Privileged Is The Sales Professional

You are privileged. If you are in the sales profession, then you are privileged. I take great pride in my sales profession and the privilege to serve others in a sales leader capacity. 

I have led all sizes, shapes and types of sales in various organizations over a sales career spanning two-decades. I have run inside sales teams, outside sales teams and international sales teams. I have led teams for startup companies and I have led large sales divisions for the Fortune 100. Given my experience, I wanted to share what I believe it takes to be a successful sales professional and all the privileges that go with a sales career including; self-fulfillment, self-growth, self-discovery and self-wealth.

Sales is a privileged profession that carries a tremendous amount of responsibility. Those in sales are privileged in three ways: 1) The company they sell for has entrusted the financial health and financial well-being of the company to the sales division (to deliver), 2) Sales professionals have the privilege and opportunity to help other businesses grow and flourish (to serve) and 3) Sales professionals have the opportunity to make big money; really big money (to earn).

Depending on the industry, company and position most sales professionals have the opportunity to make a good six figure living while some sellers can make a seven-figure annual income. In fact, the average field sales person can make more than a physician ($189k Forbes) or a dentist ($154k US News) or a lawyer ($140k, US News). The fact that the sales profession is the only profession where you don’t need a formal education to make big bucks is astonishing.

All the aforementioned professions also require ongoing certification and training in order to stay current, relevant and employed. Not sales; not the average sales professional. Anyone can try their hand at sales with little or no experience and no formal education. Couple that fact with all the “perks” of sales and it is a privileged profession.

However, just because sales does not require a formal education, ongoing training or certification doesn’t mean it isn’t hard work. In fact, most people wouldn’t be able to stomach a successful sales career. To be successful in sales mean long hours, exiting your comfort zone and testing every ounce of your creativity, discipline and mental fortitude. Make no mistake, to be successful in sales is hard; very hard.

Most people that go into the sales profession do so with rosy colored glasses and not a real sense of what it takes to be a “Platinum Seller”; the highest level of sales performance. Most people that go into the field of sales either fail or go along in the profession delivering mediocre results and just getting by because they mistakenly assume sales just happen. There is a conscious and unconscious assumption by many that sales is easy and doesn’t take much to “make it rain”. That couldn’t be any more false. 

With privilege comes a high degree of responsibility that some sales professionals don’t grasp and/or don’t care. Today’s digital marketing along with a “trophy for all” expectation has spawned a new sales generation of entitlement and unrealistic expectations. Expectations of easy leads, easy wins and easy money. A false sense of importance, power and position due to a misunderstanding of the profession and how to leverage the new age of digital marketing in order to accelerate sales performance. Sales is hard work, commitment and a dedication to the craft. Successful sales is about execution, timing and perseverance. It is accepting the privilege of the profession and ownership around the responsibility to deliver.

A successful sales career is hard, very hard but worth it if you approach it as a privileged position to be coveted and respected. A great sales career means investing in yourself and the role ongoing. Creating a bountiful sales career in a humble, confident and courageous manner means more than just a big paycheck; it means discovering the optimal you, the best you; the Platinum Seller in you. 

To become a Platinum Seller, you need to do and be (become) the following:

VISION: This is the single most important element of a Platinum Seller. You must have a Destination Vision that you are emotionally connected. Emotions drive action and a Vision of a successful sales career can ignite great emotion that fuels a dream into reality.

A PLAN: Platinum Sellers have a plan and they work the plan diligently daily. They don’t leave things to chance and they are not reactive; their success is planned and not left to chance. Start with the end and work backward to create a road-map for success that you commit to executing consistently

PRIORITIZE: Platinum Sellers understand you simply can’t get everything done and not everything is important to the success. Platinum sellers isolate those top 3 priorities that will most move the needle and support their Vision and Plan. Priorities are your True North to how, where and when you spend your finite amount of time and energy

EXECUTION: The true Platinum Seller executes. They execute day in and day out with discipline, focus and with an eye on the prize. They execute because they understand that effort (prioritized activity) executed over and over will lead to more effective results and more efficient wins. Execution daily toward your top 3 priorities is not easy but necessary if you want to be in the Platinum Club

TIME USE: Platinum Sellers do not procrastinate or avoid the difficult but necessary tasks to be successful. They realize time is precious and finite. They realize that time is invaluable so they plan their time around their priorities and execute those priorities in the blocks allotted. Platinum Sellers do not let others dictate their most valuable asset; time - - they proactively spend their time supporting their Vision and Plan

ACCOUNTABILITY: Platinum Sellers understand no one can hold them accountable but themselves. They understand that they must take Ownership for their success, actions (or inaction) and results. They understand their fulfillment as a sales professional, person and human being is theirs alone to Own and be Accountable. You will never see a Platinum Seller point a finger or make an excuse. You will never hear a Platinum Seller use the words; “but” (guarantee an excuse is coming when someone starts a sentence with “but”) or “try”; Platinum Sellers either DO or don’t do, they never “try”

INNER CIRCLE: Platinum Sellers hang out with “Accountables” and not Energy Vampires or excuse driven people. They look to surround themselves with people and sales professionals that are better than themselves and they can learn. By surrounding themselves with “better” they Raise the Bar and in return they become better. Platinum Sellers surround themselves with positive, can do people that demand and expect more of themselves, the profession and life

COMMITMENT: Platinum Sellers are committed to their craft and the profession. They are committed to winning and doing the right thing for the right reasons. They are committed to treating everyone with respect. They are committed to their results and to their continued education. Platinum Sellers are committed to the privilege of selling and to those that have entrusted them to deliver

PASSION: Platinum Sellers are passionate about what they do and how they do it. They understand that Passion is a force multiplier and therefore they are committed through thought, action and outcome to fuel their passion for sales

GREATNESS in the MOMENT: Platinum Sellers are conscious sellers and work to stay in the moment. They understand Greatness happens in the moment and with greatness comes success. Being conscious means being present in that moment

In summary: Sales is a privilege not to be taken for granted or to be approached in a mediocre manner without consistency or controls. Any person that has chosen sales as a profession should approach their role and responsibilities with the same commitment, passion, discipline and focus as a heart surgeon or any other high level profession. Sales is a Privilege and we should honor that privilege every day and with every action. Good Selling!

About the Author: Greg Banning is a corporate executive, former business owner and entrepreneur with over 20-years of executive sales leadership, management and operational experience. Currently Head of Sales for Capital One Commercial Card Sales, Greg leads a field sales organization of +200. Prior to joining Capital One Financial Greg held various executive roles for Fortune 500 companies including; Amazon, Concur, Tech Data Corporation and HON International. In addition to his corporate leadership background, Greg served as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for a start-up SAAS company and has owned his own business. 

Greg is best noted as a visionary leader in establishing operational optimization across diverse industries in both national and international operations. Greg has been recognized for talents in high impact leadership, effective employee engagement and Best People Management.