What Selling is, and what it isn't.
If you mention Selling or Sales to a lot of people they will respond with a negative description of a slick, smooth talking individual who will say or do anything in order to close a deal. This frequently stems from hearsay of another person's experience, but often is based on their own painful personal experience. Some people say they would rather get a root canal than go to a car dealership! This is not to pick only on automobile salespeople; there are hucksters in every industry.
The above serves to leave a bad taste in one's mouth, causing them to say they hate Selling and Sales and adamantly proclaim that they want nothing to do with the whole concept. The "funny" thing is that they are in Sales, no matter their occupation, whether they know it or not! How so? One of the definitions of the verb Sell is to persuade another of the merits of something, like an idea. A married person had to persuade the other party on the merits of marrying them, an employee on the merits of being hired, a homeowner on the merits of deserving the loan, etc. Get the picture? Grant Cardone puts forth the argument in his book Sell Or Be Sold that Everyone is in Sales in one way or another. In the first sentence of the book he states, "Selling impacts every person on this planet. Your ability to sell, persuade, negotiate and convince others will affect every area of your life and will determine how well you survive."
The more common definition of Sell is the act of giving or handing something over (exchanging it) for money. This of course typically covers the person who makes an occupation and living out of selling stuff to others. The unfortunate thing here is that most "professional" salespeople are not living up to their full potential and are therefore missing untold opportunities to produce more and better results. This is to the detriment of their personal finances for themselves and their families. Having more money is an unlikely cause for divorce!
Both aspects of Selling and Sales can be enhanced with the application of a good, time-tested and proven method of Sales Training. People find Sales hard because they simply don't know how to do it. Grant Cardone has created a phenomenal Online Training Program based on his 30+ years studying and practicing successful sales techniques. As a 10X Certified Business Coach I am licensed to deliver that program.
I don't want everything I post on this blog to come across as a sales pitch, but I wanted you to know where I am coming from. No matter what you do with the information I present, I hope it will be of benefit to you!
At YOUR service,
Russ Thomas