Who is selling?

A familiar scene unfolded in the boardroom today. My team met another company, and we discovered we were both trying to sell to each other.

It wasn’t a good meeting. In a company, the people who sell things are rarely the people who buy things. The result was like pushing two opposing magnets together – an awkward hour that failed to generate meaningful actions.

Why does this keep happening? It should be obvious – I’m pitching you my product, and you’re considering buying it. Or vice versa.

I’ve decided the root cause is that some companies consider sales a dirty word. Instead of admitting they want to pitch a product, they talk about exploring partnerships, looking for collaboration opportunities, or learning more about the industry.

Selling is not an evil act. It’s a noble profession. But wasting everyone’s time through hidden intentions seems quite evil to me.