Why I am in Sales

If you ask any entrepreneur if they are in sales, the more successful they are the more likely the answer will be a resounding yes.

You may occasionally get the politically correct answer because some entrepreneurs view sales as something that is dirty, a subject to be avoided at dinner parties, and polite company. Thus they may call themselves “consultants, or product/solution engineers, or customer relationship builders. Barf!!!

If you ask an inexperienced entrepreneur about sales you probably will get a load of B.S. on how they have embraced the entrepreneurship lifestyle, and how they like to be “their own boss”, help people and why their product/service/or company they are working for (read distributing for) is the best company in the world, out to save the world… And that they are definitely NOT in Sales.

My personal favorite are those people who confuse sales with marketing. They are marketers and not sales personnel. Marketing overall covers many areas such as advertising, sales, promotions, public relations, branding, etc. It also has sales under its umbrella but as an activity, sales and marketing are distinct from each other.

The reality is that we are all in sales, even if we don’t work in business. We all sell our kids, spouses, family and friends on ideas, chores, honey do lists, and other things.

All of the above is nice. But here is why I am in sales.

1. To make money. And to make it fast.+
2. To be rewarded for risk.
3. To help people make the right decision.*
4. The feeling of accomplishment.
5. The freedom to set my own time schedule.

+By fast I mean, commissions based sales give me the fastest way to earn more than my base pay. Sale = Commission. I start out the year with a number in my mind of how much I want to make for the year. I divide that number by 240 working days. I calculate precisely how many prospects I need to get into the pipeline each day/week to hit my sales figures. Then its up to me to do it. Life can’t be simpler than that. If you are wondering what the number is for me in 2016, here it is: $2 Million. Base pay: $50,000.

*I may be a bit biased about my product or the way we deliver service but overall, a badly fitted customer is long term headache. There are plenty of customers in the world without having to be be stuck with bad fits. So I find the best fit by getting to know the prospect well, and if it makes sense we move forward. If not, that’s completely okay. The ability to sense the need to walk away from a potential deal is one of the most underrated skill in sales. [Bad fit here means: It doesn’t make sense to move forward for a number reasons: Lack of Money, Bad Timing for them or you, Mismatch in strategy or values, product/service isn’t right for them, slow buying cycle, etc].