A poem about selling

Selling is . . .
. . . the one game in town that pays the bills,
that keeps the doors open, that nobody wants to admit they do.

"I'm not in sales, I'm a supervisor, doctor, lawyer, banker, administrator, accountant."
"Don't look at me, I'm just the secretary, nurse, receptionist, shipping clerk."
Funny - if nobody sells . . .
how do you get new students, new patients, new clients, new customers?

Selling is everyone's business and when it's not, you're in trouble.

Think about it . . .
remember the time you decided not to go back to a company,
because the shipping clerk sent you the wrong item,
the receptionist was cold and surly;
the manager didn't have time to talk to a mere customer,
the doctor had you wait two hours.

That's selling . . . negative selling.

Remember - everyone sells, and not just externally, but internally as well.
When you want a raise, you sell your boss on your skills and value.

When you set new policies and procedures you sell these to your staff in a way they can accept,
or you'll soon find they'll ignore them.
When you expect more of your staff than you're willing to properly train and supervise them for,
you're whistling up a hollow tree,
because they're only as good as the training you give them.

But there's more to selling than that . . .

Selling is knowing . . .
Who's your competition?
Who's your customer, client, patient or public?
And what's important - you or them?

Selling is knowing . . .
What your service, idea, or product is - and isn't;
what your public's needs are;
and what services or products you offer to fit those needs.

Selling is knowing . . .
When to market and where;
Where your competition isn't and then being there;
Why some things are accepted and others not.

Selling is knowing . . .
How to treat your public as you would like to be treated;
How to market and merchandise better than your competition;
How to listen and learn from your staff as well as your public;
How to assess your own knowledge, or lack of it about your services, ideas, goods or products;
and how to make it easier for your public to accept what you are offering.

And finally, Selling is knowing that this business is after all, a profession . . .
The Profession of Selling.

Let us not pretend it's someone else's problem.