Is selling a skill, or an innate human characteristic?
In his latest book, To Sell is Human, bestselling author Daniel H. Pink introduces his hypothesis on this question with a story of his cataloguing how he spent the last two weeks of his professional life. His conclusion? “I am a salesman.”
He cites examples such as trying to get an editor to abandon a story idea and requesting a seat change from a flight attendant as evidence of his sales cred. He extends that notion to his audience, saying they’re all “pitching colleagues, persuading funders, cajoling kids. Like it or not, we’re all in sales now.”
Where's the sales module?
Now? I thought to myself. Was there a time when people didn’t pitch or when parents didn’t convince their children to do what they’re told? Isn’t this just the art of How to Win Friends and Influence People redux?
Now, Pink’s motive is overall a good one. He’s trying to convince people who aren’t “in sales” to abandon their preconceived notions of sales as something bad or slippery or a necessary evil:
“The capacity to sell isn’t some unnatural adaptation to the merciless world of commerce. It is part of who we are… selling is fundamentally human.”
I appreciated the sentiment, so I read on. While his first chapter begins with a fascinating profile of the last Fuller Brush door-to-door salesman, he then delves into a study he undertook to illuminate his hypothesis by asking people what they do at work. While a majority of his respondents said they spent more time “processing information” than they did “selling a product or service,” he noted that they all admitted to these “three activities at the heart of non-sales selling”:
- teaching, coaching, or instructing others
- serving clients or customers
- persuading or convincing others
Are you sick and tired of the prima donna sales rep who cherry picks the best leads and leaves the hard work for someone else? Well, Marketo President and CEO Phil Fernandez suggests putting this supposedly bad behavior at the center of your revenue performance management process.
This bold idea is one of many in Fernandez’ new book, Revenue Disruption: Game-Changing Sales And Marketing Strategies To Accelerate Growth. In this excerpt, Fernandez explains how a simple shift can help marketing and sales teams work together to create a more efficient, cost-effective process that better reflects the new realities facing the modern sales team. Continue reading »
From bouncing back from rejection to finding inspiration, Harvey Mackay, author of The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World, talks about becoming the best salesperson you can be. Learn how to hone your strengths and amp up your drive — while staying genuine and true — to provide the best customer service possible to your real estate clients.
What makes a good salesperson?
Mackay: There are many traits, but if I had to name only three that make a great sales representative, they would be: hungry fighter, hungry fighter and hungry fighter. That’s how much I think of this trait. Every good salesperson I’ve ever encountered is driven. They have a strong work ethic and a high energy level. They work harder and longer than their peers. When the economy is poor, they are still out there pounding the pavement, making calls.
The stereotype of a good salesman is a smooth talker. Is this true?
Mackay: Believe it or not, being a good listener is more important in sales than being a good talker.
You can’t learn anything with your mouth open. For too many people, good listening means, “I talk, you listen.” Listening is a two-way process. Yes, you need to be heard. You also need to hear the other person’s ideas, questions and objections. If you talk at people instead of with them, they’re not buying in—they’re caving in.
What job taught you the most lessons?
Mackay: The job that taught me a lot was the paper route that my father, who headed the Associated Press Bureau in St. Paul, Minnesota, encouraged me to sign up for at age 10. I learned about hard work, promptness, focus, persistence, customer service, and accountability. Now, after 40-plus years of working with another kind of paper, I can honestly say that the job that launched my career was pivotal. Everyone has to start somewhere. You never forget your first job. Continue reading »
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