We ALL know how much the public loves to hate on a salesman. I blame the media. Hell, they are always to blame for something anyway. Seriously though, the media is making is hard out here on sales pro. Think about it. The top movies representing salespeople are Wolf of Wall St, Boiler Room, Wall Street and a bunch of other movies about salespeople who stole. The public thinks we are a lot of things we aren’t.
There’s also a bunch of lies being spread about our industry and I want to put a stop to the bullshit and set the official record straight. I’m not sure what the official record is, so I’m just writing this blog post. It’s obviously working though, you’re here; reading it.
In order to set the record straight, I wanted to address 7 big ass lies about working in sales, that you shouldn’t belive. If someone tells you any of these, you should automatically know up front they are full of shit and lying.
#1: It’s an easy way to make a quick buck
If you ever, and I mean ever, hear someone say working in sales is easy, they are full of shit. Sales is hard work. You face a ton of rejection, you have long hours and lots of down time that you waste chasing ghost ass prospects down. You can make good money working in sales, but the good money don’t come easy and it damn sure don’t come overnight.
#2: Because you’re friendly, you can do good in sales
I know a bunch of waiters who went into sales because a patron told them to do so. Just because you are friendly and can talk to strangers, doesn’t mean you can put a deal together. Being friendly is one small part of all it takes to be good at sales. You can be the friendliest real estate agent in the world, but if you don’t know how to work and close a deal, you won’t ever make a dollar.
#3: You get to pick your own hours
Boy, if this one isn’t a joke, I don’t know what is. You know who picks your hours when you work in sales? Your clients and prospects lol. THEY tell you when to meet, when to answer the phone, when to pretty much do anything. If you’re going to do good in sales, it’s a 24/7 round the clock gig. Especially the first few years, when you’re still building.
#4: You have to cold call to make sales
Cold calling works, but you don’t have to do it. If you don’t like cold calls, there’s no use forcing yourself to do them. We have social media, data lists, lead sources and more you can easily gain access to in this day and age. Hell, you don’t even have to talk on the phone to make sales. In one of my companies, we sell B2B and we do 95% of our sales from text messages and email.
#5: You need the gift of gab to succeed in sales
The best salespeople aren’t talkers. They are listeners. In sales you need 2 things to really be successful. First you need empathy. You get empathy from listening to people. Second, you need confidence. You get confidence from product knowledge and experience. Neither of those things require you to be a talker. Matter of fact, it’s preferred you NOT talk a lot by most prospects.
#6: You need to dress like a million bucks
You don’t need a Rolex and diamond pinky ring on to impress people in sales. I’ve been making sales dressed in jeans and a black t shirt for 2 decades. I almost never wore a suit to work, even when I had a corporate banker job. These days I make sales in a black t shirt, jeans, and tattoos hanging out. See truth #5, that’s what matters in sales.
#7: Working in sales is a slimy business
Sales is one of the most satisfying and gratifying jobs on the planet. The vast majority of people who work in sales simply want to help people. WE are truly servants to the masses and stewards of products we’ve been trusted to share with the public for a price. When a prospect becomes a client because they got exactly what they wanted or more, is one of the best feelings ever. When a prospect runs up and hugs you because you helped them make a buying decision, is a great feeling. Nothing slimy about that.
Now that we’ve put that bullshit to rest…Sales ain’t all fun and games but there’s no better place I’d rather work. There’s no other job I’d rather have. There’s no other industry I’d be as proud to be a part of. I’m a salesman first and CEO second. FOR LIFE!
As for the above lies, don’t let anyone fool you with their bullshit. Remember these lies and the truths I shared about them. If and when they come up, you’ll know what’s really up and can hopefully clarify for the next person.
