Yes, professional sellers, salespeople are awesome and amazing in many cases. Sales professionals are what make the business world go around. Have you ever heard the following statement:
Nothing happens until somebody sells something.
Lack of sales expertise, revenue generation strategies and actual sales efforts are what kills most new businesses. I've worked with thousands of entrepreneurial efforts. Many people have great ideas, but they cannot execute in a way that generates revenues to support the venture. They close.
Recently Hubspot shared a post called The 13 Stereotypes of Salespeople: Debunked, which is all about the negatives they say people say about sellers. I was shocked because frankly, I'm around some of the most amazing sales professionals in North America, every week. If I worked internationally, I bet I'd find amazing sellers throughout the world.
They reference a Slideshare presentation created by InsightSquared called, 13 Pervasive (and Totally Wrong) Myths about Sales Reps.
Wow. this slide deck is a doozy. I question why anyone would create this slideshare in the first place other than for search purposes, which is a type of strategy, but at what cost? It talks about statements that I never or rarely hear, working in and around professional sellers.
One of the first statements that jumped out at me is this: "We're here to discredit these negative and nasty stereotypes and tell you that the world of sales has changed - for the better."
There have been amazing, incredible, professional sellers for hundreds of years. I have personally worked with unbelievable pros for over 30 years. There are a small percentage of unprofessional sellers who have always made a bad name for the profession. I do not believe for a second that the world of sales is any better now than it was before - it is just different.
Sales pros rock the business world by helping buyers better understand their options. Professionals - not pushy amateurs, add value in every transaction. Sellers are craftspeople who bring a dose of art and mix it in with science to produce engaging ideas for their buyers. They help buyers find solutions to their challenges, and they assist buyers in finding products and services that help them create a career or company or world that they aspire to.
The other point brought up is that sales reps are all men.
Huh?
It says, "People all too often believe that sales is a 100% male profession."
OK, WHO says or believes that?
I have been coaching and training women in inside and outside sales for over 20 years. I've worked with some of the most amazing women in sales leadership and sales exec positions for 30 years. My first mentor in professional selling was my grandmother! In fact, if you'd like to see the top women sales experts who are colleagues of mine, visit Sales Shebang.
I think InsightSquared, a very data-driven company, totally missed the mark on this content.
I won't go on to share my thoughts about the "myths" that sellers are greedy, loud, lying cheats. These points do not deserve to be further discussed.
Sales is an HONORABLE profession. Some of the most passionate, creative, wonderful men and women I know are masterful, professional sellers. They have been helping buyers and future advocates of their products and services for a long time. They add value to the world.
Am I biased because I have been in professional selling my entire adult life? Probably - but that is because of the amazing stories I've heard, people I've met, and those who I have had the extreme pleasure to work with - current and past sales training and consulting clients, webinar participants, coaching clients, and those who have commented on the blogs or bought my books.
You can't tell me otherwise - salespeople ROCK.
Lori Richardson is recognized on Forbes as one of the "Top 30 Social Sales Influencers" worldwide. Lori speaks, writes, trains, and consults with inside sales teams in mid-sized companies. Subscribe to the award-winning blog and the "Sales Ideas In A Minute" newsletter for sales strategies, tactics, and tips in selling. Increase Opportunities. Expand Your Pipeline. Close More Deals.
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