I am in sales myself. I sell Life Insurance. The saying goes, "there's no man with endurance like the man who sells insurance." I face huge amounts of rejection daily. If the poster, Michelle, thought people were invasive when approaching her about causes and products, you can imagine how some people feel when I approach them about life insurance.
A few people above talked about salespeople who shove their product down everyone's throat that they can. Yes, there are people in sales like that. They are the ones who should, and probably will, wash out at some point. A professional sales person's job is not to force their product on everyone. It is to find people who need what they are selling, and sell it to them.
It's akin to having a square peg. You have to find the right hole to fit that peg into. But most people who get into sales don't get taught that basic idea. The tough part is finding the right shaped hole. Finding prospects who need what you are selling. Sales seems impossible to many, because they don't have the skill, or maybe the patience, to approach people in an amiable manner, discover their needs, and fulfill them if they are able.
Anyone who does not feel good about what they're doing should find something else to do. If a person doesn't feel comfortable selling whatever it is they're selling, sell something else. If they've tried selling a lot of different things, and still isn't comfortable, get out of sales!
My first sales job was selling brand new vehicles. I hated it. I felt like I was lamphooning people into putting themselves under burdgeoning mountains of debt. I knew in my heart that I was doing harm to people. Even people who barely even needed convincing to purchase. I was doing them harm by selling a depreciating asset that would eat away at their financial stability.
So I stopped selling cars. For the record, I wouldn't sell timeshares, either.
Shortly after that, I found my calling in Life Insurance.
I am proud to be in sales. I am doubly proud to be selling life insurance. I am an empathetic, catalytic agent of positive change. I would choose no other profession. What I do truly helps people. At a point in people's lives when most can only offer condolences, I bring peace of mind. That's what it's all about for me. Helping people. Impacting their lives in a positive way.  |