Thoughts on Salesmanship
So, I've just gotten a job as a salesperson. I've never done sales before. I'm working for a great company, wonderful atmosphere, treat their employees like family, the product is fantastic, they've been in business 20 years and are really into integrity, which is great. I don't work on commission. The main focus is to get the customer something that solves their problem and that they'll be happy with. Sounds pretty ideal, doesn't it?
As for how I'm liking the job so far, it's great. It's a lot to learn, as I've said before, but I'm not exactly a slouch in that department. I should be able to handle it fine. It's funny, because I'm so conditioned to work being something awful that every day I dread going, and yet every day I leave the store in a positive frame of mind. Often I'm singing. It's a nice place to work.
What I'm kind of wondering about is the job of sales in itself. One of the requirements for working there is reading a book by Zig Ziglar called Secrets of Closing the Sale. It sounds pretty cheesy, but actually it's a very good book about selling with integrity and honesty, and what about selling will make you and the customer walk away happy. I may go and read some of his other books after I'm done this one, since he's a pretty inspiring guy (not that I'm not already having trouble finding time where I want to read this). So lots of stuff in this book is making me think. And several of the chapters are about attitude towards yourself, others, and the profession of selling.
I've realized that I don't have a positive attitude about selling at all. Part of it is the cultural conditioning we all get not to ask for things - it's not polite, you're supposed to wait until you're offered something, not ask for it. When you sell something you ask for the person to buy it. I'm especially sensitive to that sort of thing, probably overly so. When I was in acting school they had a hard time getting me to take my space when I was on stage. I wind up feeling like I don't have the right to ask somebody to give up their money for something. So that's something I'm fairly uncomfortable with. But I think I can learn to get over it.
What I'm really concerned with is whether I think selling is ethical. Now, if I'm selling a good product that helps people with their problems, what's wrong with that? And I sincerely believe that what we sell at this place is a good product. Everybody there is passionate about it and about making sure that the customer gets the highest quality possible. Especially where mattresses are concerned, we believe (and the owner knows from 20 years' experience) that what we sell can give people a better sleep for a longer time with waaay less problems (and over the lifespan less cost) than anything anyone else in the city is selling. So that's great. Where my problem lies is with the niggling doubts I have on consumerism and free enterprise in general. I feel like when I buy things and when I sell them, I'm contributing to the gap between the minute percent of us that have most of the worlds' money and everybody else who has hardly any money at all. Now, that doesn't mean I particularly want to give up my middle-class Canadian lifestyle. I don't really want to go be Mother Teresa and live on nothing in the slums trying to help others. But something inside of me feels like I should. And that being a salesperson - being, in effect, the grease that makes the wheels of this economy go 'round (cause without people selling they really really wouldn't) - means I'm just making this world worse. I'm contributing to the culture and system that has produced Wal-Mart and all it symbolizes. Something inside of me feels like being a consumer and one who promotes consumerism is wrong. And yet, really, what have I done about it? I buy stuff from Wal-Mart. If I face it, that's probably worse ethically than selling someone a product that's made in BC by good companies.
So I think my problem is that deep down I feel that sales is a selfish profession. Sure, I'm helping my customers, which is super important. I'm technically helping (as I was just reading in this book) everyone in the economy whenever I buy or sell something, and I wouldn't be buying anything if there were not other people selling things that I buy. So salesmanship is good for the economy and it's good for the customer directly, if what is being sold is done so honestly. But is it good for the world? I don't know. Yes, Zig Ziglar, sales has probably made America what it is today: I believe you on that one. But I don't necessarily like what America is today. Not least because I'm not American.
I don't have any answers to this, but I wanted to write it down so I was clear on what I was thinking, and also maybe share it with some of you guys. Kudos if you managed to read this far, :D and I'd love to hear what you think!
As for how I'm liking the job so far, it's great. It's a lot to learn, as I've said before, but I'm not exactly a slouch in that department. I should be able to handle it fine. It's funny, because I'm so conditioned to work being something awful that every day I dread going, and yet every day I leave the store in a positive frame of mind. Often I'm singing. It's a nice place to work.
What I'm kind of wondering about is the job of sales in itself. One of the requirements for working there is reading a book by Zig Ziglar called Secrets of Closing the Sale. It sounds pretty cheesy, but actually it's a very good book about selling with integrity and honesty, and what about selling will make you and the customer walk away happy. I may go and read some of his other books after I'm done this one, since he's a pretty inspiring guy (not that I'm not already having trouble finding time where I want to read this). So lots of stuff in this book is making me think. And several of the chapters are about attitude towards yourself, others, and the profession of selling.
I've realized that I don't have a positive attitude about selling at all. Part of it is the cultural conditioning we all get not to ask for things - it's not polite, you're supposed to wait until you're offered something, not ask for it. When you sell something you ask for the person to buy it. I'm especially sensitive to that sort of thing, probably overly so. When I was in acting school they had a hard time getting me to take my space when I was on stage. I wind up feeling like I don't have the right to ask somebody to give up their money for something. So that's something I'm fairly uncomfortable with. But I think I can learn to get over it.
What I'm really concerned with is whether I think selling is ethical. Now, if I'm selling a good product that helps people with their problems, what's wrong with that? And I sincerely believe that what we sell at this place is a good product. Everybody there is passionate about it and about making sure that the customer gets the highest quality possible. Especially where mattresses are concerned, we believe (and the owner knows from 20 years' experience) that what we sell can give people a better sleep for a longer time with waaay less problems (and over the lifespan less cost) than anything anyone else in the city is selling. So that's great. Where my problem lies is with the niggling doubts I have on consumerism and free enterprise in general. I feel like when I buy things and when I sell them, I'm contributing to the gap between the minute percent of us that have most of the worlds' money and everybody else who has hardly any money at all. Now, that doesn't mean I particularly want to give up my middle-class Canadian lifestyle. I don't really want to go be Mother Teresa and live on nothing in the slums trying to help others. But something inside of me feels like I should. And that being a salesperson - being, in effect, the grease that makes the wheels of this economy go 'round (cause without people selling they really really wouldn't) - means I'm just making this world worse. I'm contributing to the culture and system that has produced Wal-Mart and all it symbolizes. Something inside of me feels like being a consumer and one who promotes consumerism is wrong. And yet, really, what have I done about it? I buy stuff from Wal-Mart. If I face it, that's probably worse ethically than selling someone a product that's made in BC by good companies.
So I think my problem is that deep down I feel that sales is a selfish profession. Sure, I'm helping my customers, which is super important. I'm technically helping (as I was just reading in this book) everyone in the economy whenever I buy or sell something, and I wouldn't be buying anything if there were not other people selling things that I buy. So salesmanship is good for the economy and it's good for the customer directly, if what is being sold is done so honestly. But is it good for the world? I don't know. Yes, Zig Ziglar, sales has probably made America what it is today: I believe you on that one. But I don't necessarily like what America is today. Not least because I'm not American.
I don't have any answers to this, but I wanted to write it down so I was clear on what I was thinking, and also maybe share it with some of you guys. Kudos if you managed to read this far, :D and I'd love to hear what you think!