This is not the very first sales-themed book; it’s merely one of the many out there. So why should you care?! Why did I believe it was worth my time to contribute to the already crowded literature on this topic?
Sales is a well-established topic with many tested and proven processes, methodologies, and techniques. Many of these are developed on the tenets of behavioral psychology and will endure regardless of market trends, technological advancements, or economic circumstances.
However!
We’re navigating a perpetually changing environment due to the continual advancement of technology, with each new generation adopting unique purchasing habits, utilizing diverse channels, and favoring distinct interaction preferences.
Today’s consumers care more about transparency, authenticity, and aligning themselves with brands that speak to their values and represent their sense of identity. The modern consumer isn’t solely buying a solution to their problems or a product; they’re buying an experience, a relationship.
Today’s employees (especially sales representatives) care more than ever about selling solutions that they believe in. They want to feel like they’re more than a cog in the wheel, they want to know that what they’re doing is meaningful and contributes to a greater impactful purpose. They seek companies that allow them to freely express themselves and be authentic.
And today’s founders and executives alike are starting to recognize the importance of #doinggoodbusiness. Not only to make the world a better place, but also because doing good benefits the bottom line and leads to more profit.
Yesterday’s lessons aren’t designed for the businesses of today.
I find that too much of what’s already out there focuses on tricks, techniques, and psychological manipulation. It’s no wonder that salespeople have developed a bad reputation. Because of that, despite understanding the importance of sales, many founders still hesitate to prioritize sales-related activities and develop their sales skills.
I’m out to change that, especially so for social ventures (many who struggle to be financially sustainable) with great solutions that aim to make the world a better place. You can create meaningful impact and be highly profitable, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong or unethical with doing both.
I’m Chin Hing Chang. I was born and raised in Malaysia but moved to Canada in 2005 as a 1st generation immigrant. I share who I am to help you understand the lens, ethos, experience, and values from which my lessons on the topic of sales come.
After graduating from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, I started my career in sales because I believed, and still do, that sales is the most crucial skill both in business and personal life. Understanding sales = understanding persuasion. It helps you not only understand how to get customers and bring in profit but also sell your
Self: in an interview (if you’re looking for a job or to switch)
Vision and ideas: in a pitch/presentation to your team, seniors, or even investors (if you’re a founder).
Brand/product/reputation: in your marketing campaigns.
Culture: if you’re recruiting and trying to attract, galvanize, and motivate the right people to support your endeavor.
As a vital life skill, sales also teaches us how to
- Be curious
- Communicate
- Negotiate
- Empathise and be an active listener
- Problem Solve, be adaptive, and think critically
- Manage our time and prioritize
- Improve our charisma
- Be more resilient
- And even be happier (Really?! More on this when we discuss Expectations)
Everything is sales, sales is everything.
My formal sales training stems from the consultative sales framework learned during my time in the telecommunications industry. Consultative selling revolves around a needs and values-centered approach. It prioritizes understanding our prospects before pitching, enabling us to customize the optimal solution or recommendation for them. Having sold high ticket items (typically $300+) and also learned modern techniques and frameworks (SPIN, Challenger, NEAT, SNAP, etc.), I’ve incorporated them into lessons in this book as well.
Another interesting point to highlight: Although I have achieved top-performing status in some of my previous roles and can apply the techniques and frameworks to excel, I was by no means a natural-born salesman. While some individuals naturally possess charisma and persuasive abilities, if you don’t, great sales skills can still be developed through consistent practice and rigorous testing! My expertise lies in teaching, training, coaching, and management—and it’s through these avenues that I aim to empower you with the insights in this book.
Besides sales, I have been heavily involved in entrepreneurship support work since 2014. Specifically with social ventures (a.k.a. social enterprise/social impact business). If you’re unfamiliar with the term, social ventures are companies that aren’t only in it for the money, they are for-profit businesses that believe business can also be used as a force for good – for people, planet, and purpose. Since then, I’ve worked with over 500 such organizations across the globe, across every imaginable industry from food & beverage, education, fashion apparel, gaming, consultancies, to B2B software as a service (SaaS). This experience has taught me a lot about the importance of not only making money but doing so without selling your soul. About how to sell authentically without being manipulative.
Many of these companies I’ve worked with are early-stage businesses, a.k.a. Startups. While “startup” is often synonymous with software technology companies, every fledgling business is technically a startup. Since altering culture, addressing detrimental behaviors, and changing habits can be incredibly challenging without a significant overhaul – often costly and time-consuming – I’ll draw from my experience working with startups to offer insights into establishing solid foundations and systems from the outset.
Side note: A lot of people perceive social ventures as unprofitable. That’s not true, you can be highly profitable while doing good business (in fact, you should be highly profitable if you aren’t already). Profit allows you to amplify your impact.
I don’t mean to patronize, but a memorable quote from a speaker I once heard was
“You can’t help the homeless by joining them”.
Of course, there are many organizations that “greenwash” in an attempt to leverage #dogood as a marketing angle too. My advice to both social ventures and greenwashing companies alike: Remember, you still need to have a great solution. Consumers don’t buy from you simply because you #dogood, they buy good solutions that solve their problems or satisfy their desires. Doing good is the icing on the cake, influencing their opinion only when all other factors between you and alternative vendors are equal. Greenwashing is patronizing when it’s inauthentic. Also, recognize that offering good solutions is necessary, but alone isn’t sufficient. “Build it and they will come” doesn’t work, you still need to learn how to empathize with others and help them navigate their uncertainties to get out of their own way.
Finally, as an Asian immigrant in North America, my awareness of cultural differences in communication, persuasion, negotiation, and relationship building gives me a unique perspective on how to approach these topics.
Each of these experiences alone isn’t unique and much of what I’ll share aren’t new grandiose ideas or methodologies that I’ve conceived. However, my unique combination of Sales + Startup + Social Ventures + working with businesses from diverse industries will give you lots of ideas and insights. I’ll help you revisit your product/service offerings, how you present them, and how you interact with prospects and customers alike.
Lastly, I’m not here to teach you how to brainwash prospects to buy. Numerous techniques are intentionally manipulative, and many, if used without careful consideration, can unintentionally become manipulative. Instead, I believe good sales starts with understanding your personal misconceptions, shifting your mindset, and applying the right structures and processes so that it no longer becomes a fearful activity because you know what to expect and how to react.
Sales is not a bad word. If you’re feeling pushy, or if people say you are, you’re not doing it right.