I love the art of selling. LOVE IT. When I first entered
the field of sales, the one thing I quickly grew to
appreciate was the fact that anything I did to increase
my ability in selling also increased my ability in life.
Sales skills are life skills.

"There's a born salesman!" I have yet to read, or hear
on the evening news, of a lady who gave birth to a
sales person. Or an attorney, or doctor, or for that
matter an embezzler or swindler. Birth is given to
boys and girls; everything after that is by choices
made and skills that are learned. And sales skills are
life skills.

"I am not ever going to be in sales!" Really? If you
have ever been in a conversation in which you were
trying to express an opinion or influence an event, then
you were selling. The truth is that everyone is
constantly trying to sell an idea, belief, proposition,
opinion, or a goal. You use sales skills throughout the
day, everyday. With your spouse, your kids, your
peers, your neighbor, your parents, at the store, at the
bank, at your church, when you buy a car or a house,
or when you simply go out to dinner. Sales skills are
life skills.

There is not an area of your life where sales skills
cannot be a benefit. Teachers use sales skills.
Preachers use sales skills. Police officers use sales
skills. Mother Teresa used sales skills. Regardless
of what you do, sales skills will improve your
probability for success at motivating, instructing,
encouraging, coaching, communicating with and
reaching people. Sales skills are life skills.

In fact, every successful person is good at selling
himself or herself.

Truly successful sales people have great listening
skills. (Although my wife often questions mine!)
Unfortunately, the image of a good sales person is a
slick talking person who could sell ice to an Eskimo.
However, just the opposite is true. The professional
sales person wouldn't sell ice to an Eskimo unless
that ice was wanted and needed. And that would be
determined through a series of questions and keen
listening to determine the need. In fact, a true
professional sales person will listen over three times
as much as they will talk! (Again, my wife may
disagree but it is true!) Sales skills are life skills.

There is not a single person in an organization that
does not have an opportunity to sell for their
organization. It is for that reason that I believe
everyone in an organization should receive some
training in sales skills. It takes very few positive
results to more than pay for the investment! Think
about the tremendous upside. Not only do you
dramatically increase the potential of your sales force,
but your employee's confidence, attitude, and
motivation greatly increases. Sales skills are life
skills.

How to ask questions, listen intently, clarify a position
or opinion, present a view, deal with objections, and
reach a successful conclusion for all involved is the
art of sales. What is there not to like and which of
those skills do you not want to get better at and use
throughout your daily life?

Have I mentioned that sales skills are life skills?