I was thinking about this yesterday as I sat in a meeting all afternoon. How important is it to learn how to sell? Some don't think it can be taught. Some think you can either sell or you can't; that's just not true.
While I won't argue that some people are more "gifted" than others when it comes to sales, sales is as much a science as an art. When I first started selling, I was scared to death. I did it, but I hated it. Then I started to study it and fell in love with it.
Much of my progress came after I was fortunate enough to meet Jeffrey Gitomer. I had read one of his books and saw that he was speaking in my area, so I went to hear him. When the seminar ended, I hung around (one of the things he taught to do) and caught his ear. I asked him what the best single piece of advice he had for me was. He said, "Become a student of sales." I've been following that advice ever since.
If you'd like to follow that same path, here are a list a books that I've read that have been a big help to me:
Sales
Selling the Wheel
The Sales Bible
Selling the Invisible
Sell Your Way to the Top
Marketing
All Marketers are Lairs
Made to Stick
Buzzmarketing
These are just a few in two different categories that pertain to learning to sell (I've read many more), but they are some of my favorites. The economic situation we're in right now provides both a perfect time, and motivation, to learn new things that will help us grow our businesses. If selling is one of your weaker points, become a student of sales starting today.
Image: rcsj
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