Most people who get an Ivy League MBA do so to get a coveted job at a consulting firm, investment bank, or in industry.
They aspire to be a McKinsey partner, a Goldman Sachs partner, a startup CEO or a leader in industry.
Many get an MBA to avoid the most “blue collar” of professional jobs… being a salesperson.
I find the prejudice against working in sales incredibly ironic.
What do you think McKinsey or Goldman Sachs partners are anyway?
They are salespeople!
What do you think CEOs are?
They are salespeople too!
The CEO is selling the company’s product and market leadership to customers.
The CEO is selling new recruits on why they should join the company.
What do you think an executive-level role in industry is?
It’s sales too.
The VP of Engineering is selling her boss and colleagues on a larger staffing budget.
The CFO is selling Wall Street on why the company’s stock is a better investment than other stocks.
The VP of Marketing is selling the executive team on a new marketing strategy.
In short, every senior level role in ANY functional area in ANY industry involves selling — the selling of yourself, your ideas, and your proposals.
It is completely unavoidable.
There are only two unanswered questions that remain:
1) Whether you like the idea or not, will you accept and embrace the idea that you are in everyday sales situations more than you realize?
2) Will you decide to improve your sales skills, or not?
If your answers are “yes,” you would benefit from my recent class on How to Sell Your Ideas in Everyday Life. Although it has not yet been available this year, I will have a limited release later this month.
To be notified of the release, and for future articles on improving your sales skills, just complete the form below.
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