Well, it can be all of these things, but in reality is none of these things.
Many people describe selling in these terms because most people do not like selling, don’t wish to sell, and probably cannot sell.
Is selling about having a brass neck, a big mouth, or a sharp suit? Or, while I’m at it, does selling success come from brilliance at product or technical knowledge; or from utilising clever closing phrases or from being in the right place at the right time?
At times, it can be some of these things but, if you want to build a long-term sales career, it is none of these things. The truth is that successful selling – no matter what the product, the service, the industry, or the territory – always requires the salesperson to complete this series of simple steps:
Taken individually they are basic, logical steps. Nothing complicated; nothing difficult or tough or hard. Just a series of simple, basic steps. But most people cannot complete them. Great salespeople, on the other hand, always complete each of these simple steps consistently well.
That is why successful selling is not about being brilliant at product and technical matters, or being brilliant at debating or winning arguments, or about having all the answers to all the questions. Successful selling is about being ‘Brilliant at Basics’.
