The Will To Sell
Earlier this week, Lori Richardson and I were discussing what makes great salespeople great.
Is it a learned skillset? Are people born with an it factor that makes them unstoppable?
Lori said that there are many things that can (and must) be taught, but the most important factor cannot, and that is the will to sell.
As I interview sellers, often for their first sales roles, I ask a lot of pointed questions about why they want to get into such a role.
Are they willing to:
Selling is one of the most glamorous professions you'll ever hear about, but you rarely hear the whole story. Few people talk about the hard work that goes into earning that success.
You certainly don't need to be a glutton for punishment, but you do need to have a wider perspective. Sales is a profession, a vocation. It's not just a job you onboard into; you start as an apprentice, and you learn as you go.
Hopefully, someone teaches you the basics, puts you in a position to succeed, and gives you enough mentorship and support to help you learn. They should help you frame the difficulties of the job while also showing you your progress along the way, but it's usually a couple of years before you feel like you have the hang of it. I'm coming up on two decades in this career, and there's still so much to learn, but that's also the fun part.
I believe a key component of the will to sell is the will to continue to learn. It's the ability to grow personally and professionally. It's the opportunity to continue to find new ways to solve complex problems and help others along the way.
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The financial rewards are nice, but there's a lot of non-monetary fulfillment that, for me at least, keeps me going. There are certainly easier ways to make a living.
How would you rate your will to sell? Where does your non-monetary fulfillment come from? What is your why?
The more you can connect with these things, the better equipped you'll be to lean into the things that make great salespeople great.
Reading a few books and learning some new tactics is one thing, but being willing to lean in and do the hard work to make them work for you is quite another.
Until next week,
JB
I'm Jeff Bajorek.?Salespeople look to me to help them overcome mediocrity while selling with integrity. You never sell better than when you?#SellLikeYou.
CRO | I Help People Win Life-Changing Deals & Startups Create Sustainable Growth | Builder | Speaker | Advisor | MEDDPICC Enthusiast | Top 25 Sales Executive to Learn From | Loving Husband & Father | Aspiring Chef
5 个月100% agree! Been preaching this for awhile. It’s why I love our assessment so much, it’s one of the few that can measure this objectively. Great post, so much of success is based on Will.
Vice President | Electrical Engineered Solutions to Ensure Safe, Operable, and Efficient Facilities ??| Podcast Host ???| Follow & ??Subscribe??
5 个月This is great
Marketing Research, Strategic Planning, Learning & Development CliftonStrengths: WOO, Futuristic, Maximizer, Strategic, Focus
5 个月Yes absolutely! Successful sales people are curious and continuing to learn and get better every day. Sales is rewarding but hard too!
Help leaders build a successful sales team thru #data #coaching #training, #AI #FractionalCRO, Author, "She Sells" #WomenInSales #Speaker #Podcast #GTM #B2Bsalesscience #RKO 4x Salesforce Top Influencer
5 个月Yes, one must have the will to be successful in sales because it is a vocation like no other in that we are very entrepreneurial minded, we deal with rejection like no one else does, and we need to be extemporaneous more than most. When I say WILL to sell, it encompasses desire, commitment, motivation, a supportive outlook, and always taking responsibility. If someone has these traits, can handle rejection, and is coachable - I'd put my name on the line that they can be a top seller. As you mentioned though, Jeff they need good onboarding and support in order to rise. I really enjoyed our group conversation last week!
Head of Sales - Northern Europe @ Henkel | Driving purposeful growth in the Metal Packaging industry with chemical and engineering solutions for safer, more efficient and more sustainable can making.
5 个月Nicely put. For me it's gotta be the satisfaction of seeing your customer evolve from the initial scepticism all the way to the after-sales satisfaction.