Salespeople drive the world's commerce and economy. Selling involves complex skills like communication, needs assessment, negotiation, relationship building, and persevering through rejection. It has its own language where concepts like customers, satisfaction, and objections are defined differently. To succeed, salespeople must have belief in themselves and see every interaction as an opportunity. Their success is determined by their own effort and standards, not a company's demands. A career in sales allows one to achieve financial success and determine their own fate.

1. Definition of Salespeople: They make the world go round.
The sales world is the real world.
It is the heart of the world’s commerce.
It is the pulse of the world’s economy.
And salespeople drive it.
Many people (including salespeople) have no idea, or never give a thought to the depth of sales
and selling.
Think about what sales is comprised of:
It’s about communication.
It’s about engagement.
It’s about needs.
It’s about negotiation.
It’s about orders.
It’s about money.
It’s about competition.
It’s about customers’ expectations.
It’s about delivery.
It’s about keeping promises.
It’s about truth.
It’s about relationships.
It’s about reputation.
It’s about goals.
It’s about success and failure.
It’s about being your best.
It’s about survival of the fittest, and the best.
It’s about hope.

2. It’s about compensation.
There is no second place in sales -- you either win or lose. Sometimes, win or die.
As a salesperson, you have to have the ability to take rejection, often multiple rejections, and still
have the strength, the will, the attitude, the creativity, and the determination to try again.
As a salesperson, you have three masters: your boss, your customers, and your mother. Often
there are conflicts. Your boss tells you to do what your mother told you never to do. “Don’t talk to
strangers” is the one that pops into my mind.
And as a salesperson, you have to understand the complexity of sales and selling, or you will never
achieve. It’s not about making a sale; it’s about understanding, defining, and mastering the
components of a sale so that making a sale is possible.
Sales have its own language -- its own lexicon.
Words are defined differently in sales.
Here are a few real-world sales definitions to help you understand:
Customers. People who provide revenue.
Present customers. All your revenue. All your profit.
Satisfied customers. People who will shop any place. All satisfied customers are vulnerable to the
competition.
Satisfaction. The lowest level of acceptable service.
Loyal customers. People who buy from you more than once and are willing to refer someone else
AND give a testimonial.
Lowest price. Lowest profit.
Angry customer. An opportunity to recover and serve in a memorable way. Also an indication that
you did something wrong.
Rude customer. Someone you should find out “why” from, before you categorize them. They’re
being rude for a reason.
Price. The most feared word in sales. Often confused by weak salespeople for “value.”

3. Discount. Money you take off the top line that comes right off your bottom line.
Not interested. The prospective customer’s response when a salesperson is not interesting.
Engagement. A salesperson’s ability to gain interest on a genuine level. A salesperson’s ability to
ask thought-provoking, intelligent questions. Questions your competition never asks.
Objection. A stall or an indication of buyer interest. Either way, the customer is saying, “Clarify.”
Cold call. A rude interruption to a prospective customer by a salesperson who is too lazy to
network, or earn a referral. The worst way to make a sale. See also: Waste of time.
Made the sale. VICTORY! COMMISSION!
Service. Something to be of 24/7.
Belief. The inner feeling that allows a salesperson to win sales.
Attitude. The inner thought process that creates positive anticipation and positive outcomes.
Opportunity. Every interaction with a customer or a prospect is an opportunity to build a relationship
and earn a sale.
Referral. If approached properly, the easiest sale to make.
Unsolicited referral. The ultimate sales report card.
Testimonial. The most powerful selling weapon in a salesperson’s arsenal.
Brochure. A bunch of self-serving messages that marketing people and advertising agencies put
together at great expense and customers throw away without reading.
Training. If presented in a real-world, compelling manner -- an opportunity to learn. If it’s boring --
an opportunity to answer e-mail on your blackberry, or an opportunity to sleep.
Boss. A leader, a teacher, a coach, an encourager. Not a manager.
Real boss. The customer.
Winning. Something great salespeople think they’ll do every time they enter a room with a prospect.
Whining. Something wimpy salespeople do when they lose a sale, or something doesn’t go their
way.
REAL WORLD: Selling is the oldest profession. Eve sold Adam the apple.
REAL WORLD: Each salesperson lives by his or her own set of rules and standards.
REAL WORLD: Companies can dictate and demand all they want. But in the end, the best
salespeople march to their own music. They make their own rules. They, in fact, define themselves.
REAL WORLD: Salespeople get into selling because they can determine their own fate and earn

4. An unlimited amount of success.
What are your definitions of success?
What are your expectations of a career?
What are your goals and dreams?
What are you hoping to achieve?
Whatever they are, whatever it is, and sales can get you there.