Confidence ✔ Courage ✔ Financial independence ✔ Communication mastery ✔ Leadership ✔ Emotional intelligence ✔ Social adaptability ✔ Resilience ✔ Creativity ✔ Problem-solving under pressure
These are the traits that create CEOs, founders, leaders, and top-producers.
Imagine your kid teaching their kids these skills someday. That’s legacy and impact right there. That’s generational wealth—not just in money, but in mindset.
Final Words
The world will always need salespeople because there will always be something to sell. And there will always be buyers who need guidance, clarity, and confidence.
Mark my words: the humans who can influence, communicate, and persuade will always be in demand.
So go back to basics and teach your kids to sell.
Don’t have kids? Teach your friends’ kids to sell! Or teach your neice/nephew, cousin… or start a local youth program teaching sales. You’ll brush up on your own foundational skills in the process.
Your kids will thank you when they’re 18… their spouse will thank you when they’re 28… their bank account will thank you when they’re 38… and their kids will thank you 50 years down the line.
Give them the skill that opens every door. Give them sales!
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso