Love us or hate us, everyone wishes they were a salesman.  At the least, everyone wishes they could do better at selling.  Truth is, most people don’t belong in our industry and that’s why it’s so fucked up.

It’s all the shitty employees, posing as salesmen, who think they can hop in the game and make a quick buck like the rest of us.  The most common customer complaint about salesmen isn’t “he overcharged me” it’s “he didn’t know what in the hell he was doing.”

You can use the google and find a ton of articles about getting into sales and how to find what area of sales best fits your personality.  Here’s a huge set of advice from a master salesman, if you have to think about getting in sales, you don’t belong.  Salesmen just DO it, we don’t think about it.

While there may be a ton of resources to help you get into sales, I want to do us all a favor and give you the signs up front as to why you should NOT get into sales.  After reading this, if you feel up to the challenge, you’ll do well.

Let’s cut to the chase here, sales ain’t for everybody.  They say there’s an 80/20 rule, but it’s been my experience that it’s more like 95/5.  Meaning that 95% of the people in sales either fail or are just barely making it.  These are the same assholes who bitch about how they can never get ahead but are unwilling to do the work. “The leads are weak!” “Fuck you, you’re weak!” 

One thing to add before I get into this is that if you consistently end up in the friend zone, just stop.  Stop reading and move on.  if you can’t close the opposite sex to like you, you ain’t gonna be able to close the general public.  Now, with that out of the way…

The first sign that you’re not cut out for sales is if you think a lot.  If you’re the quiet type who rarely has a quick witted rely for almost everything, you WILL struggle in handling objections from prospects.  Salesmanship requires us to be able to quickly counter objections with positive rebuttals. 

I’m not saying you must be a fast talker or sound like a southern baptist preacher, I’m just saying you’ve got to be able to speak and act quickly.  If a prospect throws out an objection, or even a simple question and you sit there and think about it, with a stupid, deep thought, look on your face, they will throw you out of the office. You’ve got to reply immediately and show the prospect your confidence and competence. 

The second sign that you’re not cut out for sales is if you can’t stand to go a few months without a paycheck.  You gotta pay the cost if you’re gonna close like a boss.  There are a few, but not many sales places pay immediately.  Meaning you usually have to build a pipeline, follow up with that pipeline, close that pipeline and prospect the whole time. 

A sales cycle may be up to 6 months in some cases.  Some folks get a good lick right off the bat, but most of us have a HUGE learning curve to catch up on.  And an earning curve.  If you live at home, now is the time to get into sales.  Jump in while your bills are low and you have a savings.  If you need to make money today, most sales jobs can’t help you.

The third sign you should run away from a sales job is if you hate meeting new people.  If the thought of having lunch with a different stranger every day of the week scares the shit out of you, you’re not cut to fit in.  if you’re scared to greet people as they walk up to you, you should just stick to whatever it is you do now.

You may think that your friends and family will buy from you, but in most cases you’re going to need to rely on strangers.  Or as we call them in sales “prospects”.  Chances are, your friends and family will be the last ones to buy from you and only after you’ve proved them wrong.  Which brings me to number four,

The fourth sign you shouldn’t even apply for a sales job is if you’re not ready to listen to all of your friends and family try to crush your income goals.  It may sound crazy now, but when you talk to your non sales friends and tell them how you either plan to make $20k a month or how you already are, they will become haters. It’s just how it is.

Once you buy your Lambo you will find out you gotta fight haters like Rambo.  They will say you scam people.  They will say you must be doing something shady.  They will say it all and if you’re not ready to ignore it or defend it, you might as well quit now  The ones closest to us are always the first to doubt us. 

The fifth sign you shouldn’t even waste your time with even thinking about sales is if you can’t picture yourself rich.  Making a lot of sales mainly comes from within.  If you can’t picture yourself already making big money, you won’t be able to make big money.

I know people who make millions a year who are salesmen.  Not CEOs, not Business Owners, just salesmen.  In any profession it’s possible with enough prospects.  You’ll never get there though if you don’t believe it can happen for you.  One of the biggest traits in all salesmen is our dream is bigger than we are.

The sixth sign that you’re not made to close a sale is if you’re not coachable.  The best sales people I know have mentors, consultants and bosses.  You’re going to be told what to do by managers, CEOs, regulators and clients.  If you can’t take direction with a grain of salt and implement it, you won’t make it.

You’ve got to open your mind to any new angles and possibilities  that can help you get better at sales.  You can’t learn sales from a book, you learn it from someone else and if you’re too good to take direction you can kindly find another industry now.  

The seventh sign that you’re not cut out to close, is if you’re a giant pussy. Most salesmen and women are badasses.  They are thick skinned people who are not afraid to take criticism and move on.  In any sales job you can expect people to be assholes from time to time when you ask them for business.  I’ve even had people complain on my facebook ads.  It’s just going to happen.  If you can’t deal with being picked on and rude to, you should run now. We don’t need you to go calling the suicide hotline on day one of the grind.

Prospects and the general public have a bad taste in their mouth for salesmen, it’s because many people think it’s quick money and fuck the reputation up.  Because of this, you’re going to have to endure ridicule.  If you’re not able to take it, you will eventually bury your head in the sand and quit.

Like I’ve said throughout this whole post, we need less people in sales and more professionals in sales.  Most people aren’t cut out and if someone doesn’t belong why not place them in a job that better suits them instead of forcing them into sales.

Just because the dumb guy waiting on your table can say hello and is funny when he reads the menu off, doesn’t mean he’s going to be good in sales.  Personality can only get you so far.  A salesman needs personality, whits, sharpness, relentless hustle and ability to work for no gratitude and starve.  

Sales is a tough job.  We are on the front lines each day and if you can’t imagine trying to change the world around you, one sale at a time, you sipley ain’t got it in you man.  Share this if you’re a salesman.