Students Need to Learn WHAT?!?

Imagine my surprise when Carlos Watson, CEO of Ozy.com, a digital media company, spoke on the PBS Newshour about his belief that students should learn to sell.

They should also learn to read and write and do math and probably to code to get a job when they graduate.

I believe that Carlos’s message is not only for students. It’s for YOU if you have a business.

You see, sales when done well is about connection and great communication – finding a problem and delivering a solution. All the sleazy stuff and high-pressure tactics – you know, the stuff you just hate about sales – that’s extra freight that some people add to the sales process because they don’t know any better or they are so self-centered that it’s their way of operating. But believe me, those slick tactics are not at all necessary or desirable to sell and serve well and with integrity.

Carlos Watson’s first endeavor was an education business, which was failing until he took this advice from his mentor:

“Now, when I started my first business, it was an education company. I didn’t want to sell. But a mentor gave me some really great advice that propelled our flailing start-up into a multimillion-dollar business. He said, ‘Carlos, the only thing that matters is if can you sell. If you expect your good idea to sell itself, you are believing in a fairy tale.’”

I’ll let you watch the clip from the PBS Newshour to see whether you agree with Carlos and me that sales is an essential skill that just about everyone must learn, develop, and master.

You can check out more (including a transcript) from PBS here.