Two Kinds of Sales Professionals

I should acknowledge the “two kinds of people” construct immediately opens me up to ridicule. Some might say there are indeed two kinds of people: juvenile observers who believe our complex world can be reduced to just two camps, and grown-ups who reject such a cartoonish frame. Accepting the risks of derision, I ask you to bear with me. Because within the community of sales professionals, I do see a distinction between generalists and specialists.

On the face of it, that may sound absurd. Aren’t we necessarily talking about specialists when we single out a certain profession? Yes and no. Sales is of course a specific line of work, but it’s one that combines a spectrum of abilities. That isn't true, at least not to the same degree, with other professions like welding or woodwork, for example. Specialists and generalists in sales are separated by the degree to which they understand and travel across a range of related skills.

For specialists, there’s a narrow and well-defined set of parameters for their craft, and they’re obsessed with mastering everything within those bounds. Sales is a linear and predictable process. People are measured by established metrics that track performance and progression. Expertise involves reading more sales books, going deeper on what makes your company and product so special, and constantly measuring yourself against peers. Though not a salesperson, Tiger Woods embodies the specialist mindset. His success can be traced to an unwavering clarity and intensity of focus.

For generalists, sales is a single swatch of a sweeping canvass. They see sales as a subset of influence, and influence as a multi-faceted domain. Influence touches a variety of things besides sales: writing, speaking, psychology, drama, storytelling, negotiation, leadership, strategy, comedy, music, and more. Generalists are intensely curious about the deep and entwined roots of human behavior. They strive to uncover ground truths that make them more effective professionals and better people. Leonardo da Vinci is the archetypical generalist. His ability to forge interdisciplinary connections was the wellspring of his creativity.

As people advance in their careers they tend to be pulled in one of two directions. Some people sharpen their mind by narrowing it. Others expand their mind by stretching it. Neither is intrinsically better than the other. But it’s important to be aware of one’s natural inclination, and to be cognizant of the trade-offs.

Specialists and generalists shouldn’t be gated and sequestered communities. They have much to learn from each other, and sales teams benefit from a conscious inclusion of both in front lines and leadership.

In case it isn’t obvious, this newsletter, and the?book?that spawned it, are call signs to the generalist reader.