Why do salespeople exist?

[sonny_1080]

I've been in sales pretty much my whole life. I've studied the Zig Ziglar, Grant Cardone, Brian Tracy stuff. I've read all kinds of sales books. And today I thought to myself...

Why do salespeople exist?

Ray Kroc was a salesperson. McDonald's has a 100% closing ratio.

My friend owns a pizza shop... 100% closing ratio.

I download software for my computer, they have a 100% closing ratio.

I buy clothes, groceries, books... everything I buy, I decide to buy it.

Nobody really talks me into anything.

If I don't want something, I don't buy it.

Simple as that.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the value of bringing something to market so people are aware of it; but after that... why, as a salesperson, do I have to convince you to buy something that would undoubtedly be an awesome solution for your family?

Why do I care about your family?

I swear. Sometimes I feel like I care more about people's family's than they do.

I know that's not true, but it just seems like people's "cheap-bastardness" and procrastination and denial prevent them from making a decision that will benefit them.

Why should I care about helping you through your "cheap-bastardness" and procrastination and denial?

Let's just skip to the part where i give you the price, you say its too much and you want to think about it.

Cool.

No solution for you. Good luck.

 

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[Johnny boy]

Post your last 6 months of bank statements and we’ll see if that’s the case lol.

Why do salespeople exist? To sell stuff.

I worked at a car dealership. One salesman (Romy) sold 20 cars a month. Another salesman sold 4.

Why?….

 

[Fox]

Why do salespeople exist?

Ray Kroc was a salesperson. McDonald's has a 100% closing ratio.

My friend owns a pizza shop... 100% closing ratio.

I download software for my computer, they have a 100% closing ratio.

I buy clothes, groceries, books... everything I buy, I decide to buy it.

Nobody really talks me into anything.

If I don't want something, I don't buy it.

I disagree. Chances are a lot (or most) or what you do/have in your life exists because someone else sold you on it.

@MJ DeMarco sold you on the Fastlane, so you are here posting.
Steve sold you on the iPhone, so you are using it to read this.
Verizon sold you on their data plan, so that is giving you access.

And so on.

I don't get how you say McDonalds has a 100% closing rate - lots of people hate their food.
But every day they try make it more appealing, more tasty, more convenient, and more likely you buy it.

Maybe "you decide" but - do you? Someone sold someone else on that product or service being available in the first place. You might decide to get BrandXYZ Peanut butter, but last year their sales guy sold Costco on stocking it.

Sales exist in everything we do. 99% of people need to be lead and shown what to do and how to act.
So you can either be selling them on your plan, or leaving it up to someone else with sales skills to decide.

But either way, everyone is being sold to all the time.

 

[Fox]

Don't get me wrong, I understand the value of bringing something to market so people are aware of it; but after that... why, as a salesperson, do I have to convince you to buy something that would undoubtedly be an awesome solution for your family?

Why do I care about your family?

I swear. Sometimes I feel like I care more about people's family's than they do.

I know that's not true, but it just seems like people's "cheap-bastardness" and procrastination and denial prevent them from making a decision that will benefit them.

This sounds like you have a specific example - if you do post it up.

You shouldn't have to convince anyone to want to look after their family.
They either do, or they don't.

The "sale" here is in them easily understanding how this benefits them and their family.
And it also has to benefit them more than holding on to that money.

If they don't buy then either they decided:
- that it doesn't actually help them
- or that the money is a better kept for something else

But I don't think people are cheap - they are either broke or they value something else more.
The person who won't pay $10 for better teeth, might spend 90% of their paycheck on a bigger TV.

So you are either selling to broke people, or people who value something else more.

"Sometimes I feel like I care more about people's family's than they do."

I don't think that is true (no offence to you, I am sure you do care, but just not as much).
I think the disconnect here is that they value helping their family in a much different way to how you do.

For example maybe a parent won't spend $100 on sending their kid to soccer camp.
But would rather value keeping that $100 in case their kid gets sick (cause maybe themselves got sick before).

You could say "that parent doesn't care about their kids health!" - but they do, just the view it in a different way.

Anyway this is kind of a rambling reply but maybe it helps.

I think we all have the same core needs and wants that sales can appeal to, just that the magic is in seeing how different people express and act on the same desires differently.

 

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[sonny_1080]

I disagree. Chances are a lot (or most) or what you do/have in your life exists because someone else sold you on it.

@MJ DeMarco sold you on the Fastlane, so you are here posting.
Steve sold you on the iPhone, so you are using it to read this.
Verizon sold you on their data plan, so that is giving you access.

And so on.

I don't get how you say McDonalds has a 100% closing rate - lots of people hate their food.
But every day they try make it more appealing, more tasty, more convenient, and more likely you buy it.

Maybe "you decide" but - do you? Someone sold someone else on that product or service being available in the first place. You might decide to get BrandXYZ Peanut butter, but last year their sales guy sold Costco on stocking it.

Sales exist in everything we do. 99% of people need to be lead and shown what to do and how to act.
So you can either be selling them on your plan, or leaving it up to someone else with sales skills to decide.

But either way, everyone is being sold to all the time.

You're absolutely right.

 

[sonny_1080]

This sounds like you have a specific example - if you do post it up.

You shouldn't have to convince anyone to want to look after their family.
They either do, or they don't.

The "sale" here is in them easily understanding how this benefits them and their family.
And it also has to benefit them more than holding on to that money.

If they don't buy then either they decided:
- that it doesn't actually help them
- or that the money is a better kept for something else

But I don't think people are cheap - they are either broke or they value something else more.
The person who won't pay $10 for better teeth, might spend 90% of their paycheck on a bigger TV.

So you are either selling to broke people, or people who value something else more.

"Sometimes I feel like I care more about people's family's than they do."

I don't think that is true (no offence to you, I am sure you do care, but just not as much).
I think the disconnect here is that they value helping their family in a much different way to how you do.

For example maybe a parent won't spend $100 on sending their kid to soccer camp.
But would rather value keeping that $100 in case their kid gets sick (cause maybe themselves got sick before).

You could say "that parent doesn't care about their kids health!" - but they do, just the view it in a different way.

Anyway this is kind of a rambling reply but maybe it helps.

I think we all have the same core needs and wants that sales can appeal to, just that the magic is in seeing how different people express and act on the same desires differently.

You're absolutely right about this too.

 

[sonny_1080]

I ranted this out and picked up a book that I read about 4 years ago called Secrets To Closing The Sale by Zig Ziglar.

In it he has a poem, the writer is anonymous.

Here it is:

I Am A Salesman
Unknown Author

I am proud to be a salesman, because more than any other man, I and millions of others like me, built America.

The man who builds a better mouse trap — or a better anything — would starve to death if he waited for people to beat a pathway to his door. Regardless of how good or how needed the product or service might be, it has to be sold.

Eli Whitney was laughed at when he showed his cotton gin. Edison had to install his electric light free of charge in an office building before anyone would even look at it. The first sewing machine was smashed to pieces by a Boston mob. People scoffed at the idea of railroads. They thought that traveling even thirty miles an hour would stop the circulation of the blood! McCormick strived for 14 years to get people to use his reaper. Westinghouse was considered a fool for stating he could stop a train with wind. Morse had to plead before 10 Congresses before they would even look at his telegraph.

The public didn't go around demanding these things; they had to be sold!!

They needed thousands of salesmen, trailblazers and pioneers - people who could persuade with the same effectiveness as the inventor could invent. Salesmen took these inventions, sold the public on what these products could do, taught customers how to use them, and then taught businessmen how to make a profit from them.

As a salesman, I've done more to make America what it is today than any other person you know. I was just as vital in your great-great-grandfather's day as I am in yours, and I will be just as vital in your great-great-grandson's day. I have educated more people, created more jobs, taken more drudgery from the laborer's work, given more profits to businessmen, and have given more people a fuller and richer life than anyone in history. I've dragged prices down, pushed quality up, and made it possible for you to enjoy the comforts and luxuries of automobiles, radios, electric refrigerators, televisions, and air conditioned homes and buildings. I've healed the sick, given security to the aged, and put thousands of young men and women through college. I've made it possible for inventors to invent, for factories to hum, and for ships to sail the seven seas.

How much money you find in your pay envelope next week, and whether in the future you will enjoy the luxuries of prefabricated homes, stratospheric flying of airplanes, and new world of jet propulsion and atomic power, depends on me. The loaf of bread you bought today was on a baker's shelf because I made sure that a farmer's wheat got to a mill, that the mill made wheat into flour, and that the flour was delivered to your baker.

Without me, the wheels of industry would come to a grinding halt. And with that, jobs, marriages, politics and freedom of thought would be a thing of the past. I AM A SALESMAN and I'm proud and grateful that as such, I serve my family, my fellow man and my country.

 

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[Andy Black]

Controversial thought:

A friend runs a marketing agency in the UK. He's got a sales mentor who's also training his team of sales people. His mentor told him that business folks don't *need* sales training. The sales people need training because they're typically employees and don't think like business people. The sales training is to get them to think like a business person without ever having run a business.

What if you identify and be proud to be a business man, not a salesman?

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

I think it was Jim Rohn who said that the job of a salesperson is not to sell, but to educate.

A great salesperson is on the team of the buyer... They don't make you feel like they are battling you and trying to coerce you... They are teaching you about different products and services - about solutions that can solve your problem.

That means salespeople are invaluable.

 

[Itizn]

Order takers (most of your examples in the OP) are not the same as salespeople.

Edit: after reviewing your past threads and your comment about caring about other peoples families it seems you are upset about a lack of signups for your service.

1st) This is precisely where (good) salespeople come into play. They start by shining a light on problems people may have and help illuminate possible solutions to these problems. They then probe further to see whether the prospects would consider remediating it. Its entirely possible for there to be people with the exact problems you fix who aren't inclined to make a change.

2nd) Don't let lack of sales get you too emotional about things. Instead observe objectively and seek to address the problem areas.

 

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[Stargazer]

Roy Kroc travelled all over selling milkshake machines to food joints which is how he came across the McDonald brothers. He then sold them on his vision for their company and got them to sign it over to them- just think about that for a minute - and then he had to sell franchises.

Most things today that are considered no brainers were not so at the time. By default we don't see what we don't see.

Dan

 

[PapaGang]

Controversial thought:

A friend runs a marketing agency in the UK. He's got a sales mentor who's also training his team of sales people. His mentor told him that business folks don't *need* sales training. The sales people need training because they're typically employees and don't think like business people. The sales training is to get them to think like a business person without ever having run a business.

What if you identify and be proud to be a business man, not a salesman?

I think this guy is totally right. Sales is the most entrepreneurial position in a company.