What is Sales?

What is Sales?

If you would have told me when I graduated from college that I would have a long successful career in sales, I would have told you that you were crazy. I would have believe the part about a long successful career, but sales? Please, I'm not a crook, a con-man, a used car salesman!

That is what I thought of sales people. That's what a lot of people think about sales. You talk to this person who tries to sell you things that you may not need. All they want to do is get to your money. This is a big misconception. With that said, you may be asking, if that is not what it basically is, then what is sales?

Now I want to be honest. There are sleazy and cheesy sales people and companies. I have seen call rooms that conned people out of their money promising them hopes of winning prize trips, cars or cash, but only giving them cheap vitamins or cleaning supplies. I know some companies that slam one time sales. Slamming a sale means you do and say what you need to get the sale, even if it's not completely true. These people and companies usually don't last too long.

So, what is sales? Sales is matching what you have to offer to what a customer needs. Sales is educating clients what you have to offer and how it can solve one or more of their problems. Sales is telling the story of your company and your offerings. And my favorite saying, sales is like the human body, two ears, one mouth. A sales person should always listen twice as much as they talk.

I started my career in sales at a weekly newspaper in Phoenix, Arizona. I sold classified advertising to people and businesses. I handled incoming calls, as well as having to do what most sales people fear. I had to cold-call.

I had to make my sales plan. I had to understand what it was that I was selling and who it could help. I had to be able to tell the story of why a business would benefit from advertising in the newspaper.

I could explain why businesses needed to advertise. I studied advertising in high school and college. I was in the top four students in the state of Arizona in competitions. But most businesses knew they needed to do some marketing and advertising was a good part of it. Now I needed to explain the benefits of placing their money with the newspaper that I worked for.

I'm not going to say that I was the best sales person at the newspaper. I wasn't. But I was able to grow my accounts to be one of the top sales people. I listened to what each company needed and was able to match it to what we offered.

You don't get every sale. You don't want every sale. You only want the ones that are mutually beneficial. But that doesn't mean that you can't benefit from the ones you don't get. One of the biggest sale I ever got was from a referral from a customer that did not buy from me. When I told them that I did not think what we had would benefit them, I asked them if they knew someone else that may benefit from what we had to offer. They were so impressed that I did not try to "sell" them, that I was given a list of other companies and contacts. I was told that I could use their name. From that list, I was able to build several successful relationships and one of my largest clients to that point.

So what is sales? Simply put, sales is matching what you offer to what a client needs. And if they don't match, walk away after asking if they knew someone else that may benefit from what you have. Sales is educating others in what your company offers.

Rob Bedell has over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing. He has built and restructured departments for major media companies. He started his own sales and marketing company and works with owners of small to medium sized businesses. He works with business owners from various industries, from traditional brick and mortar businesses to online business. For businesses who would like help with their sales and marketing, please visit http://www.bedellmediaconsulting.com