I Find Individuals Utterly Fascinating

I n the earlier '70s I worked in the aerospace industry at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While my education has been in accounting and computer science, I never felt either field to have the creative elements that I was seeking. Given my job at the time, I reported to the Executive Director of Human Resources at Cal Tech. At the time, all the legal and accounting types did so because, after all, this was government contracting, and it was all about managing people.

My boss, Steve Reeves, was an interesting man who taught me a lot. (Unfortunately, mostly about what not to think or to do, as it relates to people.) I will never forget the day he explained to me why he was a human resources director. "Look at these guys," he said. "They're working for a promise: for dreams of their youth, aspirations and self-fulfillment. If you find some way to tap into that, you can get people to work like pit ponies, and for pennies." He concluded, "I really don't much like people, but I find individuals utterly fascinating."

Well, as amazing a statement that was, it did point to an element of truth about working with people. We really don't take on the weight of the world on a sales call, because it is all about one individual (you) talking with another individual (your new acquaintance and possible customer). Like Steve, I do find individuals utterly fascinating, and I never tire of engaging them in conversation about what makes them tick.

For my money, and yours, the creativity available in the sales profession is indeed magical. For those of us that realize what we are and what we are good at, we thank our lucky stars that we can get paid, and often paid well, for such work as getting to know individuals, and having a chance to talk to them about what it is that excites us, one individual at a time.