Why Do Some People Consider “Sales” a Dirty Word?

I have been thinking and writing quite a bit lately about the disdain non-sales people express when they even hear the word sales.

All too often customers associate the word sales with negative sentiments and deeply held biases. (For a full treatment, see Daniel Pink’s book To Sell Is Human – plenty of good research on the topic of anti-sales thinking.)

The question to me is, “Why?” Why the discomfort with sales? Why the biases against sales? And, in many cases, why the vitriol direct toward sales people?

The short answer: we earned it.

My guess is that right now there is a voice inside your head saying, “Yeah, but that’s not all salespeople, and it is certainly not me!”

Fine, I will give you the benefit of the doubt on both counts, but that does not make you (or me) innocent.

Too many sales professionals find very nice, polite, kind, warm and generous ways to be manipulative. The sale might not be in the customer’s best interest, but if that buyer feels good about the exchange, well…no harm, no foul, right?

I cannot speak for you, but I can tell you that the passion to succeed drives me to be the most productive salesperson I can be. I enjoy the process of converting leads. I like objections. I appreciate the hunt for the next sale, and it ticks me off when my competitor wins a sale that I had in my grasp. In short, I want – no, I NEED to win.

But at what cost? Am I so intent on winning a sale that I act against the best interests of my customer? Do I rationalize a statement or a technique that moves the sale forward? Do I think to myself or even state out loud that I clearly have the best offering for everyone out there so it only makes sense for me to steer buyers away from my competition?

Like you, I tend to think that I am looking out for my customers. And even as I write this post, I believe in my heart that I provide a valuable service. And I believe that the value I bring far exceeds the cost that I charge.

At the same time, I know it is healthy to constantly evaluate my motives. I serve customers more fully when I challenge myself with the question, “Is this for them or is this for me?”

Don’t jump to conclusions here. I have no desire to let salespeople off the hook with this conversation. I have little tolerance for, “I don’t want to be pushy so I will let them come to me when they are ready.”

I just think it would be wise for all of us to pump the brakes on a regular basis, and to slow down long enough to prioritize the most important question: How do I change this customer’s world?


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About the Author: Jeff Shore

Jeff Shore is the Founder and CEO of Shore Consulting, Inc. a company specializing in psychology-based sales training programs. Using these modern, game-changing techniques, Jeff Shore’s clients delivered over 145,000 new homes generating $54 billion in revenue last year.