[hbossy]

_Although this line is taught by many sales trainers, it’s becoming overused and immediately lets prospects know it’s a sales call._ _Instead, try opening with something like:_ _(...)_

_This opener feels less salesy, and is actually the reason why you called._

I wonder what does it feel to work in an industry where your main goal is to convince other people you are not a part of it.

[komali2]

It's a fucking nightmare where you're begging on your hands and knees for people to give you money. I was ok at it when I was a 360 recruiter (the sales half was opening up positions that I would then recruit for), but no matter I framed it, to me it always felt like begging.

The office culture is half/half trying to wokeify your sales by being "not that kind of sales guy" like the line you quoted, while still kinda worshiping people like Jordan Belfort and internalizing the highest levels of hustle culture.

I became an engineer and wrote that part of my life off. I still sometimes wake up an hour before my alarm with thoughts spinning through my head of how I could have sold better. Ugh.

[popcorncowboy]

On the other hand When you frame sales as helping to solve real problems it flips this toxic script and transforms the entire profession into something that can be amazing to be a part of.

[komali2]

That's what I was trying to express about rationalization: no matter what way you cut it, you're still begging people for money. What you offer is never unique, no matter how much you want to pretend it is - you just want to be the one to actually convince them to buy YOUR SaaS product / recruitment services / whatever. I was very passionate about helping my clients and I really enjoyed the idea of helping my candidates get good jobs, doesn't change the fact that I was one of, god, tens? hundreds? of agencies in the houston oil and gas market.

[immibis]

Especial in B2B many products are more unique than you think

[steve1977]

Then you're not sales, you're consulting.

But most likely, when you are sales, you are sales. And you're not solving real problems.

[Version467]

I find this framing to be extremely far away from the reality of any sales conversations I've been a part of. Flipping it like this is a rationalization that helps you sleep better, not some deep insight that the sales profession is great actually.

[lucideer]

This is self-deception, which - if done well - can be a very effective salve for one's mental health & help you survive/thrive in the industry.

[matsemann]

> by being "not that kind of sales guy"

Like 90 % of recruiters sending me a message with the same "unique" twist in their messaging. Got this the other day:

> Hi, Andreas (not my name, it's Mats...), I'd like to take this a different way than the usual recruiter mail. Not sure if you're in the market now? But ... [same drivel as any other recruiting email I've ever gotten]