We should be proud to work in sales.

Yet whenever I am in a workshop with clients and their sales teams I ask the same question.

"What is the first word that comes into your head when you hear the word salesperson?"

We go around the room and the answers are almost always negative. They say things like "sleazy" or "pushy" or "annoying."

And this is coming from the salespeople themselves.

This shame runs deep. Even companies hide the word "sales" from the team's job titles. They invent acronyms to mask the reality of the job. BDM. AE. BDR. Ugh.

We should be proud to work in sales. So why aren't we?

Most People Don't Know What Sales Is

The reason for this shame is simple. Most people in sales do not actually know what sales is.

They have been taught the Hollywood version of the job. They think it is about manipulating people or "selling ice to Eskimos."

It is not convincing. It is not pitching. And it is certainly not begging and discounting your way into every account. If you are begging for attention you are doing it wrong. We covered exactly why this kills your credibility in Stop Begging for Meetings.

If you think sales is about forcing someone to buy something they do not need, of course you will feel shame.

Sales is Helping

We need to redefine the profession.

In its simplest terms, sales is finding prospects that have symptoms of the problems you fix. It is helping them realise they have those problems. It is showing them what is needed to solve them and agreeing on a deal.

You see that is not just selling. It is helping. It is guiding. It is offering perspective. It is challenging them to be better. This is the foundation of our SDR Sales Training. We teach reps that they are not there to pester. They are there to diagnose.

Done correctly your prospect will end up thanking you for your time and effort.

Pride Impacts Performance

This is not just a philosophical debate. It impacts your numbers.

If you work in sales and aren't proud, how can you ever believe in yourself when dialling?

If you get on the phone thinking you are annoying, you will sound annoying. Your tone will be apologetic. You will hesitate.

This lack of belief is the primary driver behind call avoidance, a topic we explored in Overcome Call Reluctance.

If you think you are pushy you will back down the moment you hear an objection.

Treat It Like a Profession

You need to work out what sales actually is.

Doctors do not apologize for diagnosing a patient. Mechanics do not apologize for finding a fault in an engine.

You are a professional problem solver.

Start practicing it as a profession. Study the craft. Learn the psychology.

Then you can be proud.

Lee