Who You Are Matters More Than What You Do

There are hundreds of books on sales, all of which can help you learn to be a better salesperson. There are countless blogs (and now a vlog) that can improve your ability to sell, and improve your effectiveness. There are courses and classes on sales, and you can also get training and coaching. All of these things work, but they are not as important as the one thing that matters most.

Your character and your integrity matter more than what you know about selling. The fact that you are the kind of person that is honest and trustworthy is more important than most everything else.

Being other-oriented is underestimated. Caring is a superpower. You make it easy for people to buy from you when you are laser-focused on helping others get the results they need. It’s not that you can’t pitch, but that your pitch ins’t about you.

Your attitude and your personal demeanor matter a great deal, too. Are you likable? Are you the kind of person that people are going to want to work with as they change and do something different? Confident, successful people are not negative or cynical.

If you are resourceful, you are someone who can come up with solutions and find ways to make things work. If you take initiative, you continue to make changes that improve things without waiting for some external event to compel your clients to change. Persistence is an attribute that is the key to producing results over time. Being the kind of person who puts enough time and energy against obstacles and watches them yield makes you someone with whom it makes sense to bring onto your team.

What you do is important. But much of what you do is the result of who you are. Who you are matters more than what you do.

Be someone worth doing business with.