Why I Like the Selling Profession

I learned a long time ago that selling is the highest paid hard work – and the lowest paid easy work – that I could find. And I also found out another exciting thing about selling – the choice was mine, all mine. By myself, I could make it the highest paid hard work, or I could let it be the lowest paid easy work. I discovered that what I’d achieve in my selling career was entirely up to me, and that what anyone else wanted wasn’t going to make much difference. What anyone else would or wouldn’t give me wasn’t going to make much difference, either. The only thing that really mattered was what I did for myself and what I gave to myself.

Will you agree with me on that? I hope so, because the point is that the skills, knowledge and drive within you are what will make you great, and that these qualities can be expanded and intensified if you’re willing to invest time and effort and money in yourself. Is there any better investment than in yourself? Most of us know there isn’t, but many of us don’t act often enough or decisively enough on that belief.

You are your greatest asset. Put your time, effort and money into training, grooming and encouraging your greatest asset.

Let’s talk about some of the advantages of selling.

The first advantage and the reason I love selling is its freedom of expression. Ours is one of the few professions left in which you can be yourself and can, in essence, do what you want to do. This freedom you’ve won for yourself by successfully competing where resourcefulness and perseverance are demanded and highly valued. No activity is more vital to the economy’s health than selling; no activity is more dependent on individual initiative than selling.

The second advantage of selling is that you have the freedom to become as successful as you’d like to be. In our profession no one limits your income but you. There are no income ceilings.

You may question that statement. You may think the limit is the highest income anyone has yet made selling for your company. Does that mean it’s not possible to earn more? Of course not. But it does mean that all the salespeople in your company who aren’t earning the highest income aren’t applying all the strategies and techniques of the champion.

The third advantage of selling is that it’s a daily challenge. You can go into almost any business and have no challenge. That’s never the case in selling, where every day you’re confronted with new challenges. Let that fact refresh you, not weary you. Glory in it. Our overregulated and highly organized society provides few lucrative work activities where the end of each day isn’t known before that day dawns. You are privileged to be involved in one of those precious few activities where freedom and challenge aren’t rarities, they’re constant companions. In sales, you never know what opportunities the day will open up, what prizes will be offered that you can win – what catastrophes may befall you. To the salesperson, each day is an adventure. Working at this profession, we can go from the heights of exhilaration to the depths of discouragement within 48 hours and climb back to the heights again the next day. Isn’t that exciting?

Say yes.

Every morning, tell yourself that challenge is exciting, it’s fun, and you look forward to it. Tell yourself that – and mean it. Psyche yourself up to enjoy challenge. Then go on the prowl for it, find it, and overcome it. If you want to be better than average, do that. If you aspire to greatness, you won’t hesitate. The shortest route to high earnings goes straight through the challenges you’ll encounter.

The fourth advantage of selling is that it offers high potential returns from a low capital investment. What does it cost to gain entry into this profession that has no income ceiling? Compare whatever you think that cost is to the investment required for one of the fast food franchises that have been so successful. Typically, the owner of a new location invests $200,000 or more, works long hours, and pays himself a small salary. He does all this in the hope of a $40,000 return on invested capital the second year. You can launch yourself into a sales career for a tiny fraction of the franchiser’s investment and, by applying the systems in my book, have greater earning power sooner. This enormous leverage on the small investment that getting into selling requires has always fascinated me. What an exciting prospect!

The fifth advantage of selling is that it’s fun. Do you know how many people aren’t having fun with what they’re doing for income? My philosophy is that if it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing. Life was meant to be fun, and there’s no reason not to have some of it while you’re earning a nice income for your family.

The sixth advantage of the selling profession is that it’s satisfying. You feel good when your client walks out with your product. It’s a thrill to know you’ve helped people when you go home at night and can say, “I got another family happily involved in what my company provides.” When an executive or official signs your purchase order, it’s exciting and satisfying to know you’ve helped that organization carry out its purposes. The people you serve benefit in direct proportion to your ability and skills. The better you are at sales, the more you benefit others – your clients, your family, and the nation’s economy.

No one limits your growth but you. If you want to earn more, learn more, that means you’ll work harder for awhile; that means you’ll work longer for awhile. But you’ll be paid for your extra effort with enhanced earnings down the road.

Most people in this world have jobs and professions – existences – that can’t fulfill their potential. The scope of their labor is confined to narrow limits; their toil hinders rather than fosters their growth; they dislike everything about their employment except the sense of security its familiarity has bred in them. So, instead of venturing into what they don’t know and might love, they allow themselves to be trapped by what they do know and don’t like.

Professional salespeople recognize no limits to their growth except those limits that are self-imposed. They know that they can always reach out for more. They know they will grow in direct proportion to their competence. And they have little fear of the unknown in change because overcoming the unknown is their daily work. That’s the seventh’ advantage of being a professional salesperson; it stimulates your personal growth.

To earn more, develop more competence, study sales skills. Study your product or service. Study your customers and your territory. Practice your growing skills at every opportunity. Do what you know you should do. Follow that program and you can’t fail to push your earnings to a much higher level.

That’s my purpose in life – to help you make more money. Please don’t let me down – develop more competence, earn more money, get your share of life’s good things. Developing competence is the only way. I know many salespeople making over a hundred thousand dollars a year, and some making over half a million dollars a year, and I’m always intrigued by the variety of their backgrounds, the diversity of their personalities, and the range of their interests. Yet they have many things in common, foremost of which is this quality; they are competent. They know exactly what they are doing. My book, like my seminars, is aimed at helping you learn how to become competent.