To Sell Is Human

The existing data show that 1 in 9 Americans works in sales. But the new data reveal something more startling: So do the other 8 in 9. They, too, are spending their days moving others and depending for their livelihoods on the ability to do it well. Whether it's selling's traditional form or its non-sales varia-tion, we're all in sales now.

Two main findings emerged out of a survey on how much time and energy people are devoting to moving others at work: 1. People are now spending about 40 percent of their time at work engaged in non-sales selling persuading, influencing, and convincing others in ways that don't involve anyone making a purchase. Across a range of professions, we are devoting roughly twenty-four minutes of every hour to moving others. 2. People consider this aspect of their work crucial to their professional success- even in excess of the considerable amount of time they devote to it.