Last week I said I’d explain further.  In Dan Pink’s excellent book, “To Sell is Human,” he cites a study that says we spend 40% of our workdays convincing others to part with their resources to accomplish our needs. That’s Selling! I don’t have a stat for it, but I’ll bet the percentage outside of work is substantial as well.

You convince your child to eat her spinach, read a book, put on a hat, clean up her toys or turn off that screen. You convince your spouse to try a new coffee, watch this movie vs. that one, help with a chore, or visit your mother over the weekend. 

 We ask the maître d for a better table or a shorter wait time and convince the mechanic to move us up in line so we can make an important meeting (tee time!)

 We may cajole the checkout lady at Kohls to offer us a coupon, or ask for extra Picante with our takeout nachos.

We are selling whenever we need to get someone else to part with resources like time, energy, goods, or thought; whenever we need to move someone to do something different than they would have done it.

It’s a shame that the sales archetype has become some plaid-suited huckster with a lousy toupee because, as the title of Mr. Pink’s book so aptly states, to sell truly is human, and people who understand that get further than people who don’t. 

I’ve had many conversations with people who say that they shouldn’t have to convince others or to “sugarcoat” they are “straight shooters” (as if selling, appropriately done, isn’t straight.)

They’re straight shooters, all right, and the multitude of people they’ve shot often sneaks up out of their past to haunt their future.  You see, the straight shooters are selling too; just not very well.  Barking orders and demanding results is some people’s interpretation of what it takes to move others, and it can work; on a battlefield or a football game but not in humanity.  In humanity, taking the time to hone soft skills (selling skills) like patience, listening, and empathy yields long-term success.

Own Your Sales Gene