If someone had told me a decade ago that I would become a salesperson, I probably would have laughed. Sales, in my mind, was a world of sharp suits, rehearsed pitches, and ringing phones. I was a consultant at heart, so I thought. Consulting was awesome but far removed from the buzz of targets and quotas. And yet, here I am, reflecting on a journey that was as unplanned as it was transformative and it started with a question. What if we paired a consultant with a sales person.

Baptism by Fire

Our Sales VP called on me to pull numbers for a prospective CFO. I lived in MS Excel. TCO, ROI, No problem. I even thought it would be easy. So easy, I offered to present the numbers during the presentation.

A few days later, we’re in the lavish conference room. The prospect CFO was late and it came down to the last scheduled 20 minutes when he arrived. Plans were out the window and the presentation we rehearsed was for the full time slot. And then the CFO said. “I only care about the numbers. Hit me with the numbers in 5 minutes.”  Our VP looked at me and said “You’re on.”  It was the best adrenaline rush ever, the seed was planted. We didn’t win that day, but wow the rush of the being in the moment and pulling from everything you’ve ever done on the fly and now you have one shot.  I was hooked.

From Consulting to Sales: The Shift

At first, I saw myself as sales support as a product and numbers expert who could answer questions. But slowly, almost imperceptibly, my role began to change. I started taking the lead in conversations, negotiating terms, listening to the client’s pain points, and tailoring our solutions on the fly.

At night, I would research sales techniques, reading up on objection handling, persuasion, and the art of conversation. I found that there was unexpected creativity in sales. It’s a dance of empathy, logic, and improvisation. Each client was a puzzle, each meeting a performance. The skills I had honed in consulting, mixed with storytelling, understanding audience psychology, crafting compelling messages, these were suddenly invaluable on the other side of the table.

Discovering the Heart of Sales

What surprised me most was how human the process was. I had imagined sales as a battlefield, but in reality, it was a series of conversations, difficult, and often enlightening. I learned to listen more than I spoke, to ask questions that revealed not just what the client wanted, but why they wanted it. Like a consultant, I discovered the satisfaction of solving problems and the thrill of turning skepticism into belief.

My mentors taught me to celebrate small wins and learn from setbacks. I remember losing a big deal after months of work and feeling crushed, only to receive a message from the client thanking me for my help. Even in a loss, relationships, I realized, mattered as much as results.

Embracing the Title

It took time for me to call myself a salesperson. For a long while, I resisted the label, seeing myself as a consultant who happened to sell. But as my abilities grew, I came to appreciate the craft and discipline that sales demanded.

I started to see selling not as an act of persuasion, but as a service. My job was not to push products, but to understand needs, provide value, and build trust.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

Looking back, I see that my accidental journey into sales taught me lessons that extend far beyond the sales floor:

·         Embrace the Unexpected: Opportunities often arrive in disguise. Saying yes, even when unprepared, can open doors you never imagined.

·         Leverage Your Strengths: Skills from other domains; consulting, storytelling, empathy, creativity are powerful assets in the world of sales.

·         Listen Actively: The best salespeople are great listeners. Understanding clients’ needs is the first step to providing real solutions.

·         Value Relationships Over Transactions: Long-term success is built on trust, respect, and genuine connection not just short-term wins.

·         Find Joy in Growth: Every conversation, win or loss, is a chance to learn and evolve.

The Road Ahead

Today, when I introduce myself, I do so with pride. I am a salesperson not by design, but by discovery. My journey was accidental, but my passion is intentional. Each day brings new challenges and new people to help, and I am grateful for the twist of fate that brought me here.

If you find yourself stepping unexpectedly into a new role, I encourage you to lean in with curiosity and courage. Sometimes, the best careers aren’t planned they’re stumbled upon, embraced, and ultimately, cherished. My story is proof that the path to fulfillment can be as surprising as it is rewarding. And the coffee … Well, What if We share a cup and imagine the possibilities of working together. Worse case we both get a great cup of coffee.

With kindest regards,

Rob