Why deny it? You're in sales

You started your business because you had a particular talent, skill, ability, product or service. Selling did not cross your mind. Then you realized that if you did not partake in sales activities, your business would not be profitable or around for very long.  Everyone who has a business is in sales.  Denying that you have to sell will lead your business down a bumpy path. 

Success will be arduous without solid sales skills. Selling is one of the most significant skills every business owner needs to develop. It’s time to embrace it and get good at it. 

It surprises me how often I hear people declare, “I’m not good at sales.” “I’m not in sales.” And the most damaging, “I am not a natural born salesperson.” I also hear,” I don’t sell, I serve. I don’t sell, I share. I don’t sell, I educate.” Some business owners try to conceal it or dress it up by giving sales another name. Others believe selling is shameful.  So they choose to give themselves permission to fail by affirming those statements. There is nothing wrong with selling. There is only something wrong with their sales perception.

Printing business cards, launching a website and attending a few networking events will not be enough to thrive.  You can keep telling the same sad sales story with an unhappy ending. The gloomy account of another failed business venture. The sad story of another sale that slipped through your fingers. Or, you can learn how to sell and do it well.

Don’t run out of money and drive your business into a ditch by passionately proving that you’re not natural born sales person. Sales denial is dangerous.

You can begin to tell a different story. A vibrant and lively tale where the outcome is radically different and a champion emerges. A tale of victory because you learned the greatest skill on earth—sales. Everyone sells something. It’s time to face it and embrace it. Refuse to let it threaten your business.

You can continue to tell a story that feeds your ego or choose to tell a story that feeds your family.

Savvy, serious and smart business owners, are ready to take on the skill of learning how to sell. They are ready to refine and upgrade their sales skills and control of what happens to their bottom line. Real growth and true success come from getting out of your comfort zone and taking action. 

Everyone can learn to sell. Whether you are selling an idea, presenting a business proposal, offering a product or service – it is all selling. I can’t think of any other way to build a profitable business unless you can close a sale and get paid for what you do.

You are fully capable of learning a new skill. You learned how to walk and talk. You figured out how to eat with a knife a fork. Read and write. Dress and bathe. Drive a car. Play a sport. You didn’t decide to continue to eat with your fingers, crawl on the floor and wear a diaper because you weren’t good growing up. You learned the skills you needed to move to another phase of life. You can now learn the skill that will keep your business alive. Sales skills.

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. The quicker you learn how to sell, the faster your business will be a success.