10 Fundamental Truths About Sales That Will Change Your Life
Sales, the final frontier. Ok, that doesn’t make much sense, but it sounded like a pretty cool way to start an article. There are millions of salespeople in the world, keeping the economy humming and making a nice living along the way. Salespeople all took their own paths to joining the profession, and everyone has their own story.
But there are certain fundamental truths about sales that every salesperson should know, many of which can really change your approach to the business, and help you make more money. Here are ten fundamental truths about sales that you should know:
1. It’s the largest profession in the developed world
There are more salespeople in the developed world than any other profession. Estimates of the U.S. workforce alone put the number of salespeople between 14 and 20 million. In capitalist countries, every business needs salespeople in one form or another. So when you’re having a tough month or quarter, remember that you’re not alone.
2. The less you speak, the better you’ll be
Most people get into sales and think that being a smooth talker is what will close the most deals. Nothing could be further from the truth. The best salespeople are expert listeners, and know what to listen for. Keeping your mouth shut and letting a prospect explain exactly what it will take to earn their business is the mark of an expert salesperson.
3. Anyone can learn how to sell
Sure, there are people who are born with natural sales ability. But sales is a skill that can be learned like any other, and many of the top salespeople in the world aren’t the archetypical salesperson. You can learn how to sell if you’re willing to look critically at what you need to do to get from where you are to where you want to be, and adapt your skills accordingly.
4. It’s all about your attitude
You can’t become a great salesperson if you don’t have the right attitude. In sales, you deal with so much rejection, and face so many seemingly insurmountable odds that if you don’t believe in yourself, you’ll always fall short. It’s not about becoming a mindless motivation drone, but about understanding that challenges come with the territory, and taking them head on.
5. It’s not about you
One of the hardest mental adjustments you have to make in sales is to understand that it’s not about what you want, it’s about what your customers want. Reconciling that fact with the fact that you need to hit your quota can be difficult for people to understand, but once you realize that when you make it all about the customer, it will help you to achieve your goals, you’ll be unstoppable.
6. It’s not going anywhere
Yes, robots are taking people’s jobs, but that doesn’t mean salespeople will be going extinct anytime soon. In most cases of automation of the sales process, salespeople will just need to sell something different, including the technology that can help companies automate the sales process. Many industries have evolved or gone extinct over the decades as the economy has changed, but salespeople have remained a constant, and simply adopted to the day’s trends.
7. If you believe in what you sell, the prospect will too
Enthusiasm is contagious, and salespeople who are able to infect their prospects with their own enthusiasm will perform better than those who can’t every time. The best way to have enthusiasm is to believe in the product that you sell, also called “eating your own dog-food.” Always go for the industry/company that gets you excited.
8. If you can sell, you can always find work
Because salespeople are so essential in business, you’ll always be able to find work as long as you’re halfway decent at what you do. Similarly, salespeople are able to change industries quite often if they want to, transferring sales skills from selling one product to another, often doing it multiple times throughout their career.
9. Many of the highest earners are salespeople
The range of incomes for salespeople varies widely, with entry-level salespeople at the lower rung of the income ladder, while the highest-earning salespeople can make millions of dollars a year. Many of today’s most successful CEO’s and entrepreneurs also started off as salespeople.
10. Your job is to help people
This is the most important fundamental truth of sales, one that can change your entire trajectory. “How can I help?” is the thought that should be front and center in your mind every time you prospect, qualify, and pitch a prospect. The more people you can find to help, the more money you’ll make. Remember this fundamental truth, and you’ll achieve your wildest dreams.
