The Meaning Behind Life Is Sales
How I turned this personal mantra into a philosophy for working and living.
You thought “Life Is Sales” was just a hashtag I used on LinkedIn. As it turns out, it’s a whole lot more than a hashtag, catchphrase, slogan, or tagline—it’s a guiding principle that I use every single day. Allow me to explain.
What does Life Is Sales mean?
I’ve been using this mantra for years, in both my business and personal life. At first read, some perceive it to be the other way around, as in Sales Is Life—but this has a totally different meaning. My version is also a far cry from the popular catchphrase, ABC: Always Be Closing.
Life Is Sales simply refers to the fact that we all are selling in our daily lives, no matter what career we work in. We are selling our ideas, our potential, and ourselves. We all have the power to impact others in a positive or negative way.
By accepting and embracing the Life Is Sales mentality, we can:
Redefine what it means to serve both ourselves and others
Build deeper relationships with others that provide more value
Develop a growth mindset that fights against subconscious biases
Live and work with more intention and purpose
Maximize our potential in all areas of life
Reframing the stigma of sales
Sales gets a bad reputation. I’m very aware of this, and I’m working to change the narrative around it. We all have subconscious biases around hearing the term “sales” based on many factors in our lives. I, however, think it is very limiting to simply accept those biases without attempting to explore and understand them. These biases prevent us from embracing the fact that sales is a function and a role that facilitates service to others.
I wasn’t born a salesperson. My degree is in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I looked down on sales. Sales came to me after I finished my MBA, when I finally understood that it was really about service. Shortly after, I had the revelation that we are always selling, and I had a vision of how I could share this philosophy with the world.
We all sell!
Guess what? It’s pretty easy to unearth the sales aspect to almost any job or situation. Watch.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re going to need to be able to sell. If you want a new job or promotion, you’ll need the ability to sell yourself and your potential.
Leadership is even a branch of sales, when you think about it. Leaders are selling their vision and where they want their teams to go. Motivating others to reach peak performance is a version of sales. Our leaders need to ask themselves where they are leading others to.
Turning things around, complaining is even a form of sales. Whether consciously or unconsciously, those who complain are selling their opinions to others who then will internalize those opinions for better or worse. This can come from leaders or others, further demonstrating that we are all in sales.
We all share the responsibility of the impact we have on people.
Life Is Sales: the course, out now
Looking for a way to jumpstart your sales career or learn to sell? I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the Life Is Sales program!
My team and I developed this course to teach people all of the hard and soft skills that are necessary for success in sales. The curriculum encompasses everything I’ve learned over my 20+ years in sales. Students will engage in the online course with content including videos and an accompanying workbook.
Life Is Sales: the book, coming 2024
For anyone who’s interested in exploring this concept further, my book will dive into the Life Is Sales philosophy from a holistic perspective, meaning the book—unlike the course—is for everyone. You don’t have to be in sales to enjoy and learn from it. It follows my journey as a salesperson, a business person, and a human being.
I share plenty of personal stories and real life examples that bring the Life Is Sales idea to light, hopefully in a way that’s entertaining to read. Keep an eye out for it in Spring 2024!
Embracing the Life Is Sales philosophy
Now you know a little more about what Life Is Sales really means and why I’ve adopted it into my life for so long.
My hope is that from this point forward, you are able to be more intentional about sales as a concept and not be afraid of it. We literally cannot avoid sales, so we might as well embrace it.
If you are able to do so, I’m confident that you’ll see the positive results in all areas of your own life and be set up to maximize your full potential.