Daniel Pink defines Sales as the ability “to convince someone else to part with resources – not to deprive that person, but to leave him better off in the end.” He argues that nearly everybody engages in the sales process every day, and I have to agree. When looking at that definition of sales, one must realize that she is constantly working to convince people to part with their resources, whether those resources are monetary, consumer goods, or time, in order to create an exchange that benefits both parties. Every interaction between two people, then, can be seen as relating to sales. As we go along in our lives we build rapport with the people around us, and while not everything is a direct easy give and take, we are constantly exchanging with one another.
One could see delegating tasks in a group project as a sales process. Group members must convince one another to part with their time and complete tasks to benefit the other members of the group in return for tasks completed by other members. The stronger the relationships between group members, the more trust within the group, the more likely the members are to be willing to complete their own parts in order to benefit the whole. A healthy group project is fulfilled through symbiotic relationships, just as a good sales process should be. A sales transaction should leave both parties feeling as though they have gained, and neither should feel conned.
I will close with two sentiments from Daniel Pink: People like to buy, but they do not like to feel like they are being sold, and being good at sales is having “the ability to influence, to persuade, and to change behavior, while striking a balance between what others want and what you can provide them.”
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