Everyone needs a sales mindset

Everyone is in sales. To me, job titles don’t matter; every employee must think about sales. It’s the only way any company can stay in business. There are no jobs if you don’t bring the business through the front door. That’s why I have a sign on my office that reads: “If you know where you can get us some business, come on in.”

At our company, a sales mindset is a requirement. From the factory floor to the reception desk to the boardroom, figuring out what the customer wants and finding a way to deliver it must be at the forefront of every job. Whether you are selling a product, services or a corporate image, you are in sales.

A while back, I received an email from a loyal reader who used to be in sales, but switched to information technology as a help desk technician. Even though he was now on the side of delivering service rather than sales, he understands the personalized approach with customers, be it computer operators, network administrators or engineers.

He wrote: “The important thing to keep in mind here in taking advantage of these opportunities is that these people talk to the people who ultimately buy the company’s services. If the service they receive at any point along the line is poor, or if the vendors’ techs are impersonal or worse, abrasive or condescending, the salesperson talking with the decision maker is going to have a rough time of it when it comes to renewing the contract.”

So, you can see how having a sales mindset — no matter what role in the company — can have an impact on sales.

Selling isn’t rocket science — it’s people science.