Like it or not — you’re in sales

Like it or not, all business owners are in sales! Whether you are selling an idea, presenting a business proposal or offering a product or service – it is all selling. Selling is one of the most important skills every business owner needs to develop. If you do not embrace this fact, your business could be headed for trouble.

It surprises me how often I hear business owners who flat out insist that they are in some other occupation, rather than sales. They declare, “I’m not a salesperson” or “I’m not in sales, I’m a business owner.”  They make it sound like being a part of sales is something they should be ashamed of.

There are two reasons why they do this. First, because they have a skewed perception and definition of what it means to be a salesperson, and second, they do not want to admit they don’t know how to sell so it is easier to say they don’t have to. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being in sales; there is only something wrong with their perception of it.

Most likely you started your business because you had a particular talent, skill, ability, product or service, not because you wanted to sell. Then you quickly realized that if you did not sell, your business would not be profitable or around very long.  Selling is just part of doing business, so why do so many business owners choose to live in denial and avoid this critical step in growing their business?

I talk to business owners every day who are struggling with closing sales and increasing revenue and they’re not sure why this is happening. They are struggling because they do not believe they are in sales so they are not developing that skill. They are refusing to believe they have to sell. Some believe that just printing business cards, launching a website and attending a few networking events will be enough. They finally admit that it is easier to deny the fact that they have to sell than it is to actually learn to sell. Once we begin the process of sales training, they see that it is much more fun and lucrative to get out of denial for good.

Serious business owners do not blame marketing, they do not blame the competition, they do not blame the customer and they do not blame the economy. They all know one thing; they win or lose the sale because of one thing and one thing only… themselves!

These days, serious and smart business owners are moving out of denial and stepping into reality. They are refining and upgrading their sales skills and taking control of what happens to their bottom line. Real growth and true success come from getting out of your comfort zone and taking action.  Denial is not a safe place for any serious business owner to be and research shows it is one of the most expensive places to live.

Denial is a coping mechanism and a lethal business strategy Look denial in the face and refuse to let it threaten you or your business. Tackle denial head-on, meet the challenge and watch how quickly your business will expand.  Choose to accept the fact that everything in life is sales and we are all selling something. Get help, get coaching, get sales training, but get out of denial.  Remember, it’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell.