I Am Not A Salesman
Don Roulo is the Chief Encouragement Officer of Life Quest. He is a life, career and business coach as well as a Certified 48 Days Workshop Facilitator. He travels nationally and internationally to conduct business and career training as well as marriage and family workshops.
By DON ROULO
I Am Not A Salesman – Really?
The word salesman conjures up a variety of thoughts and feelings. Do you think of the stereotypical used car salesman? How about the young man or woman who shows up at your door wanting to demonstrate their new vacuum cleaner by offering you a free two liter bottle of pop for an hour of your time?
As I proceed, I want to give you a great definition of sales. Selling simply means to ‘share with enthusiasm.’
With this definition I can honestly say, everybody is a salesman. You are a salesman. Who? Me? Yes, you. Everybody is a salesman! Most people don’t think of themselves as a salesman because they do not ‘sell’ a product or a service for a living. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We all are selling what we have every day.
You are your product or service and you are selling yourself each and every day. Do any of the following statements describe you? You sell yourself to get a job – the interview. You sell yourself every day to keep the job – your performance. You sell yourself to get a promotion or a raise – your willingness to work hard. Do you believe wholeheartedly in your product? I sure hope you do. You can’t sell what you don’t believe in.
You spend 20 minutes telling your friend how awesome the new movie was and they really need to see it – you are selling. You share with your co-worker how you just had the best meal of your life at a new restaurant in town – you are selling. You think nothing of it when you go around sharing with enthusiasm to every one of your friends how wonderful the movie or the food was. You are a natural born salesman.
Why do we often look at the used car salesman in a negative way? You came to him to find a vehicle you need, correct? After he finds one which meets your needs and is within your budget, why wouldn’t he be enthusiastic about sharing the great qualities of the vehicle and the service the dealership provides? He should be enthusiastic about a product he believes in.
Sales is a exchange of value between two parties. We have to steer clear of negative stereotypes when we think of selling. If I sell you a book for $20, am I $20 richer and you are $20 poorer? I sure hope not! If the book I sold you for $20 changed your family or your health for the better, was it a good exchange? Absolutely! If the book I sold you helps you earn another $5,000 over the next year, was the exchange a good one? Absolutely! Would you exchange $20 for $5,000? All day every day!
Don’t be afraid of sales. As you share enthusiastically about a recent movie, restaurant, church service or event you excited about, you are selling. Everybody is a salesman and this includes you. We sell our skills, our knowledge and our attitude. Will anyone buy what you are selling today?
About the Author
Don Roulo is a life, career and business coach as well as a Certified 48 Days Workshop Facilitator. He travels nationally and internationally to conduct business and career training as well as marriage and family workshops.
One of his most requested workshops is called, Master’s Millionheirs, which trains and equips budding entrepreneurs to make sure they follow sound foundational principles to ensure success in life and business. He believes to achieve true success it is vital to “make a life, not just a living.”
As a business consultant, he has written business plans and worked to market products or services as well as organizing financial statements for investors. Because of his success in the sales and business arena, Don has been blessed with the opportunity to train, motivate and inspire others. His passion is to motivate and equip people to find their passion and achieve their goals and God given destiny.