If it’s all about sales…. (Sales Series Part 2)
- I have an uncle that could sell anything to anyone.
- I had a boss that didn’t leave a social event without a contract in his pocket.
- I read the books that tell you to make the “ask” before you leave the room.
- If we want a new job, we package the resume and sell ourselves in the interview.
- Even dating sites require that you take a leap of faith and write the person you are interested in to “ask” for the meeting.
As much as I try to re-imagine sales in our business as “customer service” – the RFP’s and the presentations and the meetings require us to have an ability to sell.
New technologies further complicate the sales approach while at the same time opening vast new opportunities to create a sales strategy.
And yet…
- Marketing degrees do not have a course in sales.
- Training certificates in many industries do not focus on sales.
- Arts and Science degrees do not provide courses on personal sales.
- High school programs do not even mention the concept of sales in reference to any particular skill or career option.
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The sales process is an important part of our work and our personal lives (no matter how we each interpret the concept of sales). Why is there not a broader attempt to provide training for this specific (and valuable) skill? And if there is an approach I am not aware of – has it been updated to recognize the realities of the new economy?
Writer’s Note – It is probably important to note that as I write this I also acknowledge that I suck at the true “sales” process! I am not even sure I could send an introduction letter on one of those dating sites!
