The One Thing I Taught Our Family About Being Successful In the Business of Life

It's the Mindset That Made the Biggest Difference

Most of us see sales as a good or bad thing and not much in between because of our mindset: how we see salespeople and selling.

We base our perception of selling on what we learned about salespeople when we were growing up. For example, my parents owned a hotel and restaurant, and real estate business interests taught me the importance of finances, marketing, and customer service. On the other hand, some of us grow up learning that salespeople are “pushy,” “intrusive,” “pesky,” and worthy of slamming the door in the face of a humble salesperson doing their job by going door-to-door delivering flyers.

Thomas (from Hungary) is practicing what I taught my wife, two sons, and thousands of small business owners over the last twenty years; everyone is in sales, whether they know it or not.

He’s pursuing “The American Dream” by walking in my neighborhood before 7 a.m. and dropping off door hangars to promote his friend Cayden’s business. It’s his “side gig” while he gets an education in America.

When we learn to see selling as “helping people get what they want,” we change the way we see ourselves and the world around us. For example, my wife said early in her career that she would never be in “sales.”

But I explained to her, “Honey, you’re one of the most caring people on the planet. You’re beautiful and sensitive. If you see sales as helping people get what they want, you could build a successful and fulfilling real estate, medical, or pharmaceutical sales career. People would love you because of who you are.”

From that day forward, Janice believed me. Within a year, she had secured a sales role with a contract pharmaceutical company that led to a 20+ year career, during which she made six figures in sales. Today, she works for the Mayo Clinic. Janice has always been the glue of our family in more ways than one.

Together, we taught our sons Christopher and Clifford Alexander the same thing, and they went on to make six figures early in their careers while living well below their means. Because of that, our entire family continues to make an extraordinary middle-class living, helping others get what they want.

We're all in sales whether we know it or not. When we seek to meet everyone where they are, to listen, learn, and understand their point of view, we shift our mindset to pursuing new opportunities and serving others.

Imagine a world where everyone seeks to serve others, fewer rogue and rude salespeople roam the Earth, and world peace prevails.

Thanks for reading, commenting, and sharing my article. I serve real estate, Fintech, and SaaS founders as an executive ghostwriter, brand-builder, and strategic coach. Sign up for my newsletter at www.TheClarityLetter.com or get a free strategy session at www.CliffordJones.com.