The following passage “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki has had me reflecting on “Why Don’t They Teach Sales in College?”
Why Don’t They Teach Sales in College?
The following quotes are from “Chapter 7: Work to Learn–Don’t Work for Money” in “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki.
A few years ago, I granted an interview with a newspaper in Singapore. The young female reporter was on time, and the interview got underway immediately. We sat in the lobby of a luxurious hotel, sipping coffee and discussing the purpose of my visit to Singapore. […]
“Someday, I would like to be a best-selling author like you,” she said. I had seen some of the articles she had written for the paper, and I was impressed. Her writing was tough and clear, and her articles held a reader’s interest.
“You have a great style,” I replied. “What holds you back from achieving your dream?”
“My work does not seem to go anywhere,” she said quietly. “Everyone says that my novels are excellent, but nothing happens. So I keep my job with the paper. At least it pays the bills. Do you have any suggestions?”
I understand the reporter’s frustration. We all like to have our talent recognized and rewarded. We want our work to speak for itself. I find people who constantly promote themselves tiresome, so I don’t want to become a blowhard or bore. One way to avoid becoming tiresome is to embrace kindness, humility, and a genuine desire to help.
I think Kiyosaki, who engages in a fair amount of self-promotion in the book, is helpful in his answer.
“Yes, I do,” I said brightly. “A friend of mine here in Singapore runs a school that trains people to sell. He runs sales-training courses for many of the top corporations here in Singapore, and I think attending one of his courses would greatly enhance your career.”
She stiffened. “Are you saying I should go to school to learn to sell?”
I nodded.
I think if her college had offered sales courses or a course on how to sell your writing, she would have taken at least one and would have had a different perspective on both what was holding her back and the value of Kiyosaki’s suggestion.
“I have a master’s degree in English Literature. Why would I go to school to learn to be a salesperson? I am a professional. I went to school to be trained in a profession so I would not have to be a sales person. I hate salespeople. All they want is money. So tell me why I should study sales?” She was packing her briefcase. The interview was over.
I picked up the legal pad where she had jotted down her notes. “Do you see this?” I pointed to where she had written down “Robert Kiyosaki, best-selling author.”
“What?” she said, confused.
“It says best-selling author, not best-writing author,” I said quietly.
Her eyes widened.
“I am a terrible writer,” I said. “You are a great writer. I went to sales school. You have a master’s degree. Put them together and you get a ‘best-selling author’ and a ‘best-writing author.'”
Anger flared from her eyes. “I’ll never stoop so low as to learn how to sell. People like you have no business writing. I am a professionally trained writer and you are a salesman. It is not fair,” she fumed.
She put the rest of her notes away and hurried through the large glass doors into the humid Singapore morning.
I meet many entrepreneurs who are frustrated to discover that building a better mousetrap was not enough. They now have to learn how to market and sell it. They have to learn to negotiate with and influence team members, customers, partners, and potential investors if their business merits and requires funding.
I don’t know why they engineering schools don’t offer courses in how to sell. If you have designed a better mousetrap but are unsure how to generate interest and close deals, please contact us. We can help.
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Image Credit: “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” used with attribution.