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Like It Or Not...You're in SALES!

by Paul Shearstone

Mention the word sales or salesman and 2 out of 3 people get a little clammy under the skin."I hate salespeople and I could never do what they do!" is what many say at the mere thought of having to sell something. How wrong they are.

Here is the cold hard fact: From the time you are born to the time you die, you—regardless of your profession or what you do—are in sales.

Appreciate that when a baby cries for the first time for its mother’s milk, he/she is attempting to close the new mom on the importance and benefits of doing what the child wants. In short, the baby is making its very first sale...The sale will be made. There will be plenty more.

A child who makes its bed to get a cookie is selling 'services' for 'profit'. In this case, the profit is a cookie. To explain to a teacher, "The dog ate my homework", is to engage in the daunting task of persuasion. Is it selling? You bet it is.

To invite someone to the prom, to ask someone to marry you—to stay married to you—is to sell the features you possess, in tandem with the expectation, those you hope to attract [sell] see the obvious benefits for them. Also at times, a daunting task [sale].

To get up the nerve to ask the boss for a raise or a promotion is quite like making that dreaded cold call even well-trained salespeople find challenging. Convincing the boss as to why you deserve a raise or promotion is the fundamental act of trying to make a sale. By promoting you or paying you more, he/she [the boss] benefits—or at least that's your pitch. What a salesman you are!

In business, [as I alluded earlier] it really doesn't matter who you are or what you do. The fact remains, without any sales, the business ceases to exist. Lawyers, doctors and dentists have many competitors but nevertheless still have to put on their sales hats to convince potential customers that they are the right solution for their needs. If they can't make the sales, they go out of business.

Manufacturing, distribution or service oriented companies have dedicated frontline selling professionals whose job it is to engage potential customers, face-to-face, and make the sale. People understand that. What many don't understand is that everyone in the company—everyone—from the CEO down to the mail clerk, is in sales.

You may push a broom, but your real job is to keep the place clean so that the act of making business for the purposes of making 'sales' can be achieved. Whether you are in accounting, administration, IT or marketing, everything you do—EVERYTHING—is expressly focused on the success of the company which, of course, can only be achieved by making sales.

The bottom line: sales or the act of selling is at the very fabric of human interaction from the time we are born, throughout our working lives and into our retirement years. Some people are quite naturally better at it or more aware of it than others, but no one is exempt from it and/or does not engage in it their entire life. Happy selling!

Paul Shearstone a.k.a. The 'Pragmatic Persuasionist' is one of North America's foremost experts on Sales and Persuasion. As an International Keynote Speaker, Author and Writer, Paul enlightens and challenges audiences as he informs, motivates and entertains. To comment on this article or to book the Pragmatic Persuasionist for your next successful event, contact Paul Shearstone directly @ 416-728-5556 or 1-866-855-4590 or e-mail him at paul@paulshearstone.ca.

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