Selling Isn't Something You Do To People

Would you take sales advice from the Buddha?

He’s not on your typical hit parade of sales thinkers. Zig Ziglar Corp, Dale Carnegie Academy, Brian Tracy, Jeffrey Gitomer.

But he knew sales.

He listened first and advised second.

He spoke to the heart and let the head follow.

He knew the power of stories.

He painted a picture of a big, inspiring - and achievable - future - and pointed a route to get there.

And we’re still discussing his ideas over 2,500 years later.

That sounds like effective sales to me.

And it’s not just selling either.

He also spoke to the importance of work and money.

Yes, money.

The Buddha was big on lists.

The 8 Fold Path is like a super highway to good times. And no. 3 is the idea of Right Livelihood - in short, the importance of doing work which is good and makes you feel good. Work which is useful. Work which improves the condition of others. Work which is nourishing. (For the avoidance of doubt guns, gambling and killing unlikely to qualify, obvs).

He didn’t stop there.

Yes, the work you do is important, but so is earning money. Increasing what you earn, little and often, is important. Why? Because money is reward for your creative endeavours. And more money = more resource and more resource means more capacity to invest in you, your family and growing the wellbeing of the communities you serve.

When it comes to selling and money, dive into the Buddha.

Tell stories.
Talk to the heart.
Paint a picture of a big, inspiring future, one in service of goodness, oriented to value and usefulness - and show a route to get there.
Know and appreciate the human sitting on the other side of the metaphorical table.

Sales is not something you do to people. It’s not a stick. A weapon.

Done well, it’s stories and picture painting and everything else above.

It’s a dance.

And your work is in service of you increasing your value, your usefulness, one customer, one sale at a time.

Which brings us back to the Numerical Discourses, as they’re called. His teaching on money.

You have a responsibility to earn for your good endeavours, to earn from your creativity. You have a responsibility to increase what you earn so you’re able to support you, your family, and invest in your community - be they employees, partners, the community at large.

Little and often. Always increasing your value. Today. Tomorrow. And into next year.

Crack open some alternative ideas.

Easts beats West(ern thinking).

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