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When I was in college, I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career. I was actually jealous of those people who knew what they loved and what they wanted to do for a living.

The uncertainty was very uncomfortable.

Especially, when many students treat their choice of study like the only, final decision for what they will do the rest of their life. I did not see it that way though. Looking back it was so irrelevant for me, because what you study and the skills you develop during your college years are two very different things.

In fact, although I studied business and finance, I don’t think any of my professors ever ran a successful business or ever made a fortune…  Fortunately, while I was in school working hard for no other reason other than because if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it well, I was also in training to develop actual skills for life – I was in direct sales.

I trained my communication skills, my ability to set a goal and achieve it, my ability to make a good impression and to be liked. You can be the highest educated person with triple PHD’s, but if you have none of those skills, your chance and ability to become a success is slim to none. They don’t teach you THAT in college!

I viewed myself as a full-time sales rep, who goes to school on the side for the formal education – not a full-time student working on the side to pay the bills – see the difference there?

There is no doubt in my mind that what I learned ‘selling my way’ through school, was far more valuable than the textbook information I absorbed in my short term memory in order to ace my tests (I graduated with a 3.7 GPA in case you were wondering).

Why? Because the game of Sales is like the game of life – if you get good at sales, you get good at life.  As sales people, we face new challenges and rejection on a daily basis; we must learn deal with our thoughts, emotions, and most of all – other people.

Sales, life, it’s made of the same stuff: goals, smart activities, building relationships, advancing our own interest. This is especially true in the sales profession as you pursue your goals and dream as a profession. Can you think of anything better you can do on a daily basis? Sales isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle. Next time someone asks you what do you do for a living, tell them “I’m a professional goal pursuer”.  In sales, you get paid to live your life to the fullest as a career! So learn to do your job well – Don’t just go through life hoping something exciting will occur, go make it happen.

It’s very similar to relationships, most married couples will agree that they love each other, but they may also agree that there is something missing at times – what is it? The presence of the EXPERIENCE OF LOVE in their daily life! The experience of living is manifested each day as you engage in sales activities. If you are in sales and you don’t feel the way I do about sales, it’s not because of what you do for a living, but how you’re thinking about your profession and you’re doing it!

One of my favorite quotes is “it’s not about what you do but what you become in the process” – I’d like to add the word “it’s not about what you do but what you experience and become in the process” in light of what I said above…  I believe who you become in the process of your sales experience is the main and highest reward of the sales profession.

Yes, the potential for income is unlimited in sales, but you cannot attach a monetary value to becoming a better, stronger, and more productive person that is experiencing life fully. That’s exactly why the personal development industry is booming – people will pay whatever it takes to become better-  it’s our life’s mission, to close the gap between our potential, who we can become, and who we are today. And while for most people that pursuit of self fulfillment is done outside of work hours – at a seminar or reading a good book on the subject, or even in their work on a small scale when they are challenged occasionally. Few professions will offer the opportunity to grow as a person on a daily basis like the sales profession will. Like I said, it’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle – the sales lifestyle is the ultimate lifestyle.

In what way is your sales career impacting the quality of your life?