Most salespeople don’t treat the profession of selling as a profession. Selling, like medicine or law or accounting requires intensive education and training. Can you imagine going to an accountant or an attorney whose only education was occasionally attending a seminar or reading a book? But yet that is how most sales people get their training.
I have been in sales for many years and I am proud to call myself a salesperson. Many years ago when I got in this business I “knew that I didn’t know”. So I went out and bought some books and began to study. My personal library is full of books, tapes, videos and anything else I can get my hands on to help me learn about this profession. I have attended countless seminars and training programs and have invested literally thousands of hours and dollars on my education.
I don’t regret this or bemoan the fact that I did this. I simply did what I had to do to become excellent at my chosen profession. If one desires to have income in the top five percent of all salespeople in their industry this is what it takes. On the other hand, if mediocrity is acceptable then these things are not necessary.
You really have two choices in sales. You can proactively choose excellence or you can accept mediocrity. You pick.