Enjoys selling for reasons beyond deals won

JOYFUL: Enjoys selling for reasons beyond deals won

‘Ben’ Benjamin adjusted his glasses and face mask, his eyes lighting up the camera in a smile “I feel overwhelmed by the nice things you all had to say. It’s remarkable how you’ve brought all the warmth and affection of a personal gathering to this virtual farewell”. Turning away momentarily from the screen, he looked at the CEO seated a little away.

“It was extraordinarily nice of boss to be personally present with me in these times of social distancing. Boss wanted me to share my career learnings” Ben took a sip of water and his eyes glowed softly. “This may surprise you all. I didn’t exactly choose a sales career. I was simply looking for something fun to do after engineering that will pay me. I wanted a job that let me dress well, meet new people, see new businesses and travel to lots of places. Sales seemed to have all of that.

I never thought I would succeed in sales. I had heard people say that you must be aggressive and pushy to click in sales. I am neither. My story can perhaps be best explained with a Greek myth I read long ago.

In the myth, the hero sets out on journey to a place called Ithaka. And the hero is wished by well wishers that his journey be a long one. That he enter new harbors, visit unfamiliar cities, learn from unknown scholars. He is advised, don’t be in a hurry. It’s better if the journey is long and lasts many years and decades. He is told that Ithaka the destination is not so important after all. The marvelous journey that Ithaca will give him and the wealth he would gain on the way are all that which will matter most.

The Ithaca story had a powerful influence on me. I realized that sales is a hero’s journey. Sales lets you meet new people every day. You have conversations from which you carry away learnings and wisdom of experienced professionals and business leaders. Sales offers you a chance to be the spark plug that ignites all business, because without sales nothing ever happens. You get to help Customers solve problems, save costs, multiply revenues, tap opportunities and fix business aches and pains.

The one secret that kept me going was this. Like Ithaca’s hero, I learnt to enjoy the journey. True, the destination or sales goal is important but not so much as waking up each morning looking forward to the adventures sales offers. You win some. You lose some. You will. Celebrate your every day sales journey. In that celebration you find the energy that fuels you up when you are in the trenches.

And one more. I quickly realised that Customers like to buy from a happy face.. some even paid me more! The more I smiled, the more I sold.

That’s my learning. Wish you all the very best”

Career sales champions know that sales is much more than deals closed, numbers run, quotas crushed, bonuses earned, contests won. They immensely enjoy the journey that sales takes them on daily They operate from an inner knowing that sales fulfills vital human needs of every description and offers countless opportunities to serve a higher purpose beyond closures. For them joy is always ever present in the trials and triumphs of daily sales efforts. They actively look for it and find it. Everyday!