Common comments and messages from young people when it comes to sales and marketing jobs: “I am looking for a job in a bank but I do not want a marketing job”. “I want to join a startup but I do not want to be in the sales team”. “Sir, I am no more interested if the only job is a sales job”. “Ma, I have looked at the offer and my spouse said we should forget it since it is about selling!”
Good People, I have a message to young people: LOVE sales, and LOVE marketing. There are two great things which elevant careers: building or selling things. Every product must be created or built, and those who make them are given a special seat. And when the product is ready on the “shelf”, someone must get them in the hands of customers. So, when you look at firms, you really have only two core roles – building and selling – with every other thing marginal.
So, I find it very intriguing that many young people in Africa do not like sales jobs! I understand the high pressure element of it, but that is the fun. You just ask the company to give you a better deal so that when you do well, you get the rewards.
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In most industries in the world, knowing how to sell things will take you far, than avoiding it. The main job of a CEO is to sell the products or services after they’ve been built. If you do not like sales, you are indirectly saying you do not aspire to rise to the very top, because right there, it is about selling and closing big deals. Rethink sales and do not have a negative view of that domain.
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The same people who love Steve Jobs, but Jobs was a sales guy.. Well, you can build a good product without selling, but you cannot build a good business without selling. In fact, business is selling and selling is business. You see a young person telling you she wants ‘office job’, what do they do in the office – greeting people and moving files? How can you have big ambitions but hate sales and marketing? How else do you meet people?
It’s a misnomer. The same people who can dance in public, make videos and post them, but they don’t like selling. What is the fear, not knowing how to open a conversation or being rejected? If it’s the latter, then such person feels very entitled. Rejection helps you to improve, else you would assume you are already great.
Selling is not optional, it’s something everyone with big aspirations must do; if you don’t sell, you will be limited. From politics to business, from religion to culture; they involve sales in diverse ways, so the earlier you immerse yourself in sales, the better for your future endeavours. To fundraise, you must be able to sell your ideas, else you are not getting the funds.
Selling skills should be mandatory, they determine the success of pretty much everything else.