Effective Sales and Marketing Skills Start With Your Beliefs [Ep #23]

Many people don’t think they can learn effective sales and marketing skills - because they don’t see themselves as a salesperson. I get that. Entirely. On this episode, I start out with a story from my past of when I tried to squeeze myself into a sales role to support my family. I needed the income. I needed the opportunity. But I just couldn’t do what was required. It wasn’t me. So what do you do if you need to develop sales and marketing skills but don’t feel that it’s you? I've got some ideas - on this episode.

[2:20] The story of my sales career. Painful, painful, painful.

When I was a younger man, fairly newly married and with one son who wasn’t even walking, I faced a time when I was unemployed. It was a desperate time. A time when my faith grew and my willingness to do anything to provide for my young family grew as well. One of those “anythings” I tried was a sales role. Knocking on doors to sell stuff. Walking into businesses to sell stuff. Cold calling. It was painful in more ways than one. But years later (now) I’m able to consider that at least some of the reason it was so painful is because I had no REAL sales and marketing skills to bring to the table. And in place of them, I had all kinds of bad beliefs about sales that made it even harder.

Can you relate? If you can, I hope that what I’ve learned about sales and marketing will be beneficial to you as you seek to find the right business to build for yourself.

[6:27] The difference between marketing and sales. One is easier than the other, sort of. [12:04] Sales is about helping people meet a need. That’s it.

When I first started my sales career (all 90 days of it) I had the impression that sales was about “getting people to buy what I had to sell.” That was a terrible approach and the lack of success I experienced proved it to be so. What I didn’t understand then, probably because I was listening to my fears more than my faith, is that sales is simply about helping people meet a need that they have. If they don’t have the need, then they don’t need what I’m selling. It’s that simple. On this episode, I’m talking about my lessons learned when it comes to marketing, sales, and the skills and mindsets that make a person successful at them. I hope you take the time to listen.

[17:33] Sales is only a win-win situation if you have a legitimately good product or service. [21:37] The underlying truth of Christ-oriented business: Love and serve your neighbor.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He not only gave a direct answer, He also threw in a bonus answer. He said the #1 commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then He said, there’s a #2 command as well - love your neighbor as you love yourself. THAT #2 commandment is at the root of all good Christian business. It’s not about serving yourself by generating more and more and more revenue, it’s about loving and serving people who can legitimately be helped by what you have to offer. It’s that simple. And it’s vitally important for all of us Christ-followers who are trying to build a business to GET on a deep level. My prayer is that this episode helps you get it in a new, fresh way.

[23:22] The best salespeople are the ones who have learned how to ask good questions.

Donnie Bryant - copywriting

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