Overcoming the Big Sales Myth

There are numerous reasons why people decide to work for themselves. Chief among these are being tired of working for someone else and, increasingly, detesting the monotonous, unproductive, time-consuming, pollution causing journey to and from work. Other reasons are annoying, incompetent colleagues, unappreciative, rude and unfair bosses, unacceptable working environments, worries about the company, a need to get out before you are pushed or before the company goes into liquidation, the belief that if you worked for yourself you would make more money, have a better lifestyle and increased job satisfaction and finding yourself in a dead end job where promotion will never happen.

As you read this, how many people are sat at their desks or standing at work stations going through the motions and longing to resign and to start their self-employed career? It must be thousands if not millions. So, what’s stopping them?

Why People Do Not Work For Themselves

Common grounds for staying in dead end jobs are insufficient skills, no ideas and little ambition and they all rightly disqualify many pipe-dreamers. But what of the people who have abundant skills, excellent ideas but unfulfilled ambition? Why are they still sitting at their desks, enduring the tedium of their daily commute and lack of prospects? Some remain in this position because of The Big Sales Myth (TBSM).

What is TBSM?

The myth’s central message is quite simple: Only a few exceptional, gifted people can sell. More specifically TBSM suggests that while any salesperson can “open” sales, only the cream among them can “close” sales. The “closers” have intangible qualities which are present naturally and cannot be taught. Not surprisingly, TBSM thrives in sales offices everywhere.

How TBSM Stops People Working For Themselves

It is very unfortunate, but TBSM has escaped from sales offices and has infected the minds of some prospective entrepreneurs. If they fall hook, line and sinker for TBSM they become certain that they could not live up to the mythological image of a super-salesperson. They start to believe that they “haven’t got it in them” or “what it takes” and will subsequently discount any idea about working for themselves.

How ridiculous is that? Well not very actually as TBSM is perpetuated and maintained in modern capitalist society, particularly in popular culture and language. TBSM, for instance, figures heavily in the popular television series The Apprentice.

How TBSM Thrives

In The Apprentice the leading businessmen Sir Alan Sugar (in the UK version) and Donald Trump (in the US version) both put great value on the ability of the candidates to sell. Of course, they are right to appreciate the necessity of sales. The pair, like anyone who runs their own successful business, would agree with the edict: “if you can’t sell it you may as well give up”. This is common sense but not part of TBSM.

Unfortunately, with many of The Apprentice’s candidates coming from purely sales backgrounds and being overly prone to exaggeration, common sense is rarely the most perceived attribute of the candidates. Instead viewers end up buying into TBSM and its message that “only certain types of people can sell”.

TBSM is also perpetuated in the bandied clichés it spouts. Within TBSM these clichés are given similar credence to undisputed laws of nature, such as gravity and the speed of light. TBSM law dictates generally that you have to be able to “talk the talk and walk the walk” and more specifically that “it’s no good being able to talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk”. Other laws dictate that you have to be able to “sell coals to Newcastle” and “ice to the inhabitants of igloos”.

Overcoming TBSM

To overcome TBSM and its stifling effects you have to realise it is pure nonsense. There is no mystery about selling but only common sense. Talking and walking in any manner that doesn’t come naturally to you will not make many sales, only comedy. No doubt there are extraordinary circumstances in which selling coal to Newcastle or ice to igloo inhabitants could be accomplished but any business based on doing so would fail.

The Reality of Selling

What makes a good salesperson is the product or service she or he sells and the salesperson’s ability to locate buyers. Salespeople who do not understand their products and their potential will not be able to locate buyers efficiently, if at all. If you are considering setting up in business yourself, unless you already have agreed buyers, it is a prerequisite to understand your product, who will want to buy it and how big your market is. Given these you will be equipped to be a salesperson every bit on a par with the fictitious salesperson of TBSM.

Making the Decision to Work for Yourself

So, if you’re sat at your desk or stood at your work station, going through the motions and longing to work for yourself, don’t be put off by TBSM. Do however consider the reality of selling, which is that there must be a market for your business. If there is you should be considering when you should be writing your letter of resignation. If not this evening, write it when you’ve thoroughly researched your market and are ready to start up your new business. As long as you or a partner have the skills relevant to your business, an excellent idea, drive, ambition and know all your figures, it is highly likely that you will succeed. You don’t have to be the stereotypical flash, somewhat smarmy, salesperson that populates The Big Sales Myth, in fact it would help if you are not.