Why Are You In Sales?

This is a fundamental question that many people never asked themselves when they started in sales. And that’s OK! If you never asked that question, why not? If you did, have you asked it again recently?

Why am I even asking these questions?

Well, it is something I have been thinking a lot about lately. It is also a discussion I’ve had with countless sales reps, sales leaders, business owners, and people who make their living doing some form of sales. There are some outdated thoughts about what makes a good salesperson which leads many people to pursue it as a career. I have often found that people are unhappy in their career and they chose sales without asking why. Below are some myths about sales that consistently come up:

Myth #1: Only Someone Who Talks a Good Game Can Sell

The first misnomer is that “people with big personalities” OR “someone that is talkative and good with people” are a great fit for sales. This is simply NOT true. That isn’t to suggest that if you have those qualities you aren’t good at sales or shouldn’t pursue it as a career. However, two of the best sales professionals I have ever met are actually self-proclaimed introverts. A good listener will outsell a fast talker any day of the week. When you don't listen, you don't learn about the individuals, the companies and their priorities.

Myth #2: Sales Is a Numbers Game

Sales work is about people, not numbers. It's a lot more like brain surgery than bingo. It's about research, information and relationships. No, sales is not a numbers game.

Myth #3: You Have to Be Good at Handling Rejection to Be in Sales

Rejection is a bad thing only if you make a conscious choice not to learn anything from the situation. Otherwise, rejection is an opportunity for growth!

Myth #4: All Salespeople make a lot of money

Well, the good ones do. For a lot of salespeople the actual base salary is not significant and the majority of their income comes from commission which is a result of closing sales. Unless you are a top performer it actually is not a lucrative career AND you might be job hunting more often than you would like!

Myth #5 You can “wing-it” and be successful in sales

The opposite is true! Sales requires discipline, consistency, a plan, ability to execute and a lot more! It is certainly a journey and not a destination. You have to enjoy the ride and ABI – always be improving! Try showing up to an executive's office who allowed you to pitch him when time is not in abundance. If you show up unprepared, unrehearsed, and without a clear value proposition that executive will eat you alive. DO NOT "WING IT."

Now that we have some of the myths out of the way we can get back to why sales? 

If your reason is one of the above then I would recommend a deeper dive and explore your values, skills, and long-term goals. Are they in alignment with sales as a profession? You have to love the process and constantly work on improving your game. If professional development, listening, and relationships aren’t important to you then perhaps sales isn’t for you. I have personally managed sales reps who were in the wrong profession and once they learned that and found their calling everything fell into place.

If all these myths are just that........ MYTHS to you then perhaps you are in the right place. If they are truths to you then perhaps you aren’t in the right profession. That is OK too! I think the best thing you can do is learn early (or even late) where you can be most effective and more importantly most fulfilled.

I will end with a story….

In 2009 I met someone who had been in sales for 20 years. He had experienced varying degrees of success but never felt like he was really in the right place. It always felt like a struggle for him and despite being a happy and optimistic person there seemed to be something lingering beneath his outward demeanor that you could sense. One day we decided to grab a drink after work. After a few beers he began to tell me that he really wasn’t happy in his current role. I asked a lot of questions and we unpacked "the why" for almost 2 hours. What came out of this conversation was this:

He was excellent at problem solving, communicating very technical things in a non-technical way, and helping customers see the value in new technology. From our discussion he gained clarity on what he wanted to do and within a year had a new role in a larger technology company where he is a manager in sales enablement where he no longer has a quota or is a direct sales person, however, his 20 years in sales make him uniquely qualified to understand the objections, challenges, talk tracks, and hurdles the sales team faces. He has thrived in the role and is still there today.

In his case the answer to WHY SALES ended up being I SHOULD NOT BE in sales. He is happier and more fulfilled for it. If the answer is YES but you still aren’t happy or finding fulfillment then perhaps explore issues with your company, industry, boss, product, and so on. The answer is not far away. You just have to know where to look.

Happy hunting everyone!