Who Me? In Sales? by Cindy Stradling CSL, CPC

In business, everyone has a role and a responsibility, as well as a job to do. However, there are some jobs and responsibilities in any business that overlap, or where the specific job is a component of all other positions within the organization.

A great example of this is the role of a sales professional. While your company has its own dedicated team of sales representatives, a closer look at what everyone in the company does will highlight how sales are really a part of everyone’s business.

Becoming an Influencer

A perspective to have on your role as a salesperson within the organization is to think of what a salesperson really does. She or he has the responsibility to talk to people (customers or clients) and identify their needs. Then, a top salesperson is able to create a narrative around a product or a service the company offers that fills that need.

The salesperson does not tell the customer to buy a product or a service; rather, they influence the narrative and create a sense of buy in from the customer. In this regard, they become an influencer, sharing meaningful ideas and concepts around a product or a service to create the desired action of making a purchase.

This is not all that different from the role of a manager, customer service representative, administrative assistant, and even those in the C-suite. These different professionals in the business all use their ability to influence others to trigger a desired change in behavior or to create a need to take a specific step or action.

Creating a Branding Message

Another way that all roles in any company are similar to those used in sales is the ability to use influence to develop a branding message. For internal types of communication and interaction, this is branding about the company’s internal culture and climate.

How leaders discuss the company, demonstrate the company mission and philosophy, and even how they interact with direct reports and colleagues is all a way to sell the branding of the company. This is also a powerful way to influence others to also embody those values and to incorporate them into how they work with others.

Stop and think about the ways that you create a sales message and influence others in your daily job. Then, consider how those behaviors mirror those used in sales; you may be surprised at how much they have in common.