A Reminder: Nothing Happens Until Somebody Sells Something

Re-read that headline and then ask yourself, “Can I handle the truth?”  Because the fact is, everybody (Vice Presidents, Operations Managers, HR Directors, IT people, Customer Service Representatives, Marketing people, Accounting people, Receptionists … everybody) can stay at home until somebody makes a sale.

Peter Drucker hit the nail on the head when he said, “The purpose of business is to create a customer”.  And what bothers me is many managers and employees either don’t understand the crucial role personal selling plays in the success of any and all businesses, or they choose to devalue its importance.  But rather than reading a diatribe about people who “don’t get it” when it comes to recognizing the vital contribution sales people make, give a listen to the audio recording, below, and determine for yourself.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

You may have noticed that I recently added a new page to the Asset-Based Marketing website.  It features a detailed diagram of all the assets that we re-align, integrate and measure in order to increase our client’s Return-On-Assets (click on the “approach” tab and you’ll see Integrated Process Map™ listed on the drop-down menu).  But what I remembered this morning as I was taking my daily 4-mile walk was that until a sales person has generated an order, there is absolutely no need for a company to implement our process.  Which is an elementary principle of business and economics, but somehow in the frenzy of sending and receiving email messages and designing more efficient internal processes, we forget that the fuel that propels our companies is produced by the sales department … period.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.

Indeed, employees in all companies rise and sleep under the very blanket of the revenue their sales department generates, so the next time you pass a sales person in the hallway you might do as the audio recording suggests – simply say “thank you” and be on your way.

4 Responses to “A Reminder: Nothing Happens Until Somebody Sells Something”

  1. Yes! Sales is where result count the most and provides the fuel injection that powers the whole business operation!

  2. Ken Haas says:

    Be careful whom you call salesman, lest you flatter him.

  3. Patsy Shors says:

    I totally agree with Peter Drucker and Tom Porter! Sales and salespeople are often devalued in businesses. Somehow their roles are seen as “soft” and undemanding. As your article demonstrates, this couldn’t be further from the truth!

  4. Mark Movic says:

    Golly, maybe. If everyone stays home, though, what is there to sell? Things feel a lot more interdependent to me.

    But, hey, what do I know?

Leave a Reply