"The fish sees the bait not the hook." Chinese proverb This week is the start of a five part series on selling or salesmanship. It is a topic that has a myriad of meanings for many people. Some detest it, some fear it, some think of it as being unethical, some distrust anyone who sells for a living, and some love it. It is a “profession” with a dirty laundry list. From Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” to David Mamet’s tragedy of a real estate salesperson, such images do not conjure up admiration or inspiration. They give peddling a bum rap. And if that does not turn you off, how about all those sales jobs offers that claim “no selling,” as if selling is some distasteful task just below the realm of respectability. And don’t we all love those dinner time phone calls with the caller pretending to be anything but a sales representative, and promising not to sell you anything- unless you are foolish enough to stay on the phone. I can’t think of any other occupation where the practitioners pretend to be researchers, consultants or what ever-but not what they do for a living. And if the view by many of a salesperson being comparable to a slippery eel, is not bad enough, sales training is a assortment of voodoo, pseudo-psychology, acting, role playing, lumping potential customers in to little boxes of formula behavior, or rewiring your personality from docile to demanding. Who would not be a bit put off? There is a different book explaining the secrets of selling for every day of the year. From the use of prayer to the pumping of flesh. Every writer hoping to create the definitive answer for all who may want the riches and rewards of a glib tongue, while sporting the finest clothes and the latest luxury car –displaying proof of success. With all that said, let me tell you that you are in the selling game like it or not. Lawyers sell in the court room, politicians are super salespersons, and your kids sell you on a trip to the mall or softball practice. The human mating ritual is a study of persuasion. And if you are in business- you are selling everyday, to investors, employees, and customers. Your success as an entrepreneur is influenced by your ability to sway others to your way of thinking. Over the next four weeks, I will be writing about the basics of salesmanship. No “secrets”, no roadmap outline how to change your personality, no special lines to memorize, and no personality boxes to discover the hidden motivations of your customers. We will be talking about the most fundamental basics of any wish to convince someone to agree with you- from getting a job, getting a raise, starting a business, or selling someone your wares. Regardless of your approach, or your goal it can be reduced to four letters “AIDA.” You will read that during any successful sales presentation there are four phases of activity both parties pass through (without knowing it). It starts with Attention. It moves to Interest, the Interest swells to Desire and it cumulates with Action. All four events take place- there are no shortcuts, and all successful salespersons experience the process –many without realizing it. Some so called experts try to explain dynamics of a sale with the jargon of psychology or some other “ology” but to use a trite phrase, “a rose is still a rose called by any other name.” It is the weak salesperson that resorts to the hopeful shortcut of the power of personality. It is the lazy peddler who does not know his wares but uses deceit and flattery to earn a living. Then there are the poor souls who look at the trappings of selling; flexible hours, travel, company expense accounts, clothes from Bloomingdales, and the appearance of glamour. These wan-a-bee peddlers see the packaging of the position, but not the professionalism from knowledge and hard work. And in time they fail or sneak by with mediocrity performance. They are always looking for the “hot” product that sells “itself.” They are the floaters of the selling game. And then there are great guys and gals who can sell a product, a service, presenting such wares with skill - but can’t sell themselves. I have a dear friend who is an artist –with wonderful talent, but don’t ask her to promote her creations- she stumbles and hesitates. I have another friend who is a gifted writer but won’t make an effort to sell his work. My friends are like so many who like to create, but are fearful of selling their talents. And that is so true of many who have difficulty in selling “themselves” to land the job of their dreams. My point in all of this is that learning how sell is important to you and not just in your business life- next week I will tell you about “Attention” and how to get it! Copyright 1999-2003 Paul E Adams Dr Paul E Adams, Professor Emeritus Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey & Retired Entrepreneur, Syndicated Columnist, Host of the access cable TV program "Tri -State Movers and Shakers," and Author of “Fail-Proof Your Business,” Available @ Amazon Dot Com. Comments, questions, or suggestions to: xpaul@pikeonline.net