Life is Sales ...

"The fact is, everyone is in sales. Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell." - Jay Abraham, marketing expert

"Life is sales. If you're not selling, you're buying." - Ross Perot, business executive

It strikes me that this would be a good topic for a core curriculum at school or college. We are all in sales, whether we like it or not. If you're trying to persuade someone to go to the movie/vacation/concert you like, you're in sales. If you're asking your boss for a pay increase, you're in sales. If you're asking your employees to make extra efforts, come up with ideas, you're in sales. If you’re pastor wanting your congregation to change or tithe, or pray, you are in sales. If you want a customer to buy from you rather than the competition, you’re in sales. If you want your teenager to behave, or be home by midnight, you're definitely in sales!

In business, sales is not just selling your product or service. Jeffrey Gitomer addresses this in his latest “Sales Caffeine 380” (www.gitomer.com):

There are meaningful uses of selling skills that permeate every facet of the entrepreneurial process. Here are a few of the sales jobs that fall under the definition of selling that a small business owner must perform:
• Getting credit from a supplier - Convincing your suppliers that you're credit worthy is sometimes as good or better than a bank loan.
• Getting a loan from a banker - A true sales job. You have to convince your banker you deserve the loan and can repay the debt.
• Getting small favors from employees - Work overtime, work weekends, work more productively, change work processes.
• Getting something delivered on time - Sell the supplier that delivery is imperative to serve your customers or grow your business.
• Satisfying a disgruntled customer - You don't want a bad experience to cost you a customer, so you sell acceptable solutions.
• Getting payment for an invoice - It's Friday. Payroll is due. You have no cash, but you do have receivables. You must collect that check to pull it off.

Time to get better at sales!