“Sales is not about selling anymore, but about building trust and education.” – Silva Devaki
While researching sales I found that most people want to change people’s perception about sales and show that it is so much more than simply just a sleazy salesman. I know that I learned a lot, for my own experience with sales is limited to door-to-door salespeople, a blender demonstration at Costco, and the brief watching QVC whenever flipping through channels. My view of sales was so tunnel vision that I didn’t let myself see the strategies, the relationship building and everything all goes on behind the scenes that I find intriguing.
Sales is so much bigger than what I was giving it credit for, and these are some of the reasons I believe sales is so valuable:
Every Salesperson is an Entrepreneur
You can go to the most entry-level position in the sales ranks at any company and you will find someone thinking outside the box and being an entrepreneur. Sales is so necessary and one of the most helpful tools one can have in their tool belt. The reason being, this mindset will get you and a company gets far.
Without Sales, you have Nothing
Sales is a driving force, it does not matter how life-changing an idea or product is, it cannot get anywhere without a good salesperson behind it selling it to paying clients. They are the people that make the idea/product attractive to buyers, and without the buyer you essentially have nothing.
At Some Level Everything is Sales
A few examples of this before you call me crazy: in an interview, you are selling yourself, or when trying to get your friends to go to the restaurant you want to go to you are selling the restaurant. You are almost trapped into selling without knowing it. It is impossible to escape a sales mindset, especially in today’s world of give and take.