Every sales rep has their history and story as to how they made their way into sales. Maybe they were the most charismatic and social friends in the group, they were a club promoter, they were a teacher and realized their bills were not being paid, or went to school for business management and got a job at Oracle straight out of undergrad. There are hundreds of stories on how people made their way into sales. However I can clearly state, sales saved my life.
Life is sales. You’ll always be selling something be it yourself, a product, a service you name it.
Ross Fox, Chief Sales Officer, The Real Deal
I formerly taught high school students, and while the work is extremely rewarding, it is a difficult career. I fully salute all teachers as they are underpaid, schools are underfunded, attacked by parents, media, and oftentimes their own administration. Just like Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, I believe everyone should teach at least 3 years to grow a skillset that is not found elsewhere, but applicable everywhere. An undocumented difficulty with teaching is that your conversations are with children all day, then when in the presence of colleagues, the conversation is about teaching. I was not exposed to ideas like “how to save for retirement by opening a IRA and a ROTH IRA,” or provided much financial literacy.
Enter a realization and an awakening. I transitioned into sales and quickly realized the skills developed as a teacher helped me transition, but I was still rough around the edges. Leaning on more senior sales reps, reading book after book, and listening to recorded calls helped me tremendously. Diving deeper into the sales world opened my eyes to other aspects of life.
Real estate investing can make you wealthy, and it can make you wealthy faster than any other investment out there, if you are willing to work toward it. And that’s the key: work.
Brandon Turner, Bigger Pockets
Befriending a senior sales rep and going out for drinks with him helped me learn more about real estate investing, which now I own multiple properties on the east coast. Reading sales books led me to successfully working larger deals and bigger commission checks. And listening to recorded calls helped me analyze where my struggles were and making adjustments.
I went from living paycheck to paycheck as a teacher in 2017, living in the smallest bedroom in a 3 bedroom apartment paying $1,100 in nyc and struggling to do so, to financial security, owning multiple properties and having two successful businesses. I went from not being able to travel and having to sneak a flask into a bar (which I will do sometimes still), to traveling multiple times a year and not worry so much about buying a beer at a baseball game.
Sales taught me to track all my expenses, budget appropriately, plan accordingly for the future, and think strategically. It built my confidence to not be afraid of rejection and to always shoot my shot. Reading sales books led me to finding leadership books like Principles by Ray Dalio, and wealth management books like The Richest Man in Babylon. It allowed me to make meaningful connections with people all over the world. I’ve had hundreds of doors opened to me because I was able to use the skills I learned while in sales.
Some will say that “Life is Sales.” We sell in everything we do, soft skills are extremely important. Selling yourself to get a discount on the car you’re looking to buy, to get the girl’s number, to renegotiate your lease, selling your students to learn about the 1800’s and why William Jennings Bryan is an important political figure they should learn and care about. The majority of you reading this are in the sales profession, but there may be a few of you that are looking for a way to save your life, I suggest sales.
While sales may not be for everyone, you cannot argue that life is sales. So why not improve the skills that can help you in life?
