I am still on Chapter One of Malcolm Gladwell’s What The Dog Saw and already I am hooked as it recites the story of a family of kitchen appliance makers and sellers. I have great pictures in my head of fifties-style sales guys at county fairs with crowds of people itching to buy.

I am always intrigued by great sales people and their ability to sell products or services. This is much harder when it’s a complex sell (I always recommend Lead Generation for the Complex Sale by Brian Carroll) but good sales people are good sales people and it’s something I always look to develop in myself.

The thing I love is the performance, because that’s all it is. It’s a character, a personality deviation of how you may see your ‘true’ self. The same as you as a father / son / sister / work colleague / drinking buddy, etc. They are all subtly different.

We can all develop a sales persona over time to create enough engagement for someone to part with their money. Skills are honed, lessons are learned and routines are developed. We get better, more confident, and more successful at the task.

In business (as in life) we are all sales people. The way we dress, the way we talk, our overall persona… it’s a sales tool… whether you want it to be or not.

Might as well continue learning, practicing and honing those skills eh? Why not start by studying a few performers from all walks of life? Those people that have you spell-bound?