Everyone’s in Sales, But What Does That Really Mean?
Originally contributed by Mike Esterday for Top Sales Magazine.
What does it mean to “be in sales”? It depends on who you ask. Many people will tell you “sell” is just another four-letter word. It’s transactional and maybe even manipulative. The last thing they’d want to do is think of themselves as having any sort of sales role.
For others, to sell means understanding what’s important to someone and what their needs are and then fulfilling those needs. They view their role as that of value creator — for their customers, for their organization and for themselves. Because it’s purpose-fueled work, they not only enjoy selling, they believe sales is a noble profession, one they’re proud to be a part of.
In recent years, many leaders have declared that “everybody is in sales.” But what’s clear is that not everybody understands what it means to be in a sales role. Complicating this issue are the widespread negative perceptions people have about the profession. According to LinkedIn research on B2B sales strategies and trends, only 32 percent of people describe sales as a “trustworthy” profession. Someone who has this kind of negative view of selling is going to resist taking on that role no matter how many times they’re told that sales is part of their job.
The sad truth is, these perceptions exist within the sales profession as well, fueled by wrongheaded notions of what sales success requires and what it looks like. It’s no wonder that some salespeople are beginning to wonder whether it’s a profession they still want to pursue.
Here’s the other big truth: By addressing not just the skillset but the mindset issues at play here, we can help people become more energized, successful and fulfilled by their work — and proud to say, “Yes, I’m in sales!”
Redefining What It Means to Be In Sales
A negative view of selling is often rooted in stereotypes we’ve seen portrayed in the movies or TV, or just from bad personal experience: that salesperson who talks without taking a breath and is always offering some deal.
Because of this stereotype, many people — sales professionals included — can view selling as an activity that conflicts with their values, especially if they’re afraid they’ll appear pushy or dishonest. What’s more, for those who see their jobs as providing service and information to customers, the stereotype contradicts that mission. It presents selling as profiting at the customer’s expense. So when the manager directs them to upsell additional products and services, they resist. Even if they are trained in how to ask questions related to needs, they consider these kinds of conversations manipulative and designed just to get someone to buy. They don’t view it as customer service.
This issue is really about mindset. It’s also about how we, in our organizations, define sales. What does it mean to be in sales? All too often, the way we talk about sales and the context of the training we provide positions sales as something that you do to someone. Shifting mindsets about selling starts with redefining it as a service you do for someone.
More specifically, selling is about identifying and meeting needs, creating value and building relationships for the organization and the customer. As anyone with customer experience responsibilities already understands, getting to know what your customers want and being able to satisfy those needs is immensely fulfilling and purpose-fueled work. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
To begin this sales mindset shift, every employee should ask themselves:
- Am I clear about my purpose?
- Who, specifically, are my customers?
- What are their expectations?
- How can I exceed those customer expectations?
Creating Value, Human to Human
Once we redefine selling as a service you’re doing for someone, the mission of being in sales becomes clearer: It’s to listen and use knowledge, insight and attentiveness to help customers make the decision that’s right for them.
This is a good reminder that sales isn’t just about reciting product features and benefits; it’s about the value team members bring by having high quality human conversations with their customers. This is why many organizations may need to revisit their approach to sales training. It’s easy to increase product knowledge, but selling is a customer-focused activity.
For example, the benefits and cost of a product may be suitable for some customers but not others. Or the value may be beyond the product itself—maybe the parts and service are available locally, or you can offer direct support by monitoring delivery or providing training. Whether the customer is internal and external, some of the ways employees can create value is by making the customer’s decision process more effective, respecting and adapting to the way they communicate and being honest when a solution isn’t right for what they need.
When you have your customer’s best interests in mind, your job is about understanding wants and needs, not selling stuff or pushing product. All of this builds trust with the customer, and it’s also the kind of meaningful work that motivates people to do more and achieve more, for themselves and for their customers.
Making Sales A Role To Be Proud Of
Sales is one of the most rewarding and noble professions you can be in — whether it’s in your job title or not. You get to serve and fill the needs of others, which injects more purpose and meaning into everything you do. The meaning people enjoy in their work, the more engaged and committed they’ll be to customer service and the more successful they’ll be, driven by this inner motivation.
To stoke that inner drive, we recommend that your team members post this somewhere prominent as a daily reminder of what it means to be in sales, driven by value and focused on the customer:
- Selling is one of the highest callings I can have. Being in a sales role is, in every sense of the word, a noble profession.
- I make it possible for my customer to do great things by helping them solve a problem. I do so by seeing their situation through their eyes and recommending products and services that are going to be valuable to them. This is what it means to be in sales.
- If I’m part of my organization’s sales team, I am integral to the success of everyone. Someone needs to be the tip of the spear and engage in selling. Otherwise, no one gets paid! That someone is ME.
Mike Esterday is co¬author of the newest book Listen to Sell: How Your Mindset, Skillset, and Human Connections Unlock Sales Performance. Learn more.
