 When I’m in the car, my eyes are peeled and drawn to the logos on trucks and vans, or buildings flaunting business names and insignia on their skin. When I see a commercial on TV, my first thought is not “is that product something I’m interested in?”, it’s “are they a good fit for my agency?”
I’m a sales guy. Through and through, inside and out. My thoughts naturally gravitate toward the next big deal. My skin is thick and ‘no’ means ‘find a better way’. But “sales guy” is a term with such contemptible connotations – why would I want to be a sales guy? Why would anyone want to be a sales guy? Many times it’s not actually a path that someone chooses. Some folks are naturally extroverts with potent determination levels yet mediocre technical expertise. Some people are inherently eloquent with questions and can quickly provide highly relevant analogies that lead others to see from different angles. These characteristics define someone who just might have been born to sell. And if they discover that calling, they just might be more successful than they would have been anywhere else. The CEO at a CRM and Database Marketing company I worked for used to deliver phenomenal presentations. His words gave breath to inanimate presentations, his thoughts and ideas displaced any preconceived notions and by the time he was finishing up, I was generally fired up enough to sell dictatorship to a reformist. He always used to say “I’m a sales guy at heart.” He had no shame in the fact that he had to sell his ideas, his concepts, and in some cases probably sell his BS. He drives a Ferrari. On the weekends. The fact is, in business, nothing happens until somebody sells something. Celebrated business leaders such as Peter Drucker, Thomas Watson and Arthur “Red” Motley all said it. The mantra is one that has propelled ordinary folks to aspire as masters of their own destiny. The progression of salespeople has moved dramatically toward the likes of a consultant. A good salesperson will listen to a business problem, drum up an effective solution and find a way that it can be implemented; a good salesperson should also know when to throw their hands up and say “I don’t have that solution” – doing this will improve the implications associated with being a sales guy in the long term. I have no gripes on my career choice. It has taken me to great places and taught me new worlds that I never knew existed. I have people skills that can translate to nearly any industry. I have confidence that is desired by all employers. And at the end of the day, I feel happy with who I am. Back to Blog Page | Home
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