There’s an old Farside comic about a slick salesman who’s successfully sold refrigerators to Eskimos in the frozen plains. It illustrates a common perception about salespeople: that we’re swindlers, dishonest manipulators who convince people to buy items they don’t need.
Unfortunately, there’s some truth to this perception. Some salespeople are mischievous and dishonest. They will cheat people out of their money. Theirs is not “the way” of sales, however. Sales is a noble profession and a moral calling.
The true sales professional is not interested in making the sale by any means necessary; he or she is intent on helping prospective clients and customers make the right buying decisions for them. The sales professional will, at times, even advise the prospect to remain a prospect–to not buy from him or her because the product or service isn’t the best fit.