Comments

This resonates hugely.
In my book 'Leap!' (http://www.iansanders.com - and i make no apologies for The Sell), I have a mini chapter entitled "'Sell' is Not An Expletive". I think Sales has had too much bad press and agree that we need to fall in love with it again. The importance of the S Word is something I realised early on in my career; when I started out I didn't think 'sales was for me'. Ha Ha, how wrong I was. I learnt quick. And of course when I took the leap to work for myself, every day, every minute is about sales. What is sales? It's lots of stuff, but at its most basic I think of it as performing a piece of magic: 'turning an idea into an invoice'.

Posted by Ian Sanders at June 5, 2008 1:14 AM

Hi, I have been teaching for 20 years from management to retailing to uni student, that is always my first lesson- you are a sales person, if you cannot sell then you cannot be successful.

Will this share again with all the people that I cross paths with, will also say that the great guru also supports it!

Posted by moonyeen at June 5, 2008 1:46 AM

I have to confess I am in the process of overcoming an ingrained 'negative' response to 'sales' which has been shaped by the number of encounters I have had with 'bad' sales people-by bad I mean those that try to sell you stuff you don't want or need because it meets their objectives rather than yours-because they are driven by targets rather than the needs of the customer, also because (understandably) they need to make a living. Ian rightly says that sales has a lot of bad press, and frankly that's because there are a lot of sharks around going for a fast buck rather than a customer relationship

But then , on the other hand I think of the camera shop that I kept going back to because, on several occasions they gave me advice at each purchase that meant I spent less money with them on individual purchases, but more in the long run because I trusted them and kept going back. Now, that's good sales.

I can identify with the movie producer story so much because I am at the point where I have tons of experience, knowledge, and ideas for progressing the small team I manage, but I'm getting nowhere with conveying it all to senior managers because I have hit on the realisation that I'm not much of a salesman. So, thanks for the inspiration Tom. I'm off to buy a few books and to learn how to sell!

Posted by tomjam at June 5, 2008 2:48 AM

Love it.

Totally agree look at the typical sales people that most mortals deal with - they don't exactly give the sales profession a good name!

I count myself very lucky. In a previous life as a techy I got to do presales technical work - I was privileged to see how the better half of the sales profession operates (large corporate Software deals). I saw a model of sales that could fit with the way I want to do business (i.e. really listening to customers and trying to deliver what they need!)

As some of you know I coach people part time as well as my day job. I coach a lot people just starting out with their small business. One big fear especially amongst coaching types is selling (gross generalisation but coaches are not typically the same type of animals as sales people!) and yet coaches are often uniquely equipped with sales skills – the ability to listen (REALLY listen), question and find out at a deep level what the person really wants. Many people don’t see that as a sales skill and yet it’s fundamental! When you talk through the skills they have they are usually only lacking some confidence and probably experience in closing the rest is there!

Posted by PaulH at June 5, 2008 2:59 AM

Selling is infinite and perpetual. Sales is making folks see the W.I.I.F.M or adding the value. Any time you want your words to make someone do something, to act, to change...you sell. Verbally, visually, or written word...it's sales. One of the toughest concepts to get new trainers to grasp is selling...If you are just putting out words you're not gonna get them to "act". Once you are committed to selling you use your other tools...voice, visuals, stories to make the pitch. What's the point in "branding" you, if you can't make them see what a valuable commodity you are? You gotta sell it for sure...what you say, what you do, how you act...sales!

Posted by Dave Wheeler at June 5, 2008 8:04 PM

Everybody is in sales! Period.

Posted by K.Sriram at June 6, 2008 5:20 AM

Sales books recommendations?

Posted by Rich at June 6, 2008 4:36 PM

Yep!

Posted by Richard Lipscombe at June 6, 2008 7:45 PM

Tom:

For the past fifteen years I have worked with professionals (accountants, actuaries, attorneys engineers, management consultants, recruiters, etc.)helping them learn to sell. None joined their profession in order to sell and may have liked it part because they thought it didn't require selling. Then, life being perverse, they found they had to sell to advance their careers and build their firms. One of the things they have to learn is that there are ways to sell successfully that are honorable, desirable and achievable and that are consistent with who they are as people. Selling also is fun, once you get over the hangups and realize it is a good thing.

Ford Harding
Author of "Rain Making, 2nd Edition, Attract New Clients No Matter What Your Field" and "Creating Rainmakers"

Posted by Ford Harding at June 9, 2008 7:31 AM

Tom,
I studied your work years ago, lost track of you and found your video clip today. I was immediately reminded of what practical vision you are generous to share with us, and how I have missed hearing your impassioned voice.

Everybody sells! it's what unites the team~
God speed dear friend,
Phoebe

Posted by Phoebe at June 18, 2008 10:37 AM