The difference between an accountant and a salesperson

No, this is not a joke. It's a reality that's important to understand. The difference between an accountant and a salesperson is that an accountant can function perfectly well and deliver what is expected even if he doesn't like his job. Not a sales person.

A salesperson will encounter tons of dynamics that are difficult to manage on a daily basis. If they don't have a strong desire to sell, they can't succeed. They can't prospect on a regular basis if they don't want to sell, and they can't represent their organisation if they don't want to. Selling is a "transfer of confidence". If a sales person doesn't have the will to sell, he won't transfer anything...

If they don't have the will to sell, they're not going to work on themselves to improve their skills on a regular basis. Or resume conversations with prospects who have suddenly disappeared.

An accountant, however, can perfectly well close a financial year even if he's "miserable". They don't need the passion, the grit, the energy to keep improving and learning from past mistakes. His accounting reports will always be accurate.

Measuring the willingness to sell during your recruitment process is therefore a key step. And knowing how to maintain it, through your culture, through your coaching, through understanding these motivations - extrinsic or intrinsic - is also fundamental.

How do you recruit sales people who want to sell? And how do you maintain that desire?