In the 1987 movie āThe Tin Men,ā a flick about competing salesmen who push unwitting homeowners to buy aluminum siding that they donāt really need, the movie opens with a classic exchange between Richard Dreyfussā character and a Cadillac salesman.
When the car salesman asks Dreyfussā character what heās willing to pay for a new car, Dreyfuss fires back with a classic response:
āI really donāt want you to hustle me here. You know what I mean. I really hate that. I hate being hustled.ā
Mind you, thatās one salesperson telling another salesperson that they donāt want to be hustled. Oh, the irony.
I was reminded of that quote when I received an email from one of my webinar listeners recently. This person described himself as someone with a technical background who was new to sales and struggling with prospecting. Hereās what he said:
Whenever I try to cold call, I constantly picture myself as a dreaded car salesman (whom I tend to avoid like the plague) or the Music Man whoās here to tell you whatever you want to hear, then exit stage right once the money is in hand!
Ah, the life of a salesperson. Perpetually condemned to sleazeball status, pushing unneeded or unwanted services on prospects who have no interest in those wares, only to run off into the sunset with briefcases full of cashā¦
The problem with that portrayal, however, is that itās more Hollywood myth and misconception than anything else.
The reality is that the vast majority of salespeople are honest, helpful, and scrupulous professionals. Our goal is to educate prospects, inform them of their options, and guide them to a product or service that enriches their life or business.
Whatās so sleazy or negative about that?!
Honestly, I love selling. But itās not because of the money and itās certainly not because I enjoy a good hustle.
I love it because sales allows me to help others.
Throughout my sales career, Iāve found that if youāre genuinely focused on helping your clients, sales is a truly joyful and noble job to have. Itās nothing to be ashamed of, and you certainly shouldnāt think of yourself in the vein of a used car salesman or Danny DeVitoās character from āThe Tin Men.ā
Frankly, the best salespeople donāt focus on the money ā even if they do happen to make a nice living from their craft. Instead, they focus on the issues that their prospects and customers are facing and create a plan to address those problems. They hone in on solutions, make honest recommendations that will help customers personally and professionally, and cultivate relationships in ways that foster long-term business partnerships.
So, my advice to that webinar listener (and anyone reading this who has similar fears) was simple:
Donāt be ashamed of what you do.
Instead, embrace and be proud of it. Because if youāre primarily focused on building relationships, serving clients, and resolving problems with helpful solutions, then thereās nothing sleazy about what youāre doing.
Now, that doesnāt mean that prospects will always warmly respond to your outreach. But even when youāre coldly rejected, you can walk away with your head held high knowing that you tried your best to make someoneās life a little bit better.
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