Sidehill Blog

I’m Not A Salesperson, But…
Ever wonder why it is that you can earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Finance, or Human Resources, and not in Sales?
It’s true – there really is no B.S. in Sales!

I had a recent conversation with a professor at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business – one of the nations’ oldest and best MBA programs - who mentioned that academia still considers sales a ‘Trade’ rather than a ‘Profession’ which made us both ponder the question: How effective can business leadership be without sales skills? What kind of business can succeed without someone first selling something? Does the denigration of a core business function come from the fact that great selling incorporates both scientific and artistic skills, and so is misunderstood by both areas of academic discipline?

The truth is that Sales has a longer history than any other business profession – in fact, Sales is the Oldest Profession!
From the earliest times when humans began to have surplus goods or services, it is the act of selling that facilitated the transfer of that surplus. Professional selling has evolved significantly over the millennia to incorporate the proven disciplines of neuroscience, psychology, and communication as well as artistic skill sets of interpretation, visualization, and human interaction. Today, successful selling is based on proven, acquired knowledge and skills that are backed by the science necessary to perform the role consistently with both integrity and respect – just as (not like) any true Profession.

So why do otherwise solid, forward thinking, successful professionals break out in a cold sweat at the mere thought of having to ‘sell’ something?
It all comes down to one small but very powerful word: No.
Feel The Fear, …And Do It Anyway.That’s the title of a book by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. Highly recommended by more people than we can list here. Check it out. The cold sweat is becuase it is not normal for humans to like being rejected, and ‘NO’ is rejection! When you pour your heart, soul, time and finances into an idea, product, or service you love, the last thing you want to hear from people who should also love it is “I’m not interested” “We don’t need that”, “We already have something that does that”, or worse “We tried that and it doesn’t work”. No. Rejection. Angst. Fear.

Does professional selling always mean facing tons of rejection?
That depends - on lots of things. “Sales” can be defined as the human interactions that lead to an exchange of goods, services, or ideas. No one needs everything all of the time so - at most moments in time - people do not need what you have to sell. It is always much more likely for the untrained ear to hear ‘No’, than ‘Yes’ when selling. However, sometimes "no" means "not now' or "I don't understand why I needthis". How how we understand what is being said is one of the things that generate the sense of rejection - and that understanding is influenced by our experience, beliefs, current state of mind - a whole list of other topics seeping into this one...

But wait there's more!!! Now how much would you pay?
Being rejected most of the time isn’t a social norm in any culture, and most people are uncomfortable being seen as a person who lives an abnormal lifestyle. When a sales person exposes their true identity to people who do not understand what professional selling is really like, you might hear those unfamiliar with professional selling say things like "Why would anyone willingly subject themselves to that all the time?” or “Aren’t there more respectable ways to earn a living?” (Thanks for that one, Mom!) Take that natural fear of rejection and pile on the negative sales stereotypes that the worst sales people have created - terms like ‘Snake Oil’, ‘Door-to-Door’, ‘Used Car’, ‘’Telemarketer’, ‘Investment Banker’ - and there you have source of “I’m not a salesperson, but…”
Integrity, trust, self image, and a host of other personal values are at stake.

Is it possible to sell without the fear?
What your really asking is : Can you be successful when selling without people – including yourself - considering you one of those "slimy salespeople?" In short: Absolutely!
We are among hundreds of providers of services that help people bust the myths of what great selling really means. If you need to get better at selling without the slime, your success depends on checking out what services and assistance is available and right for your specific situation. Once you get good at it, even your mom will respect your new profession!
No B.S. necessary and the solution is easier than selling ice to an Eskimo!