Sales as a Positive Profession
Selling has become a negative term to many people. However, the fact is that everyone sells. It may not be their job to sell but everyone attempts to influence, persuade or convince in their daily lives. If you are in sales or an entrepreneur and think of selling as a dirty word it will definitely change how effective you will be at promoting your business.
Selling is a profession that goes all the way back to the beginnings of time. Everyone traded, bartered or bought products or services even thousands of years ago. However, throughout modern times there have been some consistently bad examples of sales people which have tainted the image of selling; the “snake oil salesmen” and the “used car salesman” to name a few. Those are just the ones that stand out the most because a negative is always stronger than a positive. It’s a biological self protective bias. But throughout time there have also been excellent salespeople. Those that consistently improve their ability to listen and give to the prospect what they really want and need.
This is what the great salespeople and entrepreneurs do. They really listen. The skill of listening is for many a lost art. Without this skill anyone attempting to sell will be “tone deaf” to the prospects desires. Listening well requires that you stop thinking about what you want to say next and actually hear what the other person is attempting to communicate. Listening well means focus, listening well means caring what the person is saying. Once you know what they really want than you can better describe your product or service to them. If you really listen and find that they don’t really want and need your service than you move on to another prospect.
The best sales people are motivated, enthusiastic and excellent listeners. They also know when to stop selling and move on. By caring what your prospect wants, you transform yourself into a higher level performer than the average sales person. You are no longer just selling you are setting yourself apart from the rest and your sales will reflect that change.
