Preface: My relationship with Page Singletary is actually a couple of months old. He was in the audience of a webcast. Immediately after that, he started sending me questions and ideas. Since then, we have constant conversations–and a few debates—about selling. I love Page’s perspective, it comes from deep thinking and deep reading from a variety of topics. Our conversations go from the slightly philosophical to the intensely pragmatic, with sprinklings on golf and dinner at the Yale Club. Enjoy Page’s fascinating reflections.
Why am I so interested in selling?
by: G Page Singletary
Dave Brock understands ‘selling’ at a level few ever will. His background in entrepreneurial businesses, as well as large B2B companies, gives him a unique perspective. Dave is also a rare combination of a left-brain analytical thinker (see Cal Berkeley degree in mechanical engineering and applied physics) and the right-brain soft skills that are important for high-performing salespeople.
Like Dave, 13 years ago, I transitioned my career from start-up entrepreneurialism to enterprise sales with Autodesk, a global technology company in the MAKE space. This perspective gives me a view on ‘selling’ that differs from those who have spent their entire careers inside large companies.
One question I often ask sales professionals is to tell me about a time when you had to sell something before you could eat dinner. Those are the days when you discover how good you are at selling and whether you genuinely love it.
Like several who have answered Dave’s question, I thought back to when I first became interested in sales, which led me to a blog series I wrote in April of 2011 called ELU Squared: The Champion Sales Professional.
Here’s how I introduced the series:
Regardless of where you are in your career, you can benefit from the Six Characteristics of the Champion Sales Professional. This is the introduction to my series, ELU Squared or E-L-U, to the power of two. This series is dedicated to Billy McDowell, my grandfather.
From my ‘Poppy,’ I first learned about sales. I spent time with Poppy as a child, riding in his Oldsmobile, talking on his rotary-dial ‘car’ phone, flipping through his presentation materials, and learning the fundamentals of selling. Poppy would say,
“A good salesperson always has a pen
listen more than you talk
and remember son.
what’s behind the door,
I am not sure,
but this I know
and know it well,
the more I open, the more I sell.”
Yes, I remember thinking about a career in sales before I was a teenager. I wanted to be like Poppy, who always had fun and could control his schedule. I am proud of my early years in sales, where, on two occasions, I was the first salesperson hired by a technology start-up, and both companies became big successes. That is where I learned my craft.
My superpowers are connecting with people genuinely, empathetically, and curiously. It’s Stephen Covey’s ‘seek first to understand’ method of approaching others. I also have a knack for connecting smart people to other smart people when I sense it will be valuable to one, the other, or both. (1+1 > 2) Some of this is innate, and some is learned from years of self-development and focus.
I am a generalist in a company full of bright, often brilliant, specialists. I use that to my advantage. It allows me to be curious without slipping into the deep end where others venture, frequently missing the forest for the trees.
To me, a career in sales is the gift that keeps on giving. Done right, you are always learning new things and growing in exciting ways. If interested, learn about The Six Characteristics of the Champion Sales Professional here:
ELU Squared: The Champion Sales Professional
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