Everybody is a salesman

I don’t care what you do for a living, you are in sales. There are jobs (like mine) that are considered sales jobs and but the thing most people overlook is that all jobs are sales jobs. You are either selling a product/ service or you are selling yourself.

Take the young lad who goes to the grocery store and applies for a job as a bag boy. During the interview process don’t you think he is selling himself? Sure, he is. He is putting forth his very best self in hopes of getting a job. Every time a person talks with their boss or co-worker, they are selling themselves and their personality.

This morning (early) my brother was having surgery and we were told that due to COVID, his wife could only see him in the surgery prep area for only a few minutes. So, I took her up there and while I was parking, she is told at the reception area that in fact, no, she can’t see him. Well the salesman part of me gets involved and I asked the young gentleman at the desk, “if she could have seen him, where is the surgery prep area located?” he says, “oh, you go to floor two take a left and down that hall etc. etc.” I told the young chap “thank you.”

I told my brother’s wife to follow me. You guessed it, I put on my salesman’s shoes and with boldness, walked through door after door, hall after hall until we were standing at the nurse’s desk in the pre-op area. A little begging (selling) was involved but ultimately the nurse agreed that since we were there (only because we found it on our own) she could go in tell him she loved him before the surgery.

Afterwards the nurse asked us who had brought us up there to the pre-op area. I told her it was all my fault and all my doing because (a) it was true and (b) I didn’t want the little person in the lobby to get fired over it.

So, my point is this, every interaction, every conversation, every handshake, every meeting, every interview, every phone call, every zoom call is an opportunity for you to sell yourself. You don’t have to be selling a product or service to be considered a salesman. Everyone is in sales. KT

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