I remember hearing these words several years ago by my mentor, Todd Duncan, who said:
“The heart of selling cannot be seen, it can only be felt.”
You may remember Don Henley (The Eagles) who wrote a popular song years ago that had these words in it — “I’ve been trying to get down to the heart of the matter.”
If you get to the heart of selling, then you will realize it is not about the money. It’s not about success, or ego, awards, products, or price; it’s not about service, or gaining victory. The heart of selling is about fulfillment. It’s about significance, adding value, making a difference, changing lives, and it’s about joy.
The heart of selling is never about YOU.
There are two ways to look at selling:
First: Life is what you do with the time you have left over after you’re finished selling.
or
Second: Selling is what you do with the time you have left over after you have done life.
Which scenario describes you?
If you see the first scenario as your conclusion, then your career occupies the greatest amount of your time. The problem here is if you wait until you are done selling, you may not have the time to do life like you want.
If the second scenario is your reality, then life occupies the greatest amount of your time. Here you will have to clearly decide what you want your life to look like and you will have to SELL WELL to get it.
Most salespeople DO NOT sell well. What is selling well?
- Selling well is a focus on mastering the sales process. Doing business with you is a world-class affair. Most salespeople are consumed with working for the next sale rather than creating an experience to remember for their current customers. Think about it — why do people not remember you?
- Selling well is being efficient and effective. It is not being a slave to inefficiencies. I see it all the time. Most salespeople are playing three to four roles in their business, two to three of which they play mediocre at best. The result — no meaningful productivity.
- Selling well is saying YES to the right things and NO to the wrong things. Most people work hard but not smart and do not know the top three priorities they should be focusing on.
The heart of selling is about your heart. Most salespeople want more life but find themselves frustrated by the cold, stark reality that getting “to the top” requires long hours and less life. This is a lie. You can make a good living and build a good life. You can live and sell in such a way that your dreams on and off the job come true.