8 Fresh Attitudes about Sales

Recently I surveyed a group of people under forty years old and of various backgrounds. Of the one hundred people, 70% indicated that they either own their own business or plan to in the near future. The lure of the start-up culture is being compounded by stories of success in movies and social media. This is a very good thing. Entrepreneurship is one key to a prosperous future for our world.

However, there is a troubling statistic that virtually ensures that most of these new businesses will fail. When I asked those seventy people who self-identified as entrepreneurs about their feelings around the activity of selling their product or service to prospective clients, 64% indicated that they were uncomfortable with this necessary part of building a business. Of those, 80% said that they would find a way around their discomfort by partnering with or hiring someone to take on that activity.

64% of entrepreneurs fear the activity of sales

Sales is an image on the screen of the mind. If we change the image, we change how we feel about the activity. By changing how we feel about it, we change how we act and, therefore, how others respond to us. Another word for people’s responses to us is results. In sales, these results are signed contracts and satisfied, repeat customers who refer us to others.

Sales is an image on the screen of the mind. If we change the image, we change how we feel about the activity.

We all have creative interpretations of past events in our lives. If we fear the activity of sales, we are likely interpreting negatively the way in which we were sold things in the past. We think in pictures, and when we think about sales we may have uninspiring or outright offensive pictures on the screens of our minds. Take the time to create a different picture. We need to picture ourselves bringing value to our clients in a positive manner.

Here are eight attitudes that we should integrate into this new picture of sales:

1) Sales is solving problems

If we seek to solve prospective clients’ problems, we will be able to sleep well at night, knowing that we are bringing value to other people’s lives.

2) Sales is knowing prospective clients inside and out

There is nothing more rewarding than developing deep, empathetic, compassionate, mutually beneficial relationships with fellow human beings. Sales is getting to know clients on as many levels as both sides are comfortable with.

3) Sales is listening more than speaking

To get to know our clients, we need to be effective at asking questions and listening to the answers. Active listening is using the senses to connect at a deep level that builds trust.

4) We do not need everyone to be our customer

It is easy in sales to focus all of our energy on landing one customer or deal. But the reality is that not everyone is a good fit for every product or service. Sales is not forcing our products or services on those who do not need them. Rather, sales is finding the right people who can benefit from what we have to offer.

5) Sales delivers variety

Sales entails dealing with a wide variety of personality types. Sales is far from a boring profession.

6) Sales develops a diverse skill set

Research, relationship building, problem solving, creativity, writing, and presenting are skills that add to a sales toolbox and can be developed over time by practice.

7) Sales leads to high emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize other people’s emotions and to adjust one’s thinking and behavior in response. Due to the variety of people we encounter while selling our product or service, we will develop high emotional intelligence that can help us in other areas of our lives.

8) Sales is the ticket to success

Profitable revenue is the key ingredient for a successful company. The ability to sell a product or service is indeed the ticket to success in business.

By incorporating these eight attitudes into our image of sales, we can go out there and make our businesses successful.

By incorporating these eight attitudes into our image of sales, we can go out there and make our businesses successful. 

Do you have any attitudes to add to this list? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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