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Sales is a tough gig, and salespeople suffer from a bad "rap". Many people see our profession as being intrinsically selfish, sleazy, and out only for a buck. I'd like to paint a different picture! Lets take a look at some of the most common stereotypes of sales people, and then take a look at how much is riding on whether YOU sell something or not. It might give you some new perspective!

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The Stereotypes

Any salesperson has had to confront negative stereotypes of their profession. Sometimes its a judgmental relative, an angry customer, or just good ol' self-doubt - at some time we have to confront them. Here are some common ones:

"Slimy"
Selfish or self serving
Only out for a buck
Will do anything for money
Rips people off
Parasitic & Unnecessary

No doubt there are such people out there. In my sales career I've had realtors tell me "Say anything you have to to make a sale. Lie, do whatever". I've had people cheat at metrics. I've seen people mark up products WAY past ethical margins and sell to not-for-profit companies. I've As a sales develoment coach I've had to fire people for lying, placing fake orders, you name it. And you know what? To a person none of these people were successful and lasted in sales. Why?

Because a relationship is worth more than a sale.

The people who lie, cheat, and do anything to make a buck are usually easily identified by employers, and weeded out. Smart sales managers know that the companies brand and reputation is worth far more than any one deal or sale. And a customer who gets screwed doesn't come back - that's one of the great truths of the free market - there's always an alternative, a competitor your pi$$ed off customer can bring their next Purchase Order to!

The hallmark of a great sales person is the ability to build an effective relationship with a customer. That may sound cliche, but its impossible to build relationships if you don't actively possess empathy. Some of THE best sales people I know always act in the best interest of their customers - even if that means passing on a sale - or challenging the customer's ideas - because they know its what's best for their client.

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Are sales people greedy? Is greed good? Nothing happens in business until somebody sells something! You show up to work as a young salesperson because you want to make some money. Until that sales is made every other person in that company's job is in danger. Think about the:

Engineer who designed that product
The support staff that processes orders
The accountants and financial people who need beans to count
The receptionist, the cleaners, the people who invest and develop real estate for your office

If nobody sells anything, all those people are looking for a job! Provided that you're acting in an ethical framework - which ultimately is in your longterm self interest- every relationship is a give and take! You bring new ideas, new products, new ways to save money and time to your customers. In return they cut you POs and their business can operate, so their engineers/support staff/AR people/receptionist all have a great place to come work too!

The Spear

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In a lot of ways sales people are the point end of the spear. We have a very tough job, and staying motivated as we hammer out dial after dial or knock on door after door day in and day out is tough. When I have a rough day I like to think about all the people around me that are depending on me - including my customers (both my current ones and the ones who haven't had the pleasure of speaking with me yet). As we pierce the veil of ignorance and resistance, just like a thrown spear, the entire body of the organization we support is able to move forward as well. There's a shaft joke in here somewhere, but I'm not going to make it!

At the end of the day Salespeople are very important. If you are one of the ones who gets up every morning and sells so the people around you can have more prosperity I salute you! You are part of the brotherhood/sisterhood of business development experts who put your butt on the line every day to bring prosperity to the people around you - your coworkers, your families, your nation.

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Are salespeople selfless? That's a bit of a stretch. We are altruistic. Whether its nations trading or electrons changing between atoms in a chemical reaction there has to be a give AND a take. And who would argue that a little self interest isn't natural, healthy, and expected in the modern world?

Sales is a tough job! Somebody has got to get paid well to do it!