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Sales Anonymous

As an author of a book on sales I am asked to speak to groups of sales people. There are times, however, when I give a presentation to a civic group or some other kind of organization that isn't necessarily a sales group. For those I adapt my talk to let everyone in the audience know that they are, indeed, in sales.

I will usually ask the audience who is in sales. A few hands go up. Then I ask who is not in sales and more hands are raised. That's when I break the bad news to them. They are in sales whether they think so or not. As the old adage goes, the first step is admitting you have a problem. It makes me want to put the audience's chairs in a circle and have a "sales intervention". 

As discussed previously, we are all in sales in some form or fashion. Luckily, basic sales techniques are easily transferable to other parts of our lives. Anyone who has tried to convince a coworker to try a different approach to a problem is in sales. Singles bars (are they still a thing?) are filled with people trying to "close a sale". 



And this is the message that I share during my talks. We are all in sales and by learning the basic techniques and using them as "life hacks" we can be more successful. Knowing how to find your prospect's pain points, find a solution, sell on the approval of others and "close" them can be of use from everyone from a sales professional to a 3rd grade teacher. 

If you aren't sure whether or not you are a sales person, then you probably are to some degree. We all sell, it's just a matter of knowing how to do it efficiently. And remember, being in denial about sales only makes it worse for your friends and loved ones.

Chris Castanes is a professional speaker and former comedian who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.

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