The statement ‘The noble profession of Selling’ may sit well with some. While many others would find ways to say everything to the contrary, bringing up stories about how they or others were ripped off by shonky salespeople. I mean why is it that when someone’s deceived by someone else they say ‘they’ve done a sales job on them’? There’s nothing noble about that, you’d agree.
In a world where it’s too easy to engage and influence people with catchy slogans and memes that can propagate negative stereotypes, fear of the other, division, misinformation and myths, and keep people ignorant or fearful, it’s often harder to get people to pay attention to the truth. As Jonathan Swift* said, ‘A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on’.
And so it is with the noble profession of Selling.
I have chosen to use the words Noble and Profession to describe Selling for these reasons:
The word Noble has several meanings:
- possessing outstanding qualities i.e. illustrious
- of high birth or exalted rank i.e. aristocratic
- possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties
- grand or impressive especially in appearance
- very good or excellent
- possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals; having or showing high moral qualities or character; moral in an honest, brave, and kind way
- chemically inert or inactive especially toward oxygen
For the purposes of this article I will be referring to definitions 1, 3, 5 and 6 because in all my years in business and sales, the very best of the best salespeople are the epitome of these noble characteristics. But perhaps even item 7 has its place here because I see the very best business and salespeople be inert to bribery, corruption, amoral dealings. They do not fold and instead hold their ground and find better ways to work in a manner that is fair and honourable.
The word Profession also has several meanings:
- any type of work that needs special training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of education
- the people who do a particular type of work, considered as a group
- a statement about what someone feels, believes, or intends to do, often made publicly
- any type of work, especially one that needs a high level of education, special training or a particular skill
I think you’d agree that all 4 items here relate to selling. I mean we even managed to tick off the higher level of education when we, the Barrett team, got selling its first ever university qualification – a Diploma of Business in 2012.
But here’s the thing. Selling is ubiquitous and anyone can have a go at it whatever their levels of skill and experience and their intentions. And this is where selling gets into trouble reputation wise.
At least we know that qualified medical doctors, psychologists, engineers, lawyers and other highly credentialed professionals must keep up their education and be endorsed by their professional bodies to stay in business.
Not so with Selling. Yet the best of the best in sales put as much effort into their education and professional development as those aforementioned professions. It’s mostly self-generated learning, the odd course here or there, sprinkle with mentoring and coaching if they’re lucky.
Still too many default to the quick sugar hit event style workshop or key note or nothing at all.
However, there is a growing body of organisations staffed by enlightened CEOs and sales leaders who do treat Selling as a profession with noble intent which is why they invest heavily in the ongoing education and support of their sales teams. They know that a well-trained, highly professional and principled sales force is worth a great deal to their businesses and the ongoing cultivation of important client relationships. The investment in this type of educational support pays back many times over. It’s a no brainer when you track the ROI.
Selling is not having the ‘gift of the gab’ or solely instinctual or being a good people person. You can have a good bed side manner but that does not make you a medical doctor or clinical psychologist.
Like anyone can have a natural inclination to a job or role or profession, so can people in sales, but to master sales and actually know what you’re doing and how and why well that’s at a whole other level.
Selling is a highly disciplined profession that requires years to master.
Over 25 years of researching and unpacking the system of sales and its processes, and mapping the knowledge, skills and mindsets of highly effective sales leaders and salespeople, we can honestly say selling is a noble profession that needs special training and particular skills, systems, processes and a code of ethics to really make the most of the world of opportunity that exists out there now and sustainably into the future.
If you want to learn more about the mastery of selling please contact us or phone 03 9533 0000 or go to www.salesessentials.com where you can study the essentials skills, tools and processes to be a skilful salesperson.
Remember, everybody lives by selling something
*Fact checked
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