Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and while it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of year-end quotas and holiday distractions, it’s also the perfect time to pause and reflect on what we, as sales professionals, have to be thankful for.
Vast number of friendships.Think about the number of friendships that you have at work: co-workers, partners, customers, and other industry people. If you were an engineer, accountant, or attorney, you might have a network of a few dozen people, but in sales, our network easily reaches hundreds of people. And the really cool thing is that part of our job is to build friendships from those relationships.
Autonomy and flexibility.
Early in my sales career, I had the chance to call on a customer in my hometown and told my mom that I’d take her to lunch. While she was excited, she replied with “But I only get 30 minutes for lunch.”
I was embarrassed because I felt like my mom was disappointed telling me that. In only my fourth year of working, I took my flexible schedule for granted and my mom - who worked her tail off to pay for my education and sports that enabled me to have this flexibility - had to clock out for lunch. It’s been almost 30 years since that day, and I’ve been grateful for my autonomy and flexibility ever since.
Artificial Intelligence.You might wonder why this is on the list. After all, many people say that AI will be replacing salespeople in the future. I believe we should be grateful for AI for two reasons.
- There are hundreds of tools that can drastically reduce the time it takes for salespeople to complete mundane tasks and enable them to focus on customers.
- Because of the gazillion nuances in sales departments, it’ll be many years before they fully embrace AI. You have a huge opportunity to get ahead of your competition as an individual while everyone else waits for their companies to roll out an AI strategy for their sales teams.
Yes, be grateful to your boss. While many sales leaders are not the best because of many reasons – they have multiple roles, they haven’t had training, there is no system to follow, etc. – most are doing the best they can. While having to take directions from salespeople who report to them, operations and engineering, their bosses, customers, and anyone else in the ecosystem, there is not a more frustrating job than being a sales leader. Show them some gratitude. They’ll be appreciative of you, and you’ll be happy you did.
Starting fresh next year / quarter / month.
Salespeople get a new opportunity to define themselves frequently. You’re likely reading this with about six weeks left in the year. I’m sure you’ve glanced at next year and felt some enthusiasm. Other roles don’t get this opportunity.
The skills that you’re developing.
I’ve been lucky. From the time I was in second grade through today, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from the greatest teachers and engage in some of the most sophisticated training experiences anyone could imagine. However, I don’t think I ever felt as sharp as I did after selling copiers for two years. My ability to stay confident while getting incessantly rejected, answer questions on the fly, and spark conversations was 10X what it was when I started. In two years, I became a different person because of the skills I developed, and I am forever grateful.
The skills you’re learning in every part of your sales job are helping you become a better parent, spouse, coach, and friend. They strengthen your will. They calm your temperament. Be grateful for the skills you’re learning every day – especially on the bad days.
Income.One of the most common reasons people enter the world of professional selling is because it pays well. The best line I ever heard about sales and income is: “If I want a raise next year, I just have to work harder or get better, or both.” Not many professions offer this type of opportunity.
I know selling is hard. I know it pulls on more emotions than most other careers. However, I hope you can find gratitude in these things and feel thankful that you are a professional salesperson!
