Every so often I’ll meet a seasoned sales guy who will muse that the toughest sale they ever made was when they sold their wife. I can’t help but think,
“Isn’t slavery illegal? Oh you mean when you asked her to marry you? Ohhhhhhhhh”.
You would think a topic of marriage would be a mutual conversation, a meeting of the minds or a negotiation. I can see that. But it’s hard for me to see a marriage proposal as a sales call. That doesn’t make sense. Yet I hear it repeated all the time.
This is how some people see life. For them, everything in life is a sale. Everything in life is a deal. Life is one big competition with buyers and sellers, winners and losers. It’s the savvy sellers that win the prize and the rest are hot prospects.
But if you’ve picked up anything in this blog or podcast, I don’t see things that way. I don’t see selling as a way to get ahead.
Life’s Lessons
I see sales as an extension of life. What works for life, works for sales, not the other way around. Consider your life experiences. Let’s ask the questions:
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What does life say about building intimate relationships, love, friendship and empathy?
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What does life tell about partnering and teams?
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What does life tell us about sharing the load and helping?
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What does life tell us about lending a hand?
Reflect on all the good you have in your life. The energy you’ve invested and how others have invested in you. Recall the times where you’ve laughed and cracked up with friends. Reflect on the times where you’ve been close to family. Recall when times were tough and together you and those you care for overcame adversity. These powerful events can spark possibility in your professional life.
Consider the possibility that what works for life, works for sales. Sales is life.
Here to Help
Despite our culture’s myths, I see sales as a helping profession. Sellers are like people who work in hospitals, child care, or dog rescuers. Consider the police officers, firefighters and social workers of the world. All of these people are in the helping industry. This is where we belong. Sales professionals are closer to teachers and wait staff then a bureaucrat or mob boss.
Extraordinary sellers ask open-ended questions, listen intently and then propose solutions that can help their customers. Yes, they are advocates for their companies and organizations. But they never push product that doesn’t add value. They are in for the long game. It’s never about a quick win.
I’m married to a teacher. For her, the profession of teaching is a calling. This is how I see sales. It’s a sacred honor. I’m called to help my clients. I’m called to help vendors. I’m called to influence and make the world a better place. This calling has enriched my life immeasurably.
For me, it’s second nature to enter every conversation with the attitude ,
“I’m here to help. How can I help you?”
This is how I approach life and this is how I approach sales.