Hi all,
I attended a rather great party on Halloween, which really isn’t the point of the post; I’m just setting the scene.
So, we’re all stood outside chatting in the unseasonably mild October evening and the subject of work comes up. Myself and a friend get to talking about his job in Marketing and the fact that I blog for this lovely shop. We swap some inconsequential information and are overheard by one of the party’s hosts, who swiftly decides to inform us that he detests marketing and Sales. The exact reasoning of this hatred is still a little hazy to me, it was either because he feels as ‘sales’ people we make people buy things they don’t want/need; or it was because he felt that we don’t do ‘proper’ jobs.
Now I make no move to change anyone’s mind about anything, everyone is allowed an opinion and the right to express it. But. I do have a slight issue with people in general who believe sales are somehow a different thing to what any of us do all day every day. I sell myself every day, I know, I know, childish giggling shall ensue. I stand by the statement though, I make a conscious decision when I get up in the morning to brush my teeth and hair, choose clothes that are not for the sole purpose of hiding my naked self from the elements, but in fact hopefully make the most of what I’ve got. I leave the house early enough not to be late for work and I say hello to the shop assistants and public in a friendly manner.
I don’t do all those things in a hyper aware state of self promotion but I am creating an impression of myself all day long to everyone I meet, I hope that impression is a good one. We all do those things. We groom ourselves and choose clothes we believe present us in our best format because we don’t want people to think we’re smelly or unkempt.
When you go to an interview for a new job you don’t walk in and slump in front of the interviewer smelling of last night’s dinner and beer, nursing a hangover and explaining that “Sorry I’m late, but seriously who asks for a meeting at 11am?!, I’m dead from that all night illegal rave I went to, got any paracetamol?”
You wouldn’t, you go in early, dressed well, smiling and shaking hands in a firm (not vice like way) and hoping to god they like you!
I think my point is that not all ‘sales’ appear in the same way and to believe yourself exempt from the system is folly. It’s human nature to self promote and that isn’t a bad thing. Without self promotion we wouldn’t all succeed in the way that we do. Surely we should all encourage each other to shout about our unique selling points from the rooftops.
How else will I know that you can rock a hat like no other or fit 20 Marshmallows in your mouth? This is important stuff people.