When I was in graduate school I wasnt contented accepting the paltry salary I earned as a part-time college instructor.

So, I trekked to USCs career planning office and scanned the part-time job postings.

One caught my eye.

It was a commission-only job selling office supplies by phone.

Having had many years of experience in telephone sales and management, I thought, why not? Anything I earned would be an improvement on my fixed income.

So, later that day I stopped over for an interview and I was asked if I wanted to try the gig, to make a call or two.

Sure! I replied, knowing they wanted to hear if I was as good as advertised.

I noticed that the fellow I had been listening to was selling ballpoint pens to bakers, a gross at a time, so I borrowed his list, which was a Yellow Pages directory, and I called the next name.

To everyones astonishment, I closed the deal on the spot, earning about $18 for two minutes of work.

Of course, I was, and still am, great on the phone, but thats not the point of this article!

There was another key to success that is less obvious: whom I chose to call. In this case, I imitated what the veteran did, and I called a baker.

When I was officially hired, I found my own category: restaurants. Between using them and losing them, they burned through thousands of pens per year, by my calculations, and I was right.

I made a very nice supplemental income for a considerable time after that, calling cafes around the country.

At one point, the boss asked me how I settled on restaurants, somewhat surprised, yet still pleased that I had discovered their appetite for writing devices.

I didnt reply this way in so many words, but I can tell you, it was in large measure because nobody else was selling them ballpoint pens.

I occupied the high ground on the competitive battlefield because my army was the only one that showed up, day in and day out.

I bought pens at 17 cents from the company and resold them at 33 cents, and I pitched them, two gross (288 pens) at a time. The pens were marked 49 cents on the barrel, so my customers perceived they were getting a bargain.

But heres whats essential. There was no Gary-competitor coming in at 30 cents or 25 cents or at any price at all.

If you can choose your prospects, go where nobody else is asking for the deal.

Theyll have less sales resistance. Youll encounter no competition, and everybody will be happy!