At the bottom of this post is a photo I came across in my iPad tonight. It makes me laugh every time I look at it. Tonight it got me thinking about how the general public views salespeople.I’ve always found it amusing (and a little sad) how most people react to the word “sales.” Even more dramatic is their reaction to the word “salesperson.” To many people those are words that conjure up images of swarming sales associates like the guys at the car lot in the movie Cadillac Man or lying swindlers like the crew in Tin Men.Because of movies like that – and maybe because of some bad real-life experiences with salespeople, a portion of the public has branded “sales” as a dirty word.
The Bad News…If you’re one of those people, I have some news for you. You’re in sales. If you collect a paycheck for anything…from anyone…you are in sales. Deal with it.The Good News…A real salesperson isn’t some fast-talking, lying crook who will say or do anything to get in your wallet. A professional salesperson deals with people. People who have problems. Problems that can be solved with products and services.
A Quick Test
Whatever your job is, do you ever…
- Ask clients questions about their situation, needs, and desires?
- Answer questions your clients have?
- Talk them through available options regarding their situations, needs, and desires?
- Make recommendations that you think will help them based on those things?
I thought so.Welcome aboard, baby! You’re in sales.Doctors, mechanics, engineers, web entrepreneurs, CPA’s, fast food employees, receptionists, landscapers, dry cleaners, and UPS clerks. You’re all in sales.Sales is nothing more than empathetically understanding what it feels like to be in another person’s situation, offering advice about things that could solve their problem, and then helping them obtain those things.Now that you know that sales is part of your job, it is your duty to those you serve to actively work at getting better at it. And that, I can promise you, will be the topic of many posts to come here at Depantsing The Clones.So here is the picture. If anyone knows it’s origin, please contact me so I can give credit where it is due!