--- title: Pretending to Be a Salesperson | The Sales Blog description: You can love part of sales. It is all or nothing. You want to be a salesperson, you just don’t want to have to prospect. You don’t want to interrupt people image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_426716044.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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It is all or nothing. You want to be a salesperson, you just don’t want to have to [prospect](https://thesalesblog.com/blog/if-you-dont-like-prospecting-you-dont-like-selling). You don’t want to interrupt people, and you don’t like bothering them. If you don’t like prospecting, you don’t like selling. Selling requires that you create new opportunities, and prospecting is how you do that work. You want to a be a salesperson, but you only want to sell something that your prospective clients really want. You only want to sell to people who are already trying to buy what you sell. This belief makes you an [order-taker](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/five-signs-that-you-are-an-order-taker), not a salesperson. There is a lot of talk about salespeople being replaced by technology in the future, and the people in sales who suffer from this belief will be the first to be replaced. You want to be a salesperson, but you don’t want to have to ask people to make [commitments](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/10-commitments-you-must-gain-to-win-deals). You want them to tell you they’re ready to take the next step. Selling is conversations about the future, creating a preference for you and your solution, and it is most definitely about gaining commitments. There is no waiting in sales, least of all waiting for your dream client to ask if you are ready for them to buy. You want to be a salesperson, but you want to communicate with people over [email](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/phone-first-email-second) because you am more comfortable when you have time to carefully consider every word, making every communication just right. Email is a necessary but inferior medium when it comes to selling. It doesn’t allow for the kind of communication necessary to sell, including [collaboration](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/on-conflict-and-collaboration), [building consensus](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-consensus), and [resolving concerns](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/13-ways-to-resolve-concerns-and-get-to-yes). If you want to be a salesperson, you’re going have to engage in more effective mediums. You want to be a salesperson, but you don’t want to deal with the big issues that prevent your prospective clients from generating the results they need. You don’t want to deal with all their problems. If you don’t like dealing with [conflict](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/stop-avoiding-minor-conflicts), you aren’t going to love being a salesperson. Selling comes with a certain amount of healthy conflict. If you don’t want to manage problems, challenges, and conflicts, you aren’t in sales. You want to be a salesperson, but only if you can do the [consulting](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/you-are-not-a-consultant-you-are-a-salesperson) part without having any responsibility to sell what your company sells. If you want to give your advice without having to deliver results, start an advice column. You never have to sell anyone anything that won’t serve them, but you also don’t need to spend time advising people who can’t or won’t buy what you sell.   ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2016](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2016) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on December 8, 2016 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2024-09-06T12:55:27 PM", "datePublished" : "2016-12-08 21:11:45", "description" : "You can love part of sales. It is all or nothing. You want to be a salesperson, you just don’t want to have to prospect. 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