On Friday, I will be making a mock-sales call in front of my potential future employer. I’ve read the prompt, looked over the script, memorized the “verbatim” lines, even watched a YouTube video about sales calls, and still every time I think about what I’ll be doing at 1pm on Friday in sunny South Carolina, I desperately wish to be in the safety of Mr. Sweet’s classroom instead.
As excited as I am to have the opportunity of a “big girl” job just within my grasp, I can’t help but come back to one tiny dilemma — I’m terrified of sales.
Most of my fear comes from the perception of salespeople. They’re slimy, slick, greasy, misleading, disingenuous, and obnoxious. As a self-proclaimed people person, I would like to think that I am none of those things. The potential of going into sales means those assumptions will be made about my profession and my character, which I’m not too thrilled about.
I am also anxious about the outcome. I’ve never really tried sales, so what if I’m awful at it? What if every time I pick up the phone the person on the other line says “no thanks”?
My dad has always told me I should go into sales, but not because I’ve actually sold him on anything. In fact, he usually makes that comment after my millionth attempt to persuade him to get me a puppy for Christmas. I’ve never given up my pursuit, but let the record show no dog has ever been in my possession.
With this overwhelming failure, a series of doubts and fears, and an impending interview haunting my waking hours, you can probably see why I am a bundle of nerves. However, I have come to a conclusion that offers me some solace. Everyone is in sales. It’s nearly unavoidable. I know that doesn’t sound like a beaming ray of hope, but let me explain.
If nearly 40% of the current workforce is in some sort of non-sales selling in their day-to-day job, then at some point in my career I will have to get comfortable with it. There are two ways to enter a pool, you can wade into the water step by step or you can jump into the deep end. Jumping into the deep end of sales by starting out in a position that includes cold calls and traditional sales tactics may be the perfect introduction of what to do and what not to do.
The skills I could learn in typical sales roles are translatable to anything I would want to do later in my career — start my own business, marketing, authorship, etc.
Though I feel drastically underprepared to jump into sales in a few short months (God willing), I have been told that most practical skills are taught on the job. For the time being, I can focus on the characteristics of salespeople that people trust — genuineness, honesty, and reliability.
Breaking the stereotype of the greasy car salesman is one way of conquering my own fears, staying true to myself, and redefining the view of salespeople in our society.
testacr22
This is a great read! You do a great job of summarizing what points we’ve made in class and using those as some solace as you face this interview. I hope you do well in the interview, which I’m sure will go fine as long as your honesty and work ethic is conveyed. Best of luck !