It is no lie when someone says "everything is selling" - we spend a lot of our time trying to convince others of our ways of thinking, to do things the way we want them done or to go along with our program. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. Either way, no one can undervalue or understate the role "sales" plays in our daily lives.
When I first landed in a sales job, I had no idea what to expect nor did I know I would be good at it. However, because sales is really just about human psychology and relationships and communication, I was a natural. Like anything, however, sales has very good traits and very evil characteristics when it falls into the wrong hands. For the latter reason, many view sales as a curse word and condemn its place in mainstream.
Love it or leave it, capitalism makes a lot of the world go around. In its pure, utopian form, capitalism is a good thing. Supply and demand is a good thing. However, when unethical, unscrupulous people wanting to manipulate others get involved, it takes a turn for the worst.
Over the years, I have been engaged in many philosophical questions about selling and its place in Corporate America. Let's face it, if every product or service was "the best" or as great as each company or person touts it to be, that would be one thing. However, again like politics, the job of the salesperson is often to cater to needs and weaknesses based on benefits of their product or service - regardless if it is the best fit - because that is what their company pays them to do.
Sales has often been the bane and beacon of my very existence, in the same breath. I have witnessed and worked for people who have told me to steal, cheat, lie and lead without morals or principles. When the best interests of the people required work on their part, they looked the other way. It is my humble opinion that when the interests of the people and the needs of the many are outweighed by the greed and politics of the few, that is where we as society and as sales entities get into trouble. But those who speak up are silenced. Those who crusade for the people are beaten to a pulp, torn apart by others and run through the mud.
Who wins in sales?
Answer: the person who can find a career in something they genuinely enjoy doing. The Robin Hood, who robs attention from the rich rascals and gives it to the people. Life is too short to let the bullies keep you down.
Every day, whether we like it or not, we are faced with ups and downs, new challenges, threats and opportunities. Sales is in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. We cannot ignore it. And it is when we master it that we can take our lives by the reins and reign supreme.
