How to sell anything – make sure first it’s not just a job
People ask me all the time, “Steve, how can I have better results selling?” or How come it’s just not working for me in sales, Steve?”
They don’t always like my answer. “If it’s not working, you must not be doing something you love or selling something you love or something that makes a positive difference in the lives of your customers.”
Is it that simple? Yes. Yes, because if you don’t love what you are selling, your future clients and your existing clients know it. You cannot hide it. Yes, because if you have taken a sales job for the “money,” that is not a substitute for passion. People that have a passion for making money end up sometimes doing things that lack integrity, as in the case of the Wells Fargo salespeople who opened up fake accounts to qualify for a significant bonus.
Selling takes a lot of skill and passion. Emotional Quotient or EQ is a critical skill that needs continual development. Communication skills the same. Without passion for what you are selling, it’s challenging to maintain the high energy level required, and it’s almost impossible to fake it.
The reasons to want to become a salesperson need to be deeper than a paycheck. John Maxwell talks about living each day with “intentionality.”
“When you intentionally use your everyday life to bring about positive change in the lives of others, you begin to live a life that matters,” says John.
Imagine bringing that attitude to your sales job every day. Unintentional people are the onlookers at life. They see things that need to be addressed and say “something should be done about that” and do nothing. They go no further. People who live intentionally jump in and live the story themselves. Albert Einstein once said, “the world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
Imagine taking a sales job that matched the purpose of bringing about positive change in the lives of others. Start there and work backward. Ask yourself, does this company make a positive difference in the lives of others? Perhaps you can make a positive difference in the company you are at by speaking up, by doing something. What if the majority of salespeople said to their Wells Fargo leaders, “STOP… this sales bonus program will lead to the abuse of our customers, STOP. As of last week, Wells Fargo set aside 3.1 billion dollars for legal fees alone before any settlements and think about the hit to their reputation.
To live a life that matters does not mean you will not have challenges. It does mean that whatever you decide to sell in your sales career will make a positive difference in the lives of your customers, and that will give you satisfaction down to your soul.
If the company you work for or are interviewing with, cannot communicate the difference they are making in people’s lives, move on, or pass this job over.
You won’t ever have to ask me the two questions I opened this article with, instead you will be calling to thank me.
Gratefully yours, Steve
