On November 15th, 2018 I knew almost nothing about sales. Literally. If you had asked me what sales was, I probably would have pointed towards car salesmen and telemarketers. That’s what I thought of when thinking of sales. I didn’t know what a sales funnel was. I didn’t know what SDR stood for. I barely knew what a cold call meant.
It’s now December 2nd.
I know less.
I researched what a sales funnel looked like, I figured out what a Sales Development Representative does, I researched cold calling tactics. So, how do I know less you may ask?
This is simply because the more you learn about sales, the more you realize how much you have yet to learn. What seems, in theory, like a fairly simple, straightforward job, becomes one of the most complex, highly researched categories in the business world.
In less than a week, I have found reading material on sales to keep someone busy for ten lifetimes. I have found enough podcast series’ on sales to listen roundtrip to Mars. I have seen more software and programs related to sales than there are turkeys in a commercial turkey barn.
The point is: There is always more to learn in sales. Never feel like you’ve figured it out. The day you think you’ve figured everything you could ever figure out in sales is the day that you will fail spectacularly!
Something else I learned this week when researching sales: Sales isn’t selling, it’s serving.
Now, of course in sales you sell things, but the more you can connect with your clients and be empathetic to their problems and truly try to help them, the more results you will see. Sales is about relationships. Cultivate that relationship.
As I post more about learning sales I will plan to get more into the technical side, but for now, these things are what I have learned on the mindset level.
I can’t wait for you all to learn with me as I talk to people who are in the sales role already. My first podcast episode will be coming in just a couple weeks.
Stay tuned to my blog for updates!