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Writer's pictureTimothy Bull

Why We Sell


We sell for lots of reasons, which are important to remember when the going gets tough

During the second world war, the famous film maker Frank Capra (of films such as Mr Smith goes to Washington and It’s a wonderful life) oversaw the creation of a series of documentary films called "Why We Fight" covering why the USA was fighting in the war, both for the soldiers and also for the wider public at large. Over the course of the films it explained why they were participating and what they hoped to gain.


Having some time over the Summer holidays to think on a busy year so far and what is looking to be a very busy run up to the end of the year, I also reflected on why I do what I do and also why salespeople do what they do in general. Sales has its highs and lows and so (while I’m not disrespecting anyone who has served in any conflict) it is important to focus on what encourages us to keep going when the going gets tough.


Below, I’ve put together three key reasons why we sell –and would gladly welcome your own reflections too.


Born to do it.


The first reason is that we are born to sell, both individually and as a species as a whole.


For me, when I was growing up my father always thought I’d end up in sales since I was a kid as I had a knack of talking to people, including people at the church growing up knowing him more as my father than me as his son. My first jobs were in retail when I was a teenager and then during university holidays to help pay for my studies, and each gave me first hand experience in selling to people directly, alongside customer service.


In my every day work, I can usually tell who would make a good salesperson (I'll probably go into this in another post in more detail eventually), but it's fair to say that selling is a very human trait in terms of cooperation and trade. I've always seen sales as the process of exchanging one or more things of value for one or more things of value - and that doesn't need to involve money changing hands.


In these situations, every human engages in sales of one kind or another: a politician trying to convince people to vote for them; a parent trying to convince a child to eat their vegetables or go to sleep; people on dates trying to find love; a candidate on a job interview etc. etc.


On all of these areas, everyone is a salesperson. If I hear one more person trying to convince me to buy something tell me that they are not a salesperson, I might shout very loudly - probably more to do with the negative connotations of the idea of working in sales.


Money (that’s what I want).


Let’s be blunt: if you are good at selling the likelihood is you will make better money than many friends and family earning the more traditional fixed salary rate. And making lots of money is a big reason to work hard to be good at selling and there is nothing wrong with wanting to make money.


Money itself obviously allows you to buy both possessions and services.


Nice possessions are nice to have, though after a while your possessions can start to own you - I appreciated this when we recently moved house and I ended up taking boxes and boxes of junk to the recycling centre. Am now focusing on turning earned money into how I can invest and create other revenue streams.


Money also helps with other areas, as being able to take out a mortgage while many contemporaries are still renting, potentially throwing lots of money away. I know some like Grant Cardone steer people away from buying homes, but in the UK it's a different kind of market than in the 'states such is the state of the private rental market here.


Money also allows you to buy great experiences. I remember winning a key bonus at a previous job that allowed my wife and I to have a great honeymoon travelling around the Baltic Sea including visiting the beautiful city of Saint Petersburg for the first time. I may sound like the millennial I am, but money can help buy lots of positive experiences with those you love.


Lean on me.


On another level, we sell because others rely on us, both personally and professionally.


Personally, we have bills to pay and most of us will have, or hope to have, loved ones who need care and protection. Succeeding at sales and the money that follows can greatly help all of them.


In one situation, I had close relatives in the USA who needed financial help toward adopting a child, which can be extremely costly in the 'states. Thanks in part to my financial success, I was able to help them financially and they subsequently adopted a beautiful baby boy.


Likewise, such success means you'll have money for other good causes, like your church, temple or another charitable organisation. I had a mentor a few years ago (who has sadly passed away) who built up multiple successful businesses and used his skills, finances and connections to build a children's charity; he also saw the sad state of his church's musical instruments so went ahead and bought new equipment for the church and to this day few others probably know what he did.


Professionally, I'd argue that the people reliant on the salesperson include the customer, your company and the economy as a whole.


First of these are the customer, who need something solved or there is something else they need. I'd go to say if are selling something that doesn't actually help the customer, then go find something else to sell. Part of the reason I write for the company I work for at the time of writing is because of the sheer number of happy customers who had benefitted from what the company sold, and this has been shown with the new customers whom I've signed since working for the group too.


Second, the people reliant on salespeople include the company that you work for, whether it is a large, medium or even just a one man band. All that revenue and all those jobs as part of the company are ultimately all reliant on the humble salesperson getting out there to get money and create revenue. Yes, it is also on that company to deliver the value on what has been sold, but it is on the shoulders of the salesperson to get in the door in the first place.


Thirdly, the economy as a whole relies on salespeople getting out there to keep it moving, building up businesses and subsequently helping to create jobs and energise national and international economies. Again, this is all on the shoulders of salespeople working hard doing what we do best and having the drive to push and build something greater.


All in all, these are reasons why we (at least me) sell. If you have any others you'd want to add, then do let me know in the comments below.



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