Sold!

Always think big. That was one of the core philosophies my first boss taught me about selling. He used to say, “Walk into an appointment and act like you own the place.” What he meant was not to act arrogant but rather in a self-assured sense of belonging.

This boss was a former college history professor who could make just about anything sound interesting. He would often start a sales presentation talking about a completely unrelated topic and sometimes he never got around to the actual topic of why he was there in the first place. There were times we would be out on sales calls together, and I would be thinking to myself, “They’re going to kick us out of their office. What is he talking about? This makes no sense.” For example, he would notice something on a client’s desk and would start a conversation around it, engaging the person. He had a broad knowledge of history, life and sales and he would tie those topics together. And he was welcomed by clients and prospects who found his knowledge valuable to their business. People appreciated the information. He wasn’t there merely to sell them, however the sales often followed.  

Some salespeople believe that they must always be “selling” since they are paid to “sell.” That is true to a point. But the lesson here is that sales should be a well-rounded career. If you spend days giving repetitive sales presentations, you will likely burn out and eventually become ineffective. Clients might start to view you as a drone. Knowledge comes on many levels and any of these levels can be of benefit to your clients and potential clients. By speaking from a high level of general knowledge, including business knowledge, you will gain access to a high level within companies. Selling will be more fun when you think big and, most likely, more successful, too.