Every Job Is a Sales Job summary

Selling is crucial to your success, but when sales opportunities come knocking, many people struggle to make the most of them. Consider, for example, a scenario in which you have an opportunity to sell yourself and your ideas. You open your mouth to talk, but there’s a problem. You’re tongue-tied. Your words don’t come out right, and you don’t make that sale.

This kind of awkward situation often happens because you don’t have a plan. That’s why the first step of the five-step sales process is planning.

Now that you’ve planned how to sell yourself or your ideas, it's time to seek out interactions where you can put your plan to the test. The next step in the program is to look for opportunities to make a sale. One of the best places to create selling opportunities is at networking events, and the author has some top tips for making the most of them.

Her first tip is to simply go. You might not relish the thought of spending time with strangers, but meeting new people will give you important new contacts to sell to. So make sure you go to that company picnic, or that client lunch, and get in front of people.

When was the last time you really listened to what another person was saying? Many people assume that listening simply involves allowing the other person to speak, but great listening goes far beyond this.

We often say we’re listening when we’re actually distracted. Perhaps we’re really checking our phones, or we’re already planning what we’ll say once the other person finishes talking. We think the other person doesn’t notice that we’re not giving them our full attention, but the awkward truth is, they do.

Sometimes it’s tricky to ask for what you deserve. The author once worked with a brilliant graphic designer called Samuel. Samuel always delivered excellent work on his projects, going above and beyond to do a great job. But despite his skills and commitment, Samuel was being paid significantly less than the other designers at the company. Why? Because he couldn’t bring himself to ask for a fair wage.

Samuel kept working for an inferior salary, hoping that his boss would eventually notice his brilliance and offer him more. But unfortunately, sales don’t work like that. Most managers don’t go around offering money or benefits to their employees.

You might think that getting what you want is the end of the story. Perhaps you got that raise, or won that new business. But if you’re going to be successful, then making a sale should only be the beginning.

Once you have a yes from the person you’re selling to, you’ve closed one opportunity, but a whole raft of new opportunities have now opened up. That’s why the last step of this five-step method is follow-up.