I hope to also shine a light on a “business art” that is often looked down upon by those who still subscribe to the idea of old-school sales and cheesy salespeople. Generating revenue requires a certain kind of practical intelligence that includes a nuanced set of skills honed over time but never perfected. It is the foundation of all business and creates happiness and security for millions of people.
At the core of the Zero Sales Theory is the idea that to create growth for your business you must demonstrate to a buyer that you understand what matters to them, that you can and will create a relationship with them that they will believe is valuable, and that you are well-intentioned.
In Zero Sales, the salespeople do not go away and neither do their revenue targets or their ability to achieve them. In fact, you will likely find that both targets and achievement go up.
What goes away is “selling.”
As I have said many times to those who have worked for me, “If the buyer feels like you are selling something to them, you’re doing it wrong.”