10 skills you can hone by being in sales.

I have never understood why anyone would get into sales. It’s so risky.

Friends, there is little in life that isn’t risky.

Years ago, someone close to me said that. I analyzed it for years. I came to the conclusion that if someone cannot do it themselves, they often want to squash others belief that they can do it.

Sales has always had negative connotations associated with it. Sadly, until the last few years, I was never proud to say I was in sales. I navigated through those conversations soaked in snide comments and learned a lot in the process. Once someone finds out your line of work, it is all too human to make judgments of who you are based on what you do.

Sales is about communication and connection. It is about understanding people and their needs. If you can hone your sales skills, you can be successful at anything.

While I do not believe sales is a calling for most people, I think it is an excellent prerequisite for any field. You can develop and hone these 10 skills if you gain experience in sales:

1. Communication
2. Listening
3. Persistence
4. Interpersonal
5. Confidence
6. Leadership
7. Work Ethic
8. Responsibility
9. Negotiation
10. Time Management

Every day you are sharing your thoughts, ideas, and tips with people. You may be timid or conversely you may be outgoing, but every day you do this. This, in it’s simplest form is sales.

You fill up your coffee and drink it black. Your co-worker asks why you drink it straight black. You share how much healthier it is and that it takes a while to get used to, but it’s worth it. 

You just, nonchalantly sold your co-worker on why drinking black coffee is better for you than with cream and sugar.

You attend aerobic weight lifting classes and have lost 15 pounds in the last 3 months. Your best friend asks what you are doing. You mention your classes and the gym you attend. 

You just casually advertised for your gym and convinced your best friend to exercise just by how you live your life.

You get the point. You are in sales, on a daily basis. Did you realize, though, that we are in a world revolving around sales?

You work for an hourly wage. You show up and receive a paycheck for what your company believes your time is worth. You just sold your time for a paycheck.

I have had this conversation with my sister quite a few times and she, in her opinion, is the furthest thing from a sales person. However, she firmly believes in the correlation between hard work and reward. That, is exactly sales. She has even implemented the commission mindset with her little ones to teach them about it.

If you have ever rewarded your children, this is sales. You just taught them they will be rewarded in life if they go above and beyond. You are teaching them adversity.

• You paid them for mowing the lawn.
• You rewarded them for using the potty.
• Family photos went off without a hitch and you all went out for ice cream.
• Your daughter received straight A’s and you rewarded her.

Agree or disagree, life rewards or punishes your children, forever.

• Drive over the speed limit, you will get a ticket.
• Break the law, you will go to jail.
• Eat well and exercise, you will maintain a healthy weight.

I grew up on a farm. At a young age, I learned what sales meant. My parents needed to plant their fields, yield a good crop and sell that to make an income. I knew if it hailed or if we didn’t get enough rain, there would not be much of an income. I knew my parents needed to work very hard with no guarantee of a profit. In the 80s, there was little to no profit year after year. I never even saw my parents reap a monetary reward during my childhood, but they never gave up on that farm.

Exposure to sales develops a sort of tenacity that even if it takes longer than you would prefer, there will be a reward.

So, stop hating on sales people. You’re one of us.

Always in love,