I started my career by selling newspapers on street corners and then when I was old enough, I landed a job with Time-Life Books, promoting their best-selling nature, science, and food libraries by phone.
Since then, of course, I’ve sold a lot of other things. But the thread that runs through my career, what I really enjoy, is creating and selling knowledge: seminars, consulting, coaching, books, tapes, newsletters, and the like. I suppose I just have an affinity for learning and teaching.
Others may like technology or travel or agriculture or boating.
I bring this up because you should sell items for which you have a good temperamental fit, goods and services that you respect or personally enjoy. If you don’t, I believe you’ll underachieve, and worse, you’ll be unhappy. And you might blame the profession of selling for your woes, instead of identifying the real culprit.
If I were in the car business today, I’d sell Porsches. I drive one, and I wouldn’t mind collecting them, when I have a close encounter with a ton of extra money!
But I wouldn’t be happy at all, selling average cars. While they have their place, they simply don’t inspire me.
There are cars on the market that cost as much, if not more than Porsches, but I know, from direct experience, that their engineering is vastly overrated, and they spend too much time on hoists. They’re not for me. I’ll have nothing to do with them, given a choice.
Call it snobby, but I know myself. I’d be a misfit if I had to sell something I didn’t respect or enjoy.
I’ve often thought about the maxim that a salesperson must “believe?in his product. I’m not sure that exactly captures what I’m referring to. I think appreciate, admire, enjoy are closer to the mark.
I knew a fellow manager at Time-Life who, on more than one occasion said, “If they didn’t pay me to do this, I’d hang around for free, just to watch!?br />
If you feel that way about what you’re selling, or about the company for which you’re working, then that is one of the best rewards you can get.
Then, you’re selling one of the finer things in life.
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone?and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.