“If you don’t believe in it, you shouldn’t sell it”
What comes to mind when you hear the word "sales"? If you’re like most people, chances are you’ve rolled your eyes and let out a deep sigh already. There’s a prevailing perception that sales is a dirty word, and the profession is associated with manipulation, deception, or exploitation. That all salespeople are scammers out to separate you from your hard-earned cash, selling you stuff you don’t need and never asked for.
One of the biggest misconceptions about sales is that it is a zero-sum game, where the seller wins and you, the buyer, loses.
We can trace this back to 1800s America, when the term “Snake Oil Salesman” was coined thanks to cowboys like Clark Stanley and his Snake Oil Treatment. Thousands of Chinese workers had arrived in the United States to work on the Transcontinental Railroad, bringing various medicines with them. What is often forgotten is that in traditional Chinese medicine, snake oil was used to relieve pain and inflammation and treat arthritis and bursitis. This is due to the high Omega-3 fatty acid content of Chinese water snakes, which, when used appropriately, can work as an anti-inflammatory. Clearly, Chinese water snakes would be in short supply, so people turned to the next best option available: rattlesnakes.
So how did a legitimate medicine become a symbol of fraud? The term "snake oil" emerged in the late 1800s when the popularity of "patent medicines" grew. These tonics, advertised in newspapers, claimed to cure various ailments like chronic pain, headaches, and kidney trouble. Eventually, the term "snake oil" was used to describe all of these fraudulent remedies.
Entrepreneur Clark Stanley, also known as The Rattlesnake King, gained notoriety for his involvement in bigging up the healing properties of rattlesnake oil. But here’s the thing; Stanley didn’t even use rattlesnakes in his rattlesnake oil! When federal investigators seized one of his shipments, they conducted an official inquiry and discovered that the contents actually consisted of mineral oil, beef fat, red pepper, and turpentine.
Stanley was fined $20 for misbranding his product under the Pure Food and Drug Act.
Look around and it’s obvious that charlatans are alive and well in the 21st century. From pushy telemarketers to online influencers, there is no shortage of people trying to take advantage of you. However, it's unfair to generalise the entire sales profession based on them. That's like comparing late-night fast food to a gourmet meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Not all burgers are the same.
Most people have experienced negative sales interactions where someone has tried to manipulate, exploit or deceive them. And that sucks, but so many people are selling things they don’t believe in just to get paid, that this is hardly surprising. There’s no blame or judgement, not everyone is fortunate enough to get paid for doing something that they love.
According to the CDC, about 48 million Americans, or 1 in 6 people, become ill from foodborne diseases each year, keading to approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. That’s 8 deaths from food poisoning every day! Doesn’t stop people from eating out and ordering in, and nor should it. Lapses in good personal and food hygiene practices can happen to any catering establishment, but which demographic is more likely to contain repeat offenders, late-night fast food or Michelin-starred restaurants?
There’s a misconception, particularly among creatives that “if I do great work, people will notice.”
People doing mediocre work, loudly, progress more than people that quietly excel. This system is unfair and flawed, but it’s reality. So if you are doing great work, get loud. The world needs you!
The flip side is that everyone has experienced positive sales interactions, possibly on a regular basis, and it probably goes unnoticed. We’re hardwired to focus on the negative and generally ignore the positive.
Sales is an act of service, it’s literally the dictionary definition (assistance or advice given to customers during and after the sale of goods). We help our clients move from their current state to their desired future state. If the product or service that we offer can’t help you get to where you want to be, we’ll refer you to someone who can.
We need to get to know you, to understand your pain and problems, hopes, dreams and ambitions, and we do this by listening actively and asking great questions. Great salespeople do everything they can to disqualify you knowing that this quickly separates the tire kickers from genuine buyers. The very best salespeople are curious and empathetic, seeing every interaction as an opportunity to learn rather than just trying to sell. By remaining curious they deepen their understanding of the people they serve and their problems, whilst uncovering insights that they can utilise in future conversations.
If you’re still feeling icky about sales, or don’t have the time or tools to undertake this challenge for your business, outsourcing this function may be your best bet; send us a message and let’s have a chat!
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