Posted by QuickReadAbout.com Staff in I had an interesting discussion the other day with the love of my life, the apple of my eye, the woman that inspires me… (that is all true, and also just in case she is reading this. I’m sure you all understand!) We were talking about the idea that many salesman out there are simply out to make as much as they can, then look for the next hustle. She felt that salesmen, for the most part, lack some integrity and purpose. They don’t care what they’re selling or who they are selling to. They are only interested in the bottom line – ‘how much can I make?’ To an extent, that is the popular opinion. I’ve thought about this some more. I’ve thought about the different sales occupations I’m familiar with, and the different types of salesmen I know personally.
For the most part, it would seem that the majority of salesmen initially get in with any product or service that is an easy sell, or high on commissions. However, if you look past that, you see something interesting happen. The majority of salesmen don’t last too long. Maybe after a year or two they made a decent amount of money and now want to try something else. Maybe they got burnt out. Maybe it just wasn’t for them. As you look at those who have been in the industry longer and have had increasing success over the years, (these are the models we’re interested in, after all) you will find that these are people who have learned some common truths in the world of business. Truths that are vital for your business to not only survive, but to thrive.
Going after the elusive dollar will bring excitement in the beginning. But in the long term, it leads nowhere. It’s similar to the myth about the toaster never popping if you watch it. In a sense, you can’t get what you want – success and money, in this case – by focusing on it. Success and wealth are byproducts of a much larger, much more important task:
Stop trying to sell and start trying to SERVE. Identify what people really want and need, and aim to provide it for them. Your focus should be to HELP PEOPLE. This is the real nature of marketing. Do this and you won’t have to sell. Customers will beat a path to your door.
Please do not overlook that statement, or take it likely. If your business is not performing as well as you want, do NOT focus on how to generate more sales. Rather, you need to look at the whole picture. Are you marketing something people want and need? Is your approach one of trying to help the customer? Do they feel you’re trying to help them?
Under-promise and over-deliver. Your duty as a marketer, as a business person, is to serve others. It’s as simple as getting out of the mentality of ‘pushing products’ and asking yourself ‘what service, what benefit to I provide?’ Then applying that thinking throughout your business. It may cause you to re-evaluate your situation. It may not.
If you want to be someone who lasts in business…if you want to be an icon that people will look to for advice and inspiration down the line…if you want to leave a legacy, then you’re going to have to start by serving others.