Isn’t it funny how different stigma’s and stereotypes are attached to different professions. I am in the sales profession, which has a large number of negative connotations associated with it – however I am in a ‘corporate sales/technical sales role,’ which pushes me up the ‘socially acceptable’ ladder a bit against say a ‘used car salesman’ or ‘real estate agent’ as these professions drip with stereotypes.

The fact of the matter is that the most respected titles in business, General Manager, CEO and Managing Director are the biggest sales professions in the industry – they should be taking any and every opportunity to sell their company. Yet they own the company, have a great ‘title’ and therefore are not seen by society as a sales person.

To put things into perspective, when was the first time you tried to sell? Was it trying to convince your mum to buy you a chocolate bar in a shopping centre? Was it trying to court a girl in high school? Was it trying to convince your university lecturer that the big clock in the building is fast and you really are handing your assignment in on time? If you ever try to convince someone of something, you are trying to sell them to your way of thinking.

So next time you think poorly of a sales person, consider what you do? Consider whether better sales skills would you help your kids to eat their vegetables at night, or convince your patient in the hospital to take their meds without complaining. Whether you are an academic, a technician, a builder or an engineer – everyone sells. So how are your sales skills?