Charlie Kirk was murdered this past week. What does that have to do with sales and selling? Everything.
Sales is not for you if you’re thin skinned.
You’re going to lose business and sometimes it’s not even going to be your fault. You’re going to find that a customer has a brother-in-law in the business or a father or a sister or relative or somebody he likes better than you. And he’s going to buy from them and not you.
You have two options. The first is to get over it. The second option is to hold a grudge if you can’t get over it. You’re going to blame the world and get angry.
Choosing the second option means you need to find another job. Sales is not for you. Actually, you’re probably not going to do well in that job because people who hold grudges are not fun to be around. You actually have a third choice. You could figure out why you hate the world. Holding grudges isn’t good for your health.
Eyes are everywhere.
If you’ve seen any of the posts after the murder on social media, some of them appalled you. Some of these people are going to lose their job. This is not like the 50s where there were three television channels and a local newspaper. There was no 24 -7 news. Now everyone is a possible broadcaster and everyone is a possible consumer.
Ask yourself a few questions to protect yourself before you post anything on social media. Would you say those words to someone’s face? Do you want those words printed as the headline of your local or national newspaper? Would you want your parents, friends or company to know you said those words? Is this worth my job?
A no to any of those questions means you don’t post on social media. Everyone is watching today. I hate to disappoint you. Strangers really don’t care what you think anyway.
Violence is never the answer, but it depends on who you ask.
Actually, for some groups, they think it is. That group is especially the young. The Wall Street Journal reported, “While 93% of baby boomers and 86% of Generation X say violence is never acceptable, only 71% of millennials and 58% of Generation Z do. And, there’s no meaningful difference between the attitudes of 18- to 26-year-olds who are and who aren’t enrolled in college.”
There is a generational divide in attitudes. You had better be aware of that divide if you’re selling across generations. When you realize views are different, you should also realize the reasons for buying are different. Make sure you’re paying attention to the views of your particular buyer and pay attention to their generation’s concerns.
The horrible tragedy this past week should be a wakeup call for everyone. Words have meaning and power. Actions can never be undone. Remember that as you continue to sell. Charlie worked for civil discourse. It’s now up to us to finish his work.