In a "one-sided" conversation with my 20 year old son recently, I suggested he consider sales as a career.

He was not asking my advice and he certainly didn't like my recommendation.

He had an immediate, negative reaction, which in his mind was well thought out. He is not alone. Ten years ago, before starting VSA, I felt exactly as he does.

Before I go into his thoughts and my reactions, I want to announce that I am a converted anti-sales person. After growing up with little regard for those "slick talkers," I now hold sales people in the highest esteem. I think selling is one of the hardest and most under appreciated careers around.

I am just like the smoker who has quit cigarettes for good, or the over-eater who has maintained long-term weight loss. I have bought hook, line and sinker into the importance of selling.

I am the person who never sold a thing in her life, who now has the responsibility of keeping my employees busy and bringing in new clients. And, I embrace this role 100%.

I am making September 2011 my month to address all the positives of sales and selling, and to show how incredulous I am that I ever in my life would have had the same response as my son did.

I used to work for several Fortune 100 companies - running internal marketing, consulting and operational programs. I do not think my work at these firms was any less important to the success of the companies. But, I never gave much thought to where my work really came from.

And when I did think about sales, I mainly thought of people who did not need to report to the office regularly, had large expense accounts and always demanded "exceptions" for clients that made the jobs of all the internal folks more difficult.

What was I thinking? If not for the sales people, what work would any of us have had? Who would keep businesses alive, if sales people didn't put themselves on the line every day?

At VSA, we help B2B sales people find new client opportunities. (Yes, our clients are in fact Sales People!) Finding opportunities, in itself, is hard. We spend hours on the phone finding opportunities and face rejection regularly. I do consider our work, "sales prospecting via the phone," part of the overall sales process.

But, after we find opportunities, the sales people need to really work these leads. The rapport building, learning the prospects real underlying needs, delivering a product that solves the client's problems, developing a solution within budget, providing examples and explanations, waiting, following up continuously and riding the emotional roller coaster - it's all part of the process.

Then, the sales person either makes the sale, or loses it. You don't get paid on C+'s; or extensions. It's A or F - or that's what it feels like at the time. It can be totally elating, or totally crushing. How do you go home to your family and be easy to live with, after coming so close but losing a big deal? Or, how do you sit still after winning a huge sale?

So, back to my "rational" son. He says to me, "Why do they have to like you to buy from you?" "Why can't you just show what your product can do and compare it to the other products and let them choose?"

Now, I'm not a big shopper, but I think to myself, "When was the last time I bought even office chairs from a sales person that didn't try to be nice to me?" "When was the last time I took the time (which I don't have) to review all the pros and cons of a computer server (that I know nothing about) to pick the right one?" Never. I connect with someone who's willing to help me solve my problems, whether in the end I purchase or not.

This column is dedicated to all the people who put themselves in uncomfortable situations, who connect with people all day long, who are problem solvers for their clients, perseverant through all the "no's" and "yes'," and who can weather the emotional roller coaster. Here's to the people who keep companies big and small alive by consistently bringing in new clients. Here's to the people whose jobs are among the hardest around! To all the sales people I know. Here's to you.

Read the VSA blog for more cold calling tips: VSAprospectingblog.com. Photos of our calling team are now posted.

VSA, Inc.
441 Station Avenue
Haddonfield, NJ 08033
856-429-5078
valerie.schlit@vsaprospecting.com
www.vsaprospecting.com