We Are All in Sales Now
A reflection on the first few chapters of To Sell Is Human
Everyone is in sales now — Everyone.
According to the 2012 U.S. Bureau of Labor stats, 1 out of every 9 business persona is in sales. While this is technically correct, if you break down every job’s everyday actions, you will discover this one truth…
We are all in sales now.
Sales — Selling — is the transference of emotion — of energy — from one person to another to convince, move, or persuade them to do X, Y, or Z. For some of us, this takes the traditional form of sales, directly communicating with our prospects, discerning whether our product is a good fit for them or not, and approaching them appropriately.
For marketers, they are buying your attention. For the Engineers, they are selling their time and expertise. They are convincing you that they are a good hire for an open position, or that their next project is the right choice. Whatever the case may be, if you break down the day-to-day of everyone, you will find that they spend the majority of their time engaged in non-direct selling. They are spending their time, energy, and resources trying to move you to give up either your time, your energy, or your resources.
This is sales.
Some of us sell ideas, other’s products. Some want your attention, others simply your money — the point is, to sell is human! But what does this mean for us? Well… this humanizes sales. It de-stigmatizes it. And if you have ever felt bad about selling, this knowledge will help you quiet that little voice. Selling is human, and understanding this and becoming the best salesman, you can be will make you a better person.
