Making a difference!
Make no mistake about it; sales people make a difference! Often times though, they need mentors in their lives to help them understand how they make a difference and why that’s important to them and the people they sell to. Notice, that I used the word “mentor” as opposed to Manager or coach, because here is how the dictionary defines the word “mentor”: 1.a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. 2. An influential senior sponsor or supporter. Mentors are people that others see as wise and trusted, and are also seen as influential. They are people that you want to be associated with and known to be seen with. Mentors come across as more nurturing, empathetic and understanding than managers or sales coaches. Mentors are such, because they have chosen to help without necessarily being paid for it; their payback is seeing those that they mentor become more successful. Mentors are usually senior people who have been there and done that and have the respect of their colleagues. Mentors are people who really make a difference in the lives of the people they help.
Sales coaches and managers can also assume the role of mentor, but the difference usually is that they are responsible for multiple people, whereas a mentor usually is just one person at a time, thereby establishing a closer working relationship with the individual they are mentoring. However, they too are in a position to make a difference in the lives of the people they coach or manage.
Sales people can clearly make a difference in the lives of the people they sell to, as well as their customer’s company. I believe that the goal of most sales people is to be able to make a positive difference for the people and organizations they sell to. Being able to not only sell a solution, but also to make a difference in someone’s life, is game changing for people. Can you recall ever having sold something to someone and then experienced the positive results that your solution gave to them personally? The solution that you and your company provided them may have allowed them to sleep better at night, get recognition, solve a big problem, or whatever. That may have made a big difference in their life, or the lives of others benefiting from what you and your company provided. So, sales people not only have the opportunity to gain financially from a sale, but they can also gain peace of mind and pride by knowing that they were involved in providing a solution that made a difference to those people who benefitted from it.
Whether you are a sales person, coach, mentor or manager, you are often placed in a position where you can make a difference with your knowledge, skill, understanding, tribal knowledge and acumen. Thereby, giving you the chance to make a difference in the lives of those you interact with and that can be very rewarding for everyone. So, don’t just sell something, go out and make a difference!
At least that’s the way I see it, what say you?