Why consider the Sales Profession?

It’s not uncommon to hear people say, “I don’t wanna do sales.”

It’s also not uncommon to hear people say, “Lee Kuan Yew is the greatest salesman in Singapore.” I take this however, as a gross understatement.

To bring Singapore from a swamp to become what it is today in less than 50 years, he can’t be the greatest salesman in Singapore. He has to be the greatest salesman in a generation, at least.

When you have a resume and an employer needs to buy it before your family’s clock starts to tick, you’re in sales.

For Lee Kuan Yew to lead Singapore, he has to sell the Singapore dream and vision to all the founding team and the generations that came after. People must buy in to that conviction, dream and vision - something that was yet to materialise.

Sales is a noble profession underrated and undermined by closed minds and people of lesser grit. I used to think much lesser of the sales profession. I’ve since repented.

One top financial planner told me, “nothing happens without a sale.” Each time I think about the way she said it, it never fails to trigger a certain emotion in me. It’s not the words. It’s the tone in the words and the way it came across. The conviction is real and authentic. So are her results - top performer in the company for more than a decade. I can only say that it’s truly the stuff of legends.

And indeed, if the sales team of any company does not tick in the right direction, nothing is gonna ever happen for that company. The receptionist don’t get paid. So does the janitor, all the way to the CEO, including all the guys who don’t think much about the sales team.

Yes, your genius inventor don’t get paid too if sales doesn’t happen.

So why join a sales team?

Well, that’s the first step to take if like myself, you’ve allowed some light to come in.

A book can be written about what sales is really about. Relationships, changing the world and all that. But I’ll just stop here now.

As with most of my posts, my purpose isn’t to give you an answer. You can google them, and you should. My purpose is to start you thinking and perhaps leading you to ask the right questions.

Today’s road to oblivion begins with a lack of research - ah… that’s a topic for another day!

By the way, this is to all startup founders - you’re first a salesman.