Why America’s 13 million salespeople need Jesus
According to recent studies, politicians have lost the #1 spot as the least trustworthy profession in the U.S. Today, the ill-coveted title belongs to America’s 13 million salespeople.
As a salesperson for more than 20 years, I am fully aware of the perception people have of the profession, which has been portrayed in countless Hollywood movies as selfish, manipulative, and pushy. Making monthly sales quotas has always been the industry’s measure of success. It’s no wonder why some salespeople will do most anything to achieve their “numbers” — even if it means going against their moral beliefs and Christian principles.
Early in my career, I made a sale to a nice family that I knew was wrong. I stretched the truth; I wasn’t forthright. Why did I feel the need to stretch the truth? I knew about this family’s name and excellent reputation, and realized their recommendation would prove to other potential customers that the products and programs I was selling were worth purchasing.
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After making the sale, I was hailed a huge success for hitting my numbers. Yet, I felt sleazy inside, like a fraud. Shortly thereafter, I had an epiphany. There must be a better way, a different approach that would enable me to be successful while preserving the integrity of both parties. To find answers, I turned to my faith for help.
Jesus was the ultimate salesperson who ever lived. Think about this: Jesus sold people on a revolutionary new way of thinking. He convinced followers to join him in going against the cultural norms of the time; He preached love and forgiveness, ate with the sinners, and challenged the status quo. He also treated people with respect and integrity and was always a servant.
Jesus was also the best-ever at recruiting. People followed Him despite risking imprisonment and death, yet they followed Him. Even to this day, over 2,000 years later, He is still recruiting people. And those He recruited are also still recruiting others.
In sales, we always want to ask questions of our customers so we can learn more about them. Jesus was the master of this technique. He always answered a question WITH a question. In fact, Jesus was asked 183 questions in the four Gospels, of which he only directly answered three. Rather, He responded by asking 307 questions. He did so because He was showing followers that their words meant more than His own; He was honoring them in order to learn more about them and thus be able to serve them better.
More than anything, Jesus wanted to show others how much He loved them and that we should do the same. He was selling us on our true potential, which is to live by loving and serving others. He was teaching us that it’s not about what we do, it’s about what we do for others. His focus on serving others created connections with people, enabling him to make a significant impact on the world — both then and now. Jesus was the perfect salesperson, so much so that He remains the most convincing person in all of history.
Anyone in sales, or thinking of going into the sales profession, should look at His teachings. First and foremost is being a servant to others. We must put our potential customers’ needs and desires ahead of our own. It’s not about me but about how I can serve you. When we begin every day, every call, and every conversation with that perspective, it changes everything.
Next, we must preserve integrity for all involved in a transaction, which means telling the truth even at the cost of losing the sale. When our motives are pure, we possess a greater purpose than just materialistic success. This will help us to better connect with people and push through challenges in a way that keeps everyone’s integrity intact.
Once I realized my shortcomings as a salesperson and embraced an approach consistent with my faith, I visited with the family that I made the bad sale as a younger man, and I apologized. The family, who were strong Christians, forgave me. They even invited me to join them for a Sunday dinner at their home.
By changing my focus from making the sale by any means necessary to serving others, I also increased my sales dramatically. It has become my mission to teach others the same. I’m hopeful that one day soon, salespeople will be voted as America’s most trustworthy people. Sorry politicians!
Dave Brown is founding partner of Southwestern Consulting and author of the new book, Servant Selling (Southwestern Books/Simon & Schuster).
