How to learn sales as a natural extension of your job

Years ago, I used to go to my bank every Friday and deposit the checks I had received from clients that week. The tellers were very pleasant older women who efficiently helped me with my transactions week after week. And then one week I noticed a change. The teller started asking me about whether I needed other products or services that had little to do with my business. As the weeks went by these questions and suggestions became a regular part of our conversations. It felt awkward to me, and the tellers also seemed uneasy. 

I realized that someone in management must have decided that the tellers should become salespeople. These women who were experienced, knowledgeable service providers were now expected to perform a very different kind of task that none of them had signed on for. And guess what — they weren’t very good at it.

Why selling became a part of every job description

In the past couple of months, almost every business I’m working with is giving that same directive to their workforce. In the face of economic uncertainty and a looming recession, leaders are finding that many clients are shrinking or canceling their orders and projects. Optimistic growth predictions are fading into the distance, and frankly, many leaders are panicking. The solution? Everyone — and I mean everyone — has to start selling. For many people, this is intimidating and sometimes infuriating. They weren’t hired to sell and they’re not trained to sell. 

While I sympathize with their dismay, I also think they need to take a deep breath, learn some tricks of the trade, and start selling. If you substitute the word “influencing” for “selling,” it seems pretty clear to me that just about every job requires some skill in this area. Learning how to listen for customer needs and how to communicate your organization’s value makes you a much greater asset to your employer.

How to learn sales without the sleaze

When I began my career as a psychologist, it was considered unethical for us to advertise in any way. We were supposed to just sit in our offices and do good work and somehow the word would get out. That didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I certainly didn’t want to be unprofessional.  And then one day I heard a speaker say, “If you have a skill or a product that can help someone and you don’t make it easy for them to find you, that’s unethical.” Well, that was a shocker! But that shift in perspective enabled me to think differently about how to market my business — in other words, to sell better.

The word “sell” brings up images of a pushy loudmouth or a sleazy con artist. But good selling is just what that speaker proposed: making your valuable service or product easy to find for those who need it. 

If you would like to learn more about how to build selling and influencing skills for yourself or your team, contact me.