In a recent poll, 1,000 incoming college freshmen were asked what career they would like to pursue when they graduated. Less than 1 percent selected “sales” as their profession of choice.
OK, I just made that up. However, my gut says that this fictional poll is probably close to reality.
One of my first job offers out of college was in sales and I distinctly remember thinking, “Sales is for people who can’t find a real job.”
When you ask someone to tell you the first word that pops into their head when you mention the word “salesperson,” you often hear “liar,” “pushy,” “used car,” “dishonest,” etc.
Twenty-plus years later, I realize that I now love selling and find it to be a great profession that I would highly recommend to everyone. But what’s more interesting is that I’ve now realized that just about everyone I know is in sales – including you.
At the core, sales is nothing more than convincing someone to believe in an idea or concept that you are supporting, a/k/a, selling.
If you are in management, you work hard every day to convince your staff that it’s in their best interest to be more productive. Teachers fill their days with strategies to convince kids that paying attention in class and doing homework on time has benefits in both the short and long term.
Believe it or not, doctors are even salespeople. Anyone can diagnose a problem and prescribe a medication, but a great doctor is able to inspire a patient to improve their diet and exercise.
I believe the most difficult sales job takes place in the home with my two kids. I can preach for hours about the importance of hard work, honesty, trying new things, etc. However, the truth is that the majority of their life is and will be spent outside of my influence. Possibly the most important sales job I will ever have is convincing them to behave in a certain way when I’m not around.
Instead of running from the thought of sales, embrace the challenge to help others make great decisions that will benefit them both personally and professionally.