Born To Sell?

I am of the firm belief that good salespeople are born, not trained. This occurs to me every time I see an obviously trained, not born salesperson, tipically male, in his twenties. You know the type, straight off the training where he did everything just right and where he was brainwashed into believing that he'll be awesome and as long as he just keeps prospective customers firmly in the clutches of a sales pitch and wears a suit, he'll earn unimaginable piles of money.

And then, out on the street, he's pushy, tries too hard and makes people extremely uncomfortable. And he doesn't notice or doesn't understand why. And he probably has the highest rate of customers revoking a contract after he badgered them into signing something.

Apparently, the most fundamental truth is not taught in these sales trainings: the person you want to sell something to has to actually find you somewhat likeable. Otherwise it's not going to happen, even if they need / want your product.

I, by the way, would not make a good salesperson. Talking someone into buying something they don't need? Or something they could get cheaper or in better quality elsewhere? Nah, I think I'd always end up telling them my honest opinion, which in the sales business probably isn't the best policy...