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by popcorncowboy 682 days ago
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.
4 comments

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.
Especial in B2B many products are more unique than you think
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.

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.
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.