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Practice Makes Perfect Even in Sales
The world of sales and selling has largely been the exclusive domain of so-called artists. The prevailing belief has been that the art of selling could not be taught nor could the art itself be measured. This belief is exemplified by one business professor I once interviewed. When asked what he uses to teach his course on sales, he replied, "I don't use a textbook because sales is an art."
Art doesn't flow out of nothingness. It relies on fundamental principles that can be taught and learned. There is actually quite a technology behind art and only those ignorant of the subject are foolish enough to suggest otherwise. Musicians learn common basics of rhythm, scales, chords, and chord progressions. The more rules a musician comprehends, the greater their ability is to create original music.
Like art - the rules in selling have to leave room for artistic expressions - they should be principle based and though demonstrable - the sales artist should be able to apply the true models to their own world and synthesize an application that fits their own style, personality and environment.
I have often heard sales leaders and chief executives express the desperate hope that they could simply hire a natural born sales person or someone with the "sales gene." When these executives are pressed to identify the characteristics of the natural born sales person they mention traits such as the gift of gab, charisma, and physical attractiveness. While attractiveness, charisma, and the gift of gab are certainly advantageous it doesn't guarantee results.
A business executive t hat attended one of my company's sales training camp made the observation that he couldn't sell, couldn't identify and hire sales people, and just hoped he could get the right person that could do the job. After training camp he told me he realized that he can sell and that there is a systematic and responsible approach to having success in sales.
Debunking the natural born artist theory does not mean that the classical sales attributes lack value in sales people. It does point out that managers and sale leaders cannot rely on the "sales gene." Gifted and talented sales people still need training, coaching, and accountability for performance measures.
Knowledge alone will not make you a "natural born" sales person any more than the knowledge of the game of chess will make you a world master. To become a natural born sales person, you will need ongoing study, practice, and feedback from a coach who is experienced and skilled. Doing so will help improve sales skills, close a higher percentage of business, and secure a competitive advantage.
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