In chapter three of Daniel Pink’s book, To Sell is Human, Pink talks about the fact that in a way we are all naturally salespeople and therefore there is no single salesman/saleswoman type that makes one a natural.
I really empathize with this perspective because I have never considered myself to be an outspoken, charming, persistent seller, but my current job requires selling. I always thought a good seller would be very outgoing, maybe even a little pushy as the text describes, and having a certain catchy personality. But through my experience with selling pet-sitting services, I have learned that the traits I listed above are not always the traits my clients look for. The most successful selling of services I have had in my time working with the company have been when I was able to clearly articulate my passion for the company and the job, and when I was honest and sincere with the client. Those are qualities that I believe can be developed in anyone and don’t take a certain extrovert or introvert character to convey.
Pink says, “Each of us, because we are human, has a selling instinct, which means that anyone can master the basics of moving others.” I find this very encouraging as well as profound for those that may not find themselves in a direct sales role but still end up conducting non-sales selling. We all in some fashion sell, whether it be ourselves, a product, or a service and we are all capable of moving others in some way.
BoweryJE22
I also thought that Pink brought up an excellent point by establishing that there are no “natural salespeople”. In today’s society, it is often more effective to abandon the classic salesperson traits and instead attempt to empathize and identify with your customer. Just because a person does not embody the stereotypical traits, doesn’t mean they aren’t a good salesperson.