As my wife and I prepared for a day trek through the villages, six Black Hmong women quietly greeted our group and asked our guide if they could accompany us. Permission granted, they fell into stride beside us.
No pitch.
No pressure.
No awkward hovering.
Just presence.
A small woman, perhaps forty, stepped beside me and looked directly into my eyes.
“What is your name?”
“How old are you?”
“Where are you from?”
“How many children do you have?”
When she finished, another gently rotated in.
Same questions same warmth and same quiet genuine curiosity.
At first it felt unusual. Then it felt intentional. Then it felt… masterful.
Deep in the misty mountains of northern Vietnam, near the terraced valleys of Sapa, I experienced what may be the greatest sales lesson of my life.
Not in a boardroom, not in Tokyo and not on Madison Avenue.
But on a muddy mountain trail… from a group of tiny, indigo-clad women carrying woven baskets on their backs.
For nearly three miles we descended a steep mountain pass together. Sometimes they walked beside us. Sometimes a few steps behind. Whenever a motorbike approached, they instinctively guided us to safety with a motherly sweep of the arm.
They were not selling, they were walking with us.
Only later did I learn that within Black Hmong culture, it is considered disrespectful to engage in commerce before establishing relationship.
Pause there for a moment.
Relationship comes first. Transaction comes later.
By the time we reached their village, the outcome was already decided.
When they finally asked if we would like to see their handmade goods — embroidered purses, patterned garments, small treasures stitched by hand — what were we going to say?
After they had walked the mountain with us…
After they had learned our stories…
After they had quietly cared for our safety…
Of course we purchased — from everyone. And then we bought a little more… smiling as we realized we had been gracefully and masterfully sold.
And here is the striking truth:
We bought more from these women than from anyone else on the entire journey.
Not because they pushed.
Because they connected.
So let me offer you a question worth carrying into your week:
Do you walk with the people you hope to serve?
Do you know their story?
Their family?
Their path?
Or are you rushing toward the close before earning the connection?
The Black Hmong women reminded me of something profoundly simple:
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and relationship is the ultimate accelerant.
Walk with someone long enough… and the sale often makes itself.
With clarity,
Rich Christiansen
