To be or not to be...in a Sales role...that is the question.

There is another question: isn't it time to re-invent the Sales role? The quick answer to that question is - Yes. A longer answer will follow in a future Thought Post.

Today, the question is - Should You be in a Sales role?

In order to answer that big career-choice question, you should break it down into bite-size pieces. For example, you could ask then answer the following questions. You could use your answers to create lists of the 'pros' and cons' about your choice of a Sales role.

Here are some of the questions you should consider then answer Yes No or Maybe:

Yes No or Maybe - Do I have self-knowledge about my Strengths?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I have self-confidence, even when the going gets tough?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I think Sales is a very-important business function?

Yes No or Maybe - Am I interested in other People?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I have a strong work ethic?

Yes No or Maybe - Am I a self-starter, with lots of energy and drive?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I know how to listen?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I know how and when to stop talking?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I have a pleasing personality?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I enjoy delivering value?

In addition, at some point the questions will involve other factors...the company you will work for, the product/service you will sell and, of course, the Clients who will buy your product/service.

Yes No or Maybe - Does this Company creates and delivers value to its Clients?

Yes No or Maybe - Does this product/service is of value to Clients, whom I know I can serve well?

Yes No or Maybe - Do I know how to go about selling this product/service and delivering value to these specific Target Clients?

Yes No or Maybe - Am I enthusiastic about working at this specific Sales role?

PS: the more Yes answers the better. In fact, a single No answer could mean you should seek another career, another company to work at, or another product/service to sell. And, about Maybe answers - BEWARE - successful Sales people do not like Maybe answers!

Business Leaders: do you have a Selling Purpose?

Here is the way Spencer Johnson¹ presented this concept in 1985:

"MY SELLING PURPOSE

is to help people get

the good feelings they want

about what they bought

and about themselves."

He went on to add:

"I quickly reduce my stress

because I no longer try

to get people to do

what they don't want to do.

When I sell On Purpose,

it's like swimming downstream."

(I did not add the underlining...that was in the book.)

Now, that advice can apply to:

1. Sales people,
2. Leaders,
3. Everyone who wants to sell an idea, &
4. Everyone who wants to inspire other People.

As you can see from my book reviews, I just read a sales book and re-read an old one.

The two books are called:

Stop Whining! Start Selling!

Profit-Producing Strategies for Explosive Sales Results

&

Stop Selling & Do Something Valuable

Stop whining, start selling, stop selling, & do something valuable.

What end's up & what's a salesperson to do?

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Sales.

No end to the sales advice...almost all of which is good advice.

***

Question: Why so much appetite for sales advice?

Answer: Because, for most folks Sales just keep getting tougher and tougher.

***

I am working at creating a simple & fool-proof recipe to help Salespeople.

Here are the primary ingredients in my Sales-Success Recipe:

1. A compelling and precise answer to this question: 'Why are you in a Sales role?'
2. A definite Purpose...a clear picture of a Career Goal.
3. An emphatic commitment to Self-Discipline.
4. A commitment to Life-Long Learning...about People.