National Salesperson Day

Yep, you read it correctly, today is National Salesperson Day.  First, allow me to sum up the obvious.  There is a huge difference between a clerk and a salesperson.  A clerk is merely engaged at the whim and fancy of the customer seeking merchandise or goods.  This type of scenario does not require any thinking or assessment concerning the nature of the relationship employed.  The person seeking something simply asks, and the clerk retrieves.  No analytical thought is set in motion.  Clerks, in my opinion, are mere automatons performing the bidding of the potential buyer.  Salespeople, on the other hand, are true artisans of selling.  Yes, salesmanship is an art, one finely honed and implemented.  Salesmanship involves: reading the customer, both verbally and in body language, establishing a rapport, and always looks for both the up-sell and add-on sale.  In other words, salesmen do not let the customer control or dictate how much they earn in yearly income.  (For those of you who are of this caliber of employee, you will know what this means.)  People who are true salesmen also have a great skill for developing contacts and networking.  My father was a salesman for many years.  It is from him I learned and greatly developed my contact-making and networking skills.  I was honored he taught me this art.  To set the record straight, this isn't something you can learn from a book.  It is learned through first-hand practice, and is an innate skill developed from a very early age.  Unfortunately for these skills, you either have it or you don't.  (This is similar to people becoming more prone to the maths and sciences versus liberal arts.)  The art of salesmanship permeates everything one does.  It is not a light switch that is flipped on or off.  A true salesman is always in "salesman mode".  This particular lifestyle can be tough as we are often given a bad rap.  Just as there are difficult customers, there can also be difficult salespeople.  Not everyone is perfect.  Not everyone is made out to be a good salesman.  Don't let the impostors ruin it for the excellent ones who are squeezing out a living on a daily basis.  Next time you are dealing with a salesman, thank him for the career he has decided to pursue.  I encourage everyone to learn the art of salesmanship simply for the great life skills it has to offer.  Happy Salesperson Day