Warren Buffett said on his recent CNBC interview, “During times like these the most valuable asset you have is your skills and abilities.” He spent three hours with Beck Quick talking about the economy, his investments, and the future of America. If you haven’t seen the interview, watch it, because he demonstrates a sane approach and solution to the current situation.
I noticed two things about the interview,
1) Mr. Buffett thinks in futures not just in the havoc of the moment and
2) He takes every opportunity to “sell” the products and services as well as enhance the value of the company he owns.
Warren Buffett knows that without selling products and services his companies become without value. Whether its American Express, Coca Cola, Wells Fargo, See’s Candy, Wal-Mart or GE, he takes the time to shamelessly tout each one of them. Why does a Billionaire continue to promote, market and sell the value of the companies he has major stakes in? Because even the richest man in the world knows that the financial solvency of a company or household is dependent upon selling the products, services and value of that company.
Every household in America needs to take heed of Mr. Buffett as he embraces selling as a survival skill for creating the future you want. Selling is innate in every person and not limited to just some, even though the skill may be lost or suppressed, it is there.
America has developed a disdain for selling when this is the one single thing you cannot avoid if you want to have money in the bank! Every major problem people are having today from job loss to bankruptcy can be traced back to the inability to sell yourself, your products and your services. Show me a company failing and I will show you a company having difficulty selling their products and services. Like it or not you cannot manage, organize, save or plan your way out of this, you can only sell to survive!
The tighter the economy gets the more this skill is needed. Remember what Buffet said, “During times like these the most valuable asset you have is your skills and abilities.” The ability to not just create great ideas but to sell them and get them into the market is what made America great and prosperous. In the 50 and 60’s people were proud to be sales people and now the culture turns its nose up at the thought of it. Everyone wants to be a lawyer, doctor, technician or engineer. The largest legal firm in the country just laid off 20% of their lawyers and I assure you that the ones that got laid off had one thing in common; the inability to bring in revenue (sell).
The art of selling can be learned by anyone and you don’t have to change your personality in order to do so. Look at Buffett, he isn’t sleazy, high pressure or a fast talker. He is just someone that knows that selling is critical to the survival of individuals and companies.
