One of my clients has me helping with one of their revenue generating initiatives which is not a role I regularly play. Leadership and business development is necessary across the enterprise but there are much more talented people than me to help with sales.
Wares meet Humans
Yes, we're "all in sales", but I'm referring to a career that has defined metrics. You sell, you survive. You don't sell, your commission is affected. You park your laptop on a desk in the “sales department” kind of sales. You have numbers you need to hit this quarter, kind of sales. You eat what you kill, kind of sales.
I have worked with and around sales people my entire career. I have consulted them, worked on presentations with them, gone on sales calls with them, but I've never had to sit in an office and be a sales person full-time, work the phones, make the connections and sell the offering.
It's one thing for your performance to be measured by how you do your job. It's much different to be judged by the actual money you actually bring in the actual door. Sales is the transference of trust, so you must build strong relationships. Sales can be a grind and not for those with delicate digestive tracts.
To anyone in sales – you have my gratitude and respect.
To anyone not in sales – try it for a day.
Kneale Mann
image: selltest
