Selling is not for everyone. Sales is complex and an art, if not a science on its own. By selling, I am not referring to underhand deals based on bending of “rules”, though even that kind, is not for everyone either. Some people respond well to emotional connections, whereas others find logic more appealing. Notwithstanding your preferences and natural inclinations, trying to sell to a personality type with different preferences to yours can be a daunting task. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 27 December 2021.

Using emotions to “convince” a logically oriented person to consider your proposition may not work. Likewise, using logic to explain a situation requiring emotional connection may sound and look out of touch with reality. It does not mean that people with different personalities cannot connect and agree on a deal. It takes extraordinary effort and skills to make it work. Not everyone can easily succeed, and faking it would not work sustainably either. Hence, I maintain that selling is difficult for the untrained and inexperienced person.

Small companies should thus not trivialise the importance of appointing well-trained and experienced representatives in sales to ensure repeat and regular cycles successful sales and having fewer complaints from customers suffering from buyer’s remorse.

Though many big companies have invested heavily in ensuring they have skilled sales teams, many are struggling too to convert prospects into successful sales and may adopt underhand tactics or blackmail to win the deal.

A solution is not just an answer to an acknowledged known problem, but its deliverer, criticality and importance of its delivery must also be seen to be answers to other acknowledged secondary problems.

Take, for instance, insurance. Generally, it is accepted that it is a grudge purchase though considered inevitably important. The buyer does not just take any insurance cover available but may look for one offering low price and higher value, or coverage without onerous conditions, or be from a provider with large assets and net worth, or from a provider with wider national footprint. Whereas other buyers may not wish to take any cover from “mass providers” as they may be seen by many to be happy taking premiums from subscribers but unwilling to pay when claims are made, citing some obscured fine print Ts and Cs.

Selling in an era or climate hit by many economic setbacks cannot be taken lightly, especially when the buyer would not easily part with their money as they would ordinarily do in a booming era. It takes hard work, skill, ingenuity, and patience to succeed. Thus, it cannot be left to chance takers, the unskilled and inexperienced. Moreover, sales effort cannot be a “one-person” task either. Sales requires teamwork and contribution from diverse skills with personality to match the demands of the required task.

As we plan our next move, reflecting on our past resolutions and recommitting ourselves to doing better in the new year, let us not forget that we no longer live in an era and world where we can just “wing” it. Every aspect of life is fast becoming professionalised. Professionalism previously seen in big corporates is now an everyday requirement for ordinary life. With so many unemployed graduates available for selection, only those taking themselves seriously and showing it through their life and past performance would more readily succeed than the rest.

Sales is not an activity only those in business are and should be involved in. Everyone is selling themselves either way. Be it for wanting to influence people, or preventing others from taking you for granted, or wanting to secure more opportunities or resources for yourself, either way, selling is involved. Sadly, for many not yet awake to such realities of life, will belatedly find that selling is a serious game worth investing time, effort, and other resources in, to make it in life.

All the best with your sales endeavours in the new year!