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- You Need to Learn Sales
“To be genuinely interested in other people is a most important quality for a salesperson to possess -for any person, for that matter. ”
Dale Carnegie
The greatest skill you can learn is the ability to persuade people.
And that is what sales is.
Often when people think of sales, the image that pops up is that of the sleazy used car salesman. Trying to rip you off for your last dollar while giving you something that isn't worth it.
Many intelligent people I know hate the word sales because they think it is “below” them.
The truth is that everyone is in sales, but they just don’t know it.
Many job titles include the term "sales" :
Used car salesman
Tech sales
Medical device sales
Insurance sales
Here are some other sales roles:
Attorney
Influencer
Professional athlete
Financial analyst
Tinder user
Writer
When you are buying you are selling, when you are interacting with your spouse or friends you are selling, when you are at work you are selling.
What I mean is that sales is the act of persuading people.
To make yourself heard, to have a point of view, or to have any control over your situation, you have to sell other people on your ideas or move them towards believing it.
All communication is an attempt at persuasion, whether you know it or not.
Think about how democrats and republicans argue to defend the ideology they identify with, or how atheists and theists do the same.
They are selling their ideology to those with differing opinions because they believe that theirs is best.
When approaching any interaction, you are selling yourself in one way or another if.
If it is to a colleague you are selling them on being friends, if it is to a date selling them on becoming partners, if it is to a recruiter you are selling them on becoming an employee.
Though they all are different contexts, the behavior is the same.
You are trying to move people towards something that you think would be mutually beneficial.
And that is the difference between the social scientist and the sleazy salesman.
One genuinely wants to better the other, and one wants to use the other to better themselves.
Big Picture – How to improve your sales skills
Have 110% conviction in your product
I use the word “product” loosely to define what ever you are selling
If you do not have complete conviction that what you are providing will benefit the other person, how can you expect them to?
If you are a salesman, and you do not believe that your product is good, speak to management about what parts you have issues with or find a company whose product you can get behind.
If you are dating, and you have crippling insecurities about your height or your appearance or your living situation, what type of impression do you think you are leaving on your date?
If you are an attorney, and you believe your client is wrong, do you believe that there is any chance you can convince the jury otherwise?
If you are trying to make friends, and you believe that you are boring, how can you expect for anyone else to believe you are worth talking to?
You can try to fake it until you make it, but eventually you will be sniffed out for what you truly are.
Without the belief that you or the product that you are representing are of value, it will be extremely difficult to persuade someone else.
If you are a salesman, work with management on improving your product.
If you are dating, spend time improving your physique and mind.
If you are unemployed, spend time improving your skill set, portfolio and resume.
You do not become convicted by saying words of affirmation to yourself in the mirror.
You become convicted by having undeniable proof that what you say is the truth, so begin building said proof.
Approach every interaction looking to benefit the other person involved
You can only build trust if you genuinely want to better the other person in some way.
Humans are excellent at sniffing out intention.
If you are talking to someone just because you want their money, the prospect will feel this and get defensive. In typical sales jobs, they call this commission breath.
If you are talking to your date simply because you want to sleep with them, they will feel this and distance themselves.
If you are in an interview, and you have no skills that can better their business, they will not hire you.
In sales, dating, or job hunting, you must find out what abilities or beliefs do you have that are mutually beneficial to your prospect, date, or company.
If you do not have the skills, beliefs, or character traits to benefit the other person, it is in your best interest to either develop them or to find a better match.
Remember, this is the difference between the social scientist and the sleazy salesman.
Understand that you can control input, not output
Most people are not going to be interested whether you are in sales, dating, or job hunting.
Rejection is simply part of the game.
Too often I see friends apply to 10 jobs, get rejected from all of them, become discouraged, then stop applying.
What if it took 500 applications?
What if it took 1000 applications?
Every date you go on is not going to lead to marriage.
Every cold call you make is not going to lead to a sale.
Every application you send is not going to land you a job.
But every time you try, you increase the odds of achieving your goal
Every time you try, the better you get
Not only will you achieve your goal faster through sheer volume, but you will be getting better faster too.
Given enough time, it becomes Impossible to lose.
Put in the volume and the results will follow.
Learn from the best and your past mistakes
“A smart person learns from his mistakes, but a truly wise person learns from the mistakes of others”
Unknown
Every great athlete religiously studies game film.
And every great salesperson does call reviews.
You can’t blindly repeat the same thing and expect to become exceptional.
It's a journey many before you have taken and many will follow.
Seek out industry leaders', and find what strategies they used at your stage of development.
If you want to become a better persuader, you need to systematically review your interactions.
As a salesperson, record all of your calls
Ask yourself:
“What mistakes did I make this time?”
“What did I do right and how can I make sure I do it even better next time?”
“What lessons can I learn from this?”
Learn → Apply → Review → Iterate → Repeat
Persuasion applies to every facet of life.
Understanding it will make you a better partner, salesman, engineer, teacher, writer and much more.
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