Business ABC's: Always Be Celling – Why Every Business Is Selling (and Why You Should Question Everything)
Hold up. Before you roll your eyes at another sales post, let me ask you something: When's the last time you really thought about what you're selling?
I'm not talking about the obvious stuff, the snacks in your vending machine or the monthly service contract. I'm talking about the real thing you're selling. The thing that makes someone say "yes" when they could easily say "no."
Welcome to the ABC's of business, where Always Be Celling isn't a typo, it's a mindset shift that'll change how you see everything from location scouting to late-night inventory runs.
Every Business Is a Sales Business (Yes, Even Yours)
Here's the thing that nobody tells you in business school: Every single business is fundamentally in the sales business. Doesn't matter if you're running a Fortune 500 company or stocking vending machines in office buildings, you're selling.
Law firms? They're selling trust and expertise.
Restaurants? They're selling experiences and memories.
Vending machine operators? We're selling convenience, satisfaction, and that beautiful moment when someone's 3 PM slump meets a perfectly cold Coca-Cola.
But here's where most people get it wrong: they think selling is just about the final handshake, the signature on the contract, the moment someone drops quarters into your machine. That's not selling, that's just the transaction.
Real selling happens way before that moment. It happens when you're walking through a potential location, imagining where tired employees might want a quick snack. It happens when you're deciding between Pepsi and Coke, wondering which one will make more people happy. It happens when you're answering the phone with genuine enthusiasm because you know you're about to solve someone's problem. half her mental momentum lost.
The Questions That Keep Us Up at Night
If you've been in business for more than five minutes, you've probably asked yourself these questions:
"How do I find the perfect locations?"
"What products should I stock?"
"What sells best and why?"
"Which machine is worth the investment?"
"How should I present myself to potential clients?"
"What marketing actually works?"
Sound familiar? These aren't just operational questions, they'resellingquestions. Every single one of them is really asking: "How do I create value for someone else in a way that benefits me too?"
Always Be Celling: The Real Meaning
Now, let's talk about why I keep spelling it "Celling" instead of "Closing."
Always Be Closing is that old-school, high-pressure sales mentality where every conversation is a battle and every prospect is a target to conquer. It's exhausting, it's pushy, and frankly, it doesn't work anymore.
Always Be Celling is different. It means you're always elevating, raising the bar, reaching higher, pushing the ceiling of what's possible. But more importantly, it means you're always questioning everything you think you know.
When you're truly "celling," you're not just pushing products, you're constantly listening, learning, and challenging your own assumptions. You're asking:
"Do people actually prefer Coke over Pepsi, or is that just what I've been told?"
"Is this location busy because of foot traffic, or because of the energy in the space?"
"What problem am I actually solving for these customers?"
Question Everything (Especially What You "Know")
Here's a perfect example from our world: For years, everyone "knew" that office workers wanted healthy snacks. Granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, all the stuff that makes you feel virtuous while you're stress-eating at your desk.
But when we started really listening to our customers and questioning that assumption, we discovered something interesting. Yeah, they want to eat healthy. But what they actually buy when they're having a rough Tuesday? Comfort food. Chocolate. Chips. The stuff that gives them a moment of joy in an otherwise hectic day.
Does this mean we stopped stocking healthy options? Of course not. But it meant we started stocking them differently. We put the comfort food at eye level: the stuff people reach for when they need it most. The healthy options are there too, but positioned as the choice rather than the judgment.
That's Always Be Celling in action. We questioned what we thought we knew, listened to what people were actually telling us (with their wallets), and adjusted accordingly.
The Art of Professional Curiosity
You want to know the secret sauce? Genuine curiosity.
When someone asks, "What beverages do you like?" don't just give them your preference. Ask them back: "What do youreach for when you've been in meetings all morning?" "What flavor makes you smile?" "When do you need caffeine most?"
When you're scouting a location, don't just count foot traffic. Listen to the vibe. Are people rushing through, or do they linger? Are they talking to each other, or buried in their phones? What's the energy like at 10 AM versus 3 PM versus 6 PM?
This isn't just market research: it's empathy in action. And empathy, my friends, is the ultimate sales superpower.
Problems Are Opportunities in Disguise
Every business exists to solve a problem. The question is: What problem are you actually solving?
On the surface, vending machines solve the problem of "I'm hungry and the cafeteria is closed." But dig deeper, and you'll find we're actually solving much bigger problems:
The problem of choice fatigue (here are your options, clearly displayed, take your pick)
The problem of social awkwardness (no need to ask anyone for anything, just make your selection)
The problem of unpredictable schedules (we're here 24/7, whenever you need us)
The problem of small moments of stress (treat yourself, you deserve it)
When you start thinking about problems this way, everything changes. Suddenly, you're not just placing machines: you're creating solutions. You're not just stocking snacks: you're providing comfort. You're not just collecting coins: you're facilitating tiny moments of happiness throughout someone's day.
Opportunity Knocks (Usually at 2 AM)
Here's the thing about opportunities: they don't wait for convenient moments. They show up when you're in your pajamas, when you're stuck in traffic, when you're supposed to be thinking about something else entirely.
Always Be Celling means you're mentally prepared for these moments. You've done the work of questioning your assumptions, listening to your customers, and understanding the real problems you solve. So when someone casually mentions, "God, I wish there was somewhere to get a decent coffee in this building," you don't just nod sympathetically: you start thinking about solutions.
Maybe it's a conversation with a building manager that happens in an elevator. Maybe it's a random comment from someone you meet at a networking event. Maybe it's just noticing that the vet you have been sitting in for 4 hours with your sick puppy, could use a vending machine and you think, "I could fix this." (Yes, this actually happened to us).
The opportunities are everywhere, but you'll only see them if you're always "celling": always curious, always questioning, always ready to turn a problem into a solution.
The Bottom Line (But Not Really)
Look, at the end of the day, business is about numbers. Revenue, profit, growth: all that stuff matters. But Always Be Celling isn't really about closing more deals or making more money (though those are nice side effects).
It's about approaching business: and life: with genuine curiosity and humility. It's about remembering that behind every transaction is a person with needs, preferences, and problems you might be able to solve.
It's about questioning your assumptions, listening more than you talk, and staying open to the possibility that everything you think you know might be wrong: and that's exciting, not terrifying.
So the next time someone asks you how to find good locations or what products to stock or any of those other questions that keep entrepreneurs up at night, remember: the answer isn't in a playbook or a formula. The answer is in the questions themselves.
Keep asking. Keep listening. Keep celling.
Ready to put these ideas into practice? Check out more of our thoughts on modern business strategies or get in touch to see how we're Always Be Celling in the vending world.
