UK sales transformation specialist True Sales is making the case for sales to be taught in schools. According to MD Paul Owen, doing so could support future economic growth while also overcoming many of the negative effects of Covid on the social skills of young people.

So, why don’t we teach sales in our education system? Because we misunderstand what it is, according to Paul Owen:

“As a society, we can’t get over the ‘Sales is forcing people to buy stuff they don’t want or need’ image. Oh no, not sales! And that’s it. Nobody questions this view. And it’s harming our business success, our society and, post-Covid, our young people who would benefit from many of the lessons learnt in sales.”

Negative depictions of sales in the media are common, yet sales – done properly – is helping people make good buying decisions. Good salespeople don’t force people to buy. That doesn’t work, especially today when all claims can be fact-checked online in seconds. Owen points out that good salespeople work hard to understand a client and their needs:

“The real mission in sales is ‘The Search for Truth’. Once we understand the truth, we can then advise people, helping them make good decisions. The UK needs to reconsider sales and recognise that it’s one of the most important skills in life and, for many, a fantastic career option. It can deliver happier people who communicate better at work and at home and who feel more confident and less anxious. What do we have to lose?”

Certainly, the UK could do with an economic boost. Its economy is projected to achieve the second-slowest growth rate in the G7 for 2023, at 0.5%, and the slowest growth in 2024, at 0.6%, according to the International Monetary Fund. Looking across the Atlantic to the US, with its confident, sales-focused and proactive business mindset, the Congressional Budget Office expects to achieve nominal gross domestic income growth of 3.1% in 2023. The forecast is for an average of 4.8% growth in 2024 and 2025.