There will be some people reading this who don't know me and wonder: "What does this guy do?" Well, here I am, traveling thousands and thousands of kilometers and spouting all sorts of nonsense. As the title says today, I sell, therefore I am, but I don't sell just anything, I sell the best of our land, IBERIAN PRODUCTS, and that's no small feat, I can assure you.
For the past few months, following the teachings of my new guru, Sanchez Salinero, I haven't listened to the news. And political talk shows are strictly forbidden by my doctor. These activities are incompatible with my profession; imagine, for a moment, listening to any of those dullards who invade our airwaves, with a club of pessimists sitting around fighting to see who can make everything look the worst… How could I possibly sell anything after that! Not a chance. Much better to listen to rock music, radio jokes, dating shows, etc. Morning energy straight to the veins to get me going.
Everyone's convinced everything's going wrong, and you wouldn't believe it if they know you work in our industry, especially here in Salamanca! How we love to revel in other people's misfortunes! Well, damn it! We're doing great, and if that sounds arrogant, well, it's true, and what can we do? Now, fifteen or sixteen hours a day is hard work for all of us. Few people envy that.
My profession is looked down upon; it's seen as some kind of dumping ground, a bargain bin... But listen, in any company, the sales team is the driving force. If you don't sell, the whole thing doesn't work. What's the point of a company if it can't sell what it makes? Just imagine.
In recent years, due to the economic boom and, above all, the general madness, our profession has suffered widespread encroachment, especially in the real estate sector. People who, after showing an apartment and saying, "I have four couples interested in this property, make up your minds now! Or I'll raise the price by 2 million," thought they were sales experts. Welcome to reality! Some of these naive individuals, after closing their mediocre real estate agencies, continued to believe they were true salespeople and tried their hand at other sectors. What folly! This profession, although it's looked down upon, and only those of us who have no other option pursue it, requires learning and dedication, just like any other trade. It's not enough to just put on hair gel and a tie (men) or go to the hairdresser and dress up (women).
Just to give you some facts, no good salesperson is ever unemployed; it's impossible. They'll always earn significantly more than anyone in another department. They usually get their meals, expenses covered, etc. They even have a company car. And another clear fact: 85% of CEOs, managers, and presidents of companies in any sector started in the sales department—that is, they started selling. So, no matter what our business cards say, whether it's "Head of Something" or even "Sales Director," we're salespeople, and I say that with pride, especially if, like me, you sell the best products from your region and put all your passion into it.
After reading this, anyone who's unemployed might be tempted to become a salesperson, in any field; but remember that, as with anything, not everyone is cut out for it, and above all, most importantly, just like being a plumber, bricklayer, or anything else, you need training and to learn alongside someone who knows what they're doing and can give you good advice. Well, tomorrow we'll keep selling and trying to continue creating jobs in a province like ours. Let others... keep saying everything's going badly, including civil servants. We'll see how they fare in the future; perhaps they'll envy times like these.
basilio@aljomar.es
