Everyone Sells

Have you ever been in a meeting or with a group of people who say they hate sales? Do you find these are the same people that are looking for new projects, trying to get funding, and want to do process improvements? Sure they might say they hate sales but the reality is if they are going to be effective leaders this is an attribute they will need to have.

Sales is more than a business function and one can debate the importance of it for hours. Marketing will tell you the reason we increase business is from the campaigns and advertising. Sales management will tell you without the people closing deals advertising is useless. One thing is certain if your business is going to be successful you have to be good in sales. You have to be willing to sell your idea to an investor, company or partner. Sales does not have to be viewed as a negative, it is really the process of educating your customer on making the right buying decision. If you educate the CEO on a cost saving project that includes a one time capital investment you have just sold an idea. Sure the best executives in the world are good at seeing through the fluff and getting to the true value but the way you present the information can make or break the sale. In business, regardless of your role, you have to acknowledge sales is a part of your job . If you want to continue to grow in the organization I would suggest you fine tune your sales skills.