I firmly believe that everyone sells. Every day, people explain what they want, why others should agree, and why they should feel good about being involved. This is a reality both at home and at work.

Some of the best salespeople are children. Their relentless and confident pursuit of what they desire is a testament to their natural selling abilities. Parents and spouses constantly convey their feelings and intentions to their families.

Regardless of whether they've held a formal sales position, every CEO and executive in the "C-Suite" has reached their position, in part, due to their selling skills. The ability to present ideas and persuade people to reach a consensus is, fundamentally, selling.

In 1984, I decided to become a professional salesperson, meaning I committed to it as a career. To say that being a professional salesperson is hard is a huge understatement. Why is it so hard?  There are many reasons and here are a few:

• No guarantees of income - Commission based compensation means you are paid only when you sell your products or services.

• Performance-based security: Your financial stability is entirely tied to your ability to sell.

• Uncapped income with a definite bottom: While there's no limit to how much you can earn, you can also end up with nothing.

• Rejection - at least 10x as many people say no as say yes.

• Thick skin required - society as a whole doesn’t like salespeople.

Describing how hard it is and what it taked to survive being a professional salesperson, can be summed up with words like these: intestinal fortitude, guts, grit, perseverance, and being uncomfortable.. Ultimately, what it comes down to is this: 

It takes a tremendous amount of courage to be a professional salesperson.

Many people claim they would never want to sell for a living. Surprisingly, even individuals who have clearly benefited from their “sales ability” to achieve their  success often say they never wanted to be in sales. The reason most people disdain sales is that they see it as sleazy and think they're too good for it. Deep down, they know they couldn't handle it. It's very hard and requires a lot of courage and effort. I wasn’t always sure that I could handle it. The hard was really hard and I was fortunate to have a mentor that helped me every step of the way and assisted me in finding the courage to succeed.

To have a successful career in professional sales, acquiring courage is essential. Here are two steps to help you develop the courage needed to succeed as a professional salesperson.

STEP ONE:  FIND THE VALUE - CONVICTION

When you delve into the mindset of a professional athlete, you find that the best possess tremendous skill, both natural and acquired. Before relentless practice hones their skills, they develop a winner's mindset. This discipline to consistently do what others are unwilling to do is driven by the motivation to be great, ultimately leading to a conviction in their abilities.  

As a professional salesperson, before mastering the techniques and tactics, before learning the skills, like knowing the right words to say at the right time and practicing until they become instinctive, you must first develop a conviction about what you are doing. The initial step is to find a product, service, or cause you can passionately believe in. This conviction stems from understanding its benefits, how it improves people's lives, and the value it provides to the purchaser. When you have an unwavering belief in the value of what you offer, you will have the discipline to consistently do what others are not willing to do to achieve greatness.  Which is also necessary in acquiring that essential courage.

STEP TWO:  JOURNEY TO EXPERTISE - BELIEF

Once you've found something you are convicted about, the next step is to become an expert in that field, product, service, or cause. This expertise doesn't happen overnight. As Malcolm Gladwell states in his book Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert. As you work towards this expertise, you not only become an authority but also transform into someone who brings significant value to others. 

Believing in your product or service, combined with confidence in the value you add, makes it easier for others to do business with you. Pair this self-belief with conviction in what you offer, and you are ready to embark on the journey to becoming a great professional salesperson.

The value you bring to the marketplace and your genuine self-belief give professional salespeople the courage to succeed. This courage sustains them despite challenges, rejections, and the negative perceptions created by unprofessional predecessors. The belief in the value you provide, even as products or companies change, remains constant.

Being a Professional Salesperson In today's marketplace brings unrivaled job security.  A big part of our changing world today is technology and one of the biggest areas of concern is how rapidly evolving  AI is going to effect the workforce.  But, no matter how much this tech landscape advances  the fundamental value and belief of a professional salesperson remains unchanged. We depend upon these salespeople to embrace change and convey it to the marketplace. If you are a professional salesperson today, your worth to an organization has never been greater.

These two steps—finding the value to develop conviction and embarking on the journey to expertise to achieve belief—drive the courage needed to keep pushing forward. Being a professional salesperson is challenging yet rewarding. Ultimately, the value that a professional salesperson brings to an organization is enormous and immeasurable.

Expect to win!

#xp2win