There was an overwhelmingly positive response to my latest Harvard Business Review blog,  Get Over Your Fear of Sales. Having talked with leaders of large and small companies about the ideas I posited, there was near unanimity about the importance of having a culture where everybody sells. Still, some professionals will take umbrage with the notion that they are responsible for sales. That likely exists for a variety of reasons, leading them to the conclusion that there is something negative about selling. So at a time when most every senior leader I talk with is emphasizing the importance of growth in their business, it seems important to recognize that selling today is very different than it used to be.

If you believe that your products or services provide an improvement to the situation, condition, or circumstances of your client, then selling has everything to do with helping others. So instead of thinking about what you sell, whether that is financial products, consumer goods, or complex systems, think about the outcomes you support. Are you helping someone to achieve personal goals? Enabling a business unit to be more productive, a partner to be more profitable, or helping to solve a difficult issue. Whatever it is, odds are there are many salutary benefits you offer. So it is worth spending some time to think about what you are really selling. Doing so might just help you Get Over Your Fear of Sales.

A Slice of Life Balance           

• Everyone I ask is able to think of a person, often many people, who in some way helped them. Sometimes in grand fashion, other times in small ways. How about taking a minute or two to tell them about it, and what it meant to you?