What Is Sales?

What is Sales?

Do you remember Ranbir as Rocket Singh, Salesman of the year? For anyone hoping to ace sales and convert consumers, Rocket Singh is a movie with lots of gyaan.

Ranbir Kapoor as Rocket Singh

• doesn’t give up
• uses creative ways to sell the pencil
• has a smile on his face throughout

We interact with a lot of people every day, in all kinds of situations. And if you step back and see, you’re most often selling. 

• While giving a presentation you’re selling your idea to the entire class. 
• If you’re convincing the canteen guy to make you a dish that’s not on the menu, you’re selling him an idea for a new dish.
• When you’re convincing your friend to take a trip with you, you’re selling the holiday.
• Or when proposing, you’re selling yourself. Like in this scene from the movie Kal Ho Na ho.

Sales means being able to create and narrate a powerful story that is convincing to the right people, to sell your product. This story has elements of a lot of things put together – 

• Being thorough about what your product can do 
• Understanding the consumer’s pain points
• Being able to connect the two
• And deliver it in an exciting and convincing manner

Sales is a tough job because you have to get people to part with their money. But with the right skills and tools, you’ll definitely be a master salesman. 

Here’s an understanding of sales from Amit Sharma, Territory Head, Bajaj Electricals, who’s been selling for over 5 years.

• Sales is a creative field because every day you’ll have to deal with different kinds of people in different geographies. 
  
• The solutions are customised to the individual and hence, every problem will have to be dealt with creatively.
• It’s primarily an outdoor job and you must be prepared to face the weather, the traffic, and the dust, and keep food in your bag to beat all hurdles.  

Here’s an overview of your life as a salesman, from Zubair Shaikh, Assistant General Manager, Media Marketing, HT Media who’s worked in the print industry for over 10 years, or 40 quarters, as he likes to put it.

These are the key points he shares in the video.

• Scan the newspapers to read about your industry, your competitors. 
• Plan your interactions in advance – how many people are you meeting, where are they located, how you can effectively meet everyone without wasting time.

Key Takeaways

1. Sales is about building strong relationships with people

2. Knowledge of your product and service is very important to sales

3. Be prepared to spend your life outdoors

Up Next

Move ahead to the next chapter to understand what to keep in mind while doing B2B or B2C selling.