Selling Skills

BY MATTHEW D. MOHR

Every business sells something either tangible or intangible to generate revenue, pay expenses and hopefully earn a profit. Through the years, the sales profession has taken on a negative connotation, often associated with the loud, pushy, dishonest usedcar salesman. True sales in any industry involve helping people or businesses do better; not pushing something on an unsuspecting buyer.

A business owner generally is enthusiastic about the product or services being offered, but as noted in previous articles I’ve written for Prairie Business, having a passion for what you sell isn’t enough to guarantee success. Understanding the sales process and the complete picture of operating an enterprise is necessary for ongoing success.

Recently, I was invited to see the Center for Selling and Sales Technology at Barry Hall on the North Dakota State University campus. The College of Business at NDSU is offering a 16-unit certificate in professional selling, which is a good step forward for the university as a whole as well as the College of Business. Regardless of a person’s chosen profession, they all can expect to have to sell themselves, their employer and what they do to earn a living during their lifetime. Those who are best at selling generally succeed the most. The ability to sell goes far beyond pushing a product. I was delighted to learn the certificate in selling and sales technology from NDSU involves learning about the whole business process, along with improving personal selling skills.

Perhaps a person creates a great new product and is sure it will be a huge success in the marketplace. The idea creator will probably need some capital to get started. To attract capital in the form of equity or loans, the idea creator must be able to sell potential investors on the idea and demonstrate how a return on the investment can be secured through a well-executed business plan. The business plan must also demonstrate how any loans will be repaid with interest.

Selling is part of every endeavor and is a way to help others succeed, and those who are good at helping others generally earn the greatest rewards in life. PB

Matthew D. Mohr CEO, Dacotah Paper Co. Fargo, N.D. mmohr@dacotahpaper.com