Peddler or sales professional?

These peddlers were typically poorly educated, almost exclusively male and travelled the countryside peddling their wares - trinkets, buttons, combs, pots and pans, sowing materials and the like. They were seen as outsiders who came into town to trick gullible customers into buying.

Thus was the negative sales stereotype born, and it still persists today.

Sad reflection

I can recall my wife, an outstandingly successful real estate agent, mentioning her occupation at a dinner party and it was somewhat akin to being a fire hydrant at a dog show. Everyone had a horror story to tell about some estate agent they had encountered. Question the man in the street about salespeople and you are likely to hear comments such as - “pushy”, “aggressive”, “persistent”, “a nuisance”, “liars” and worse. This is a sad reflection of a vitally important, but widely misunderstood, business function which is the engine that drives many businesses and many economies.

The global economy is huge, involving US$20 trillion in transactions every day. Fifty million new businesses are established every year, and somewhere there is an entrepreneur seeking to serve your customers better than you do. Many developed economies, notably the US, have seen a dramatic erosion of their manufacturing and service base as factories, call centres and other elements of the economy have migrated to India, China, Vietnam and other low cost destinations. In many cases, the most important competitive edge that remains is the ability to sell better than the competition.

This is creating a huge demand for professional salespeople who can provide this competitive edge. Salespeople are no longer salespeople. They are specialists in helping customers to win. Today's sales professional has a new focus: demand creation, philosophical alignment, in-depth understanding of the customer's business, positioning, financial literacy, executive credibility, and the ability to create business solutions that deliver demonstrable financial value to the customers business. The required skills are shifting from product-selling skills to encompass deeper customer knowledge and sophisticated relationship, sales and service skills.

Selling skills crisis

But where are these salespeople going to come from? As the baby boomers retire. a selling skills crisis is unfolding. In the US, for example, the annual demand for new salespeople is running at around 1.4 million. Yet only three dozen or so of America's 4000 colleges and universities offer degrees in sales, and they provide only 1000 - 2000 sales graduates annually.

In South Africa we have none. It is about time that corporate South Africa steps up to the plate and lets our educational institutions know, in no uncertain terms, that they are failing their customers.

• For those who are interested, the University Sales Education Foundation, sponsored by HR Chally and Selling Power magazine, publish an annual report: “Top University Sales Education Programs 2008”. Copies can be obtained from Peter Gilbert at or downloaded from www.saleseducationfoundation.org.