Sales as a Christian

Empathy has many nuances and subtleties. It looks different from person to person. Some exhibit an enormous capacity for empathy while others hardly feel emotion. Some show empathy in unusual ways. True empathy is rooted in a genuine concern for others and real connection. Fabricated empathy is generally very easy to spot and often causes more trouble than good. This principle holds true in different applications of empathy; friends comforting each other, a mentor guiding someone, or even a sales person selling to a customer. In the discussion of sales, I am inevitably reminded of evangelism. I can’t help but think about how we as Christians need to demonstrate the genuine concern and interest in people that Jesus did regardless of context. It is of course a risky proposition, equating sales withe evangelism, but there is an underlying truth to this. Evangelism and sales cannot function with a fabricated persona that doesn’t care about the person they are with. A real, truthful connection can be understood by both individuals and determines the dynamic, direction, and depth of the conversation. A person who tries to falsely relate to another’s circumstances in a witnessing context is the same as a sales person who tries to artificially commiserate with a customer’s problem. It doesn’t work. Transparency and honesty are inherent values in human nature and naturally produce a positive result. As Christians, we talk about bringing our faith into the workplace. I see a wonderful harmony and opportunity that exists for believers in sales.