I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs and business owners. The concept of going to college and having a nine-to-five job at a desk was unfamiliar to my family, leading me to have a solid motivation to pursue my own path.
During my time working in a corporate environment, I believed that it was necessary to expand my network of contacts and gain more experience in large businesses. This way, when I eventually ventured out on my own, I would have a reliable network to turn to—and financial security along with the necessary knowledge to succeed.
Then the great recession happened, and my five-year plan became a six-month plan when I got laid off.
I didn't feel that I had any other option but to do it. When you feel like you can't get the job you want, you do whatever it takes to make it happen.
When I was laid off from my corporate job, I realized that the security I thought I had was nonexistent. That's why I decided to start my own business, where I can be in control of my outcomes. Putting my income, my family's income and my future in the hands of someone else who doesn't care about me didn't seem like a viable option anymore.
The only thing that's truly secure is what we're capable of doing for ourselves. Starting my own business was taking control of my own future.
Everything is sales
There's a quote from a book that I read that says, "Everything is selling".
- If you are the owner of a tech start-up and are engaging with customers to gather feedback for product development, that conversation falls under the category of sales.
- If you're seeking funding from investors, it is essentially a sales conversation.
- If you're trying to convince employees to come on for you or banks to give you loans, it's a sales conversation.
Everything that happens in this world starts with a sale. Nothing comes into existence until someone makes that sale. And if you don't believe me, where would you be if your father hadn't sold your mother on a particular idea? Right?
Everything is selling, except we don't like to think of it that way. So we become these things that we don't wanna be. If you don't figure out your own sales mindset before you start hiring salespeople, you're going to pass along your negative beliefs. And also your bad habits to them because our mindsets are contagious to the people we surround ourselves with.
Being a salesperson and an entrepreneur
As a business owner, entrepreneur, salesperson, or sales leader, it is absolutely crucial that you understand that sales revolve around the buy. Failure to grasp this concept could lead to the unintentional spread of misunderstandings and create significant problems within your company, regardless of your intentions to solve them. This is a recurring issue I observe in both small and large companies.
Being a salesperson is stressful enough between the pressures you're getting from your manager and the lack of responses from your buyers. And as a business owner, it's even more stressful.
This is your life. This is your passion. This is how you're gonna feed your family. And getting a job is not an option for a lot of business owners or entrepreneurs. But when they think of themselves as salespeople, they try to avoid it because we have this perception of sales as being pushy, slimy, sleazy, used car salesmen, and nobody wants to be that.
Many an entrepreneur make the mistake of overlooking the importance of sales. Some even avoid it or assume that their product will sell itself. When sales don't go as expected, they may give up on their dream, face bankruptcy, or become the very thing they despise.
I wrote the Buyer First book to help the business owner, the entrepreneur achieve their dreams without compromising their values. It's important for them to grow their businesses in a way that feels authentic and fulfilling.
If you like this post, please share it with someone who might benefit from it. And comment below. I would love to hear your feedback on this particular topic.
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