Have you ever heard a child say “I want to be a salesperson when I grow up”? Probably not, very few of us plan on being a salesperson. We either wander into it, or are forced into it because we end up being self employed. Most, especially startups, business owners and consultants, resist it. Sales is dirty, but necessary, and so we resign ourselves to it. Everyone needs to sell, but not many want to, and very few learn to like it.

So is it any wonder that sales is perhaps the only profession where they generally don’t invest in their own careers? Sure, some will read books (spending $125 on books is a real investment to them), but pay for their own training or coaching? Very few. No surprise that those few who do, are also the elite ones that are successful.

But why do the vast majority expect their employers to invest in them? Is it that they think the employer is the only one who benefits, or that they don’t see sales as a career, or perhaps that they truly don’t enjoy sales and see it as a noble profession?

Or do they not invest in themselves because their own psychology about sales, or DNA, prevents it? Just like their DNA prevents them from being a great salesperson, does it also hinder them from getting help and making improvements? Are these salespeople doomed to fail?

Bob is an inside salesperson who was referred to us. “Ultimately, I want to go from a good rep who can hit the fastball to a great rep who can build trust, quickly qualify in or out, and build value throughout the sales process with prospects that want my help. Part of this is also making a firm commitment to sales as my career. Another thing ... is that I do not want to be a quota-carrying rep in my early 30's struggling with the same challenges I'm struggling with today.” Unfortunately, when he found out that coaching wasn’t free he had to “reconsider”. A sales coach can't help him.

Here is Bob’s, and many other salespeople's, problem. ​Buycycle, the most severe weakness (but also the easiest to fix) explains why investing in their own career is such a big decision. It also explains why people enter their pipeline and end up not buying.

Money weakness is why so many salespeople are attracted to free and see it even when it is not there. It is also why they end up losing on price to their competitors.

Can your DNA can be changed? We had one client who felt guilty buying a $20 pen for themselves. Imagine the struggle they had in deciding to invest in their sales skills? But here is the catch, when they discovered their compelling reason and made the decision, it started to fix their buy cycle issue and money weakness right away. (And they bought their pen.)

In a LinkedIn group discussion, the question was asked; “With so many sales trainers out there, which ones do you listen to? How do you decide which ones are right for you?”

First, read a lot of books- you can probably learn and do everything you need there- after all that’s why there are so many of them. Then, if you really think you need some 1-1 help, pick the ones that think the same way you do, the ones that make you feel comfortable and focus only on your strengths. Those warm fuzzys will take you far.

Ok, April Fools. Do that and the joke's on you. As one person (the same one who didn't want to buy the pen) said in the discussion; “I've read books (challenger sale, maverick selling, spin, franklincovey) and attended trainings (franklincovey). The biggest benefit I've gotten though was from individual sales coaching. And when I chose, I looked for who was putting out content that made me uncomfortable. Who was thinking about things differently than me. The most difficult and painful change of all is the change in one's thinking. And that's what I've needed to do to get better at selling.”