Why You Need to be Skilled at Selling Even if “Sales” Isn’t in Your Job Title

If your job title does not have the word “sales” in it, you probably think you don’t need to sell.?

In fact, you probably pray that you don’t need to sell.?

If you are like most people, you think that selling is a dirty act.

To reference, Daniel Pink’s “Selling is Human,” many people see sales as the white-collar equivalent of cleaning toilets - necessary but unclean.

With a collective narrative like this, it is no wonder you want nothing to do with selling.

Well, I have good news and bad news.?

The bad news is that selling wants everything to do with you. It is interwoven in every part of life and business.?

The good news is that there is a way to sell that is cleaner than the groceries items you disinfected at the beginning of the pandemic before you knew the virus couldn’t live on those surfaces. #Guilty

From that clean place, selling is the seed to a bountiful harvest in all areas of life.

Before we get there, let’s break down the "bad" news.

Selling is present in every part of your life.?

I am not talking about the traditional sense of exchanging money for goods or services.?

I am talking about the more broad sense of moving a person or living being (because pets and plants totally count) to listen to you.?

You sell yourself on getting up every weekday to work. You sell your colleagues on helping you with projects. You sell your children on brushing their teeth. You sell your life partner on choosing you every day.

And if you are in business for yourself, you are inevitably a salesperson. Your business does not survive unless you influence others to support your business whether in the form of funding, employment, word-of-mouth advertising, contracts, or …sales.

The better you are at selling, the easier your life and business become.

Denying that you need to sell is like a cat running on a wheel: a lot of movement without going anywhere.

This brings me to the good news.?

Developing your sales skills is the goose that lays the golden egg.

First and foremost, the ability to sell helps you create the results you want more often.?

The number of situations I have been able to navigate with ease due to my selling ability range from something as simple as getting faster customer service to something as impactful as being with my amazing life partner.?

This is because selling hones your abilities to listen deeply, communicate in a compelling way, put your best foot forward, and create win-win situations.

Chief of these benefits is authentic connection with others.?

Seeing, hearing, and understanding the person in front of you is the best gift you can give someone. Believe me… this is coming from a lady named Santa.

Even better is that since relationships are the key to success in many areas of life, this is a benefit that compounds exponentially.?

Another benefit you get from selling is personal development.?

To sell, you must expose yourself to rejection. You must do the hard work of managing your mind and taking uncomfortable actions. You must be resilient.?

That’s a pretty big deal since renowned researcher, Angela Lee Duckworth, touts resilience as the number one indicator of success.

Selling is a great way to practice your resilience muscle. Therefore, it helps you to achieve success more efficiently and often.

I hope I have moved you to see that selling could be the seed that creates a bountiful harvest.

This still raises the question of cleanliness.

The answer is simple...?

Selling is not dirty unless you make it so.?

There is a way to sell with integrity in which both you and your customer are left better after the interaction.?

A few core tenants of this are to sell only to people who will benefit from your solution, treat others the way they want to be treated (and if you’re not sure how that is, ask them), value long-term relationship building over short-term financial gain, and remember that your prospects/customers are human, not a pawn in your game.

It comes down to following your moral compass. It is never worth it to go astray despite how tempting it might be.

When you sell with integrity you see that selling is the opportunity to help.

For example, when you sell in the traditional sense, someone is giving you their money in exchange for a solution that will make their situation better.?

To remember this, my favorite mindset hack is to reminisce on times people have directly or indirectly thanked me for selling to them. Favorite among these moments are the times clients have cried on the last session of our coaching contract because their transformation was so powerful. Another favorite moment was when I worked in recruiting and an employee gave me a huge hug because she loved working on the project that I sold.?

When I am connecting to the impact of my work, I see that I am not selling coaching. I wasn’t selling recruiting. I am selling transformation. I was selling livelihood. What is it that you are selling through your business??

And if you aren’t in business, how does compelling someone to see things your way actually benefit them? I bet your employer is happy you sold them on why you are the best for the job. I bet your partner is happy you went out on a limb to date them. I bet your plants are happy you say kind things to them so they grow quicker.?

Whatever it is that you are selling, stay grounded in the positive impact you are creating. Then you inevitably see that selling is one of the most benevolent acts you can undertake.

When you internalize this idea, don't be surprised when people start to thank you left and right for selling to them.

If I have sold you on the power of sales, below are a few resources that can help you in your journey:?

Here are some of my favorite books that talk about sales in a broader sense:

• How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie?
• How to Persuade and Influence People, Philip Hesketh ?
• Selling is Human, Daniel Pink ?

If you are a business owner or sales professional who often has sales calls, then you will probably also love my free training on how to close the sale on the first call or meeting. You can find it at santavictoriocoaching.com/freebies .?

I also have a program coming out at the end of January on sales mindset. The content will lusciously overview concepts such as selling with integrity and how to help people via the act of selling. This class will melt away your resistance to selling which will inevitably spring you into inspired action. You can join the waiting list or purchase the course at santavictoriocoaching.com/sales101 .?

Whatever path you choose to develop your sales muscle, take solace in knowing this is a skill that will create a positive ripple effect in your life and business as well as those of everyone you touch.

Happy selling folks!?

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Santa Victorio is a sales coach for entrepreneurs and sales professionals who want to increase revenue in a way that feels good. Her experience comes from coaching teams at companies such as Meta, Citi Bank, and Asana as well as previously being a seven-figure sales professional and 3 years of coach training. You can learn more about her on her profile at linkedin.com/in/santa-victorio-csp/ or her website santavictoriocoaching.com.