The other day, I was having a drink with a friend who’s a founder. Knowing me for a long time, he asked, “So, now that you’re doing well, what do you do these days?” I told him, “I sell.”
He looked surprised: “Really? You’re in sales?”
The visible part of sales is the skill itself, but beneath the surface lies so much more:
Experience, culture, politics, finance, opportunities, market insight, technology, leadership, data, information, and teams…
Essentially, no matter where you are in your career or how successful you become, selling will always be part of your life.
If you’re a CPO, you’re selling culture, career progression, and compensation to attract and retain talent.
If you’re a CFO, you’re selling financial plans to investors, pitching your vision to secure funding, and presenting a long-term picture of the company to make it appealing and valuable.
If you’re a Production Officer, you’re selling production timelines and output to the sales team to ensure their satisfaction while optimizing business efficiency.
Even if you rise to the level of President, you’ll still have to sell. Therefore, consider selling as a core skill that every leader must have. Otherwise, when someone says, “Oh, you were forced into management?” it’ll sound strange.
Here are the levels of selling, starting from a fresh graduate:
1. Avoiding Sales
- Audience: Those with no work experience, often students. The more urbanized the environment, the more likely they are to avoid sales.
2. Willing to Sell (Reluctantly)
- Audience: Those who are willing to sell but not excited about it. Over time, they find it tolerable and realize they can get by.
3. Getting the Hang of Sales
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Audience: Those who find their first manager, whether competent or not.
A good manager can lead to a flourishing career.
A bad one may result in prolonged struggles and fear.
The key lies in how long the struggle lasts and whether they can find the right mentor to guide them.
No one is ever fully confident without some form of mentorship.
4. Loving Sales and Becoming Aggressive (“Bloodthirsty”)
- Audience: Those who realize they’re suited for sales. Their mindset shifts to a relentless, results-driven approach: selling at all costs, following up endlessly, without regard for customer perception.
At this stage, they heavily rely on tactics, often employing tips and tricks to capture the customer’s short-term interest.
5. Realizing Sales Are Not Always Sustainable
- Audience: Those transitioning to consultative selling and scrutinizing project inputs more closely.
They learn hard lessons about reputation and credibility, becoming more cautious about inputs such as:
- Origin, quality, and pricing of products
- Policies and convenience (unique selling points)
- Margins
At this level, they often start leading teams as supervisors or team leaders.
6. Analyzing Revenue Quality
They learn to:
- Understand who generates revenue (e.g., demographics, factors driving purchases)
- Recognize why some customers don’t buy
- Identify when to stop pitching or continue follow-ups
- Allocate 80% of their effort to the top 20% of customers
They begin distinguishing between:
- Short-term revenue: Driven by promotions or momentary attention.
- Sustainable revenue: Derived from consistency in strategy, messaging, and brand image (product, strategy, distribution, policies, activation, ATL, BTL).
7. Expanding Geographic and Cultural Awareness
Different regions and countries have unique cultures, impacting:
- Recruitment
- Sales approaches and techniques
- Policies, politics, and business practices
This awareness allows them to adapt their methods accordingly.
8. Strategic and Systematic Selling
They develop systems not based on simple win-win scenarios but rather win-win-win:
- A win for the end consumer
- A win for distributors and partners
- A win for the producers
At this level, they recognize that relentless effort alone doesn’t guarantee success or happiness in sales. They understand that strategic, sustainable approaches are key.
Where Are You?
As for me, I’m still learning how to sell.
Lucas – The Salesman’s Perspective
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