Are You Serving or Selling?

It has been said by many leadership experts that a great leader is a servant. A true leader isn’t ruled by their greed or their ego, but by their desire to help others.

I would argue that not only is this true, but that it also describes great salespeople, professionals, and business owners.

Contrary to what too many people believe, selling isn’t about manipulating people into giving up their money. (Although there are some people and companies that unfortunately operate that way. Those are con artists, not decent human beings.)

In truth, selling is helping people acquire the things they want and need for a better life or business. A great salesperson helps people solve their problems or achieve their goals. They are advisers, consultants, assistants, counselors, coaches, advocates. They serve their buyers in myriad ways.

So the question isn’t “How can I make the sale?” It’s “How can I be of service?” Because the latter is the answer to the former.