Weekly Snapshot: Everything is Sales.

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Hi Friends,

Everything is sales. Nothing is truer.

When you’re starting a new business, you need customers, and you need to convince customers to buy your product. It’s sales. If you’re applying for a new job, you have to showcase your skills and prove you’re the right person for the job. It’s sales. If you want to convince your partner to go on a trip together, it’s sales. If you’re convincing a group of people of your new ideology, it’s sales.

We, as humans, are in the state of selling all the time. The better we are at selling, the better we are at persuasion. As an entrepreneur, I have concluded that sales is the most critical skill to possess in life, and it separates high achievers from low achievers.

The only way to get better at sales is by doing it. Find a product you believe in, visit a nearby retailer, and try selling it. Or even better, start a lemonade stand, sell brownies to your co-workers, or initiate your business idea that’s been on your mind for a long time. You’ll learn so much about human behavior, decisions people take before purchasing a product, questions people ask, and needs your product fulfills. If you successfully convince them to buy your product, you’ll get a feeling of empowerment unlike any other and you’ll learn lessons that will last a lifetime.

Remember, every one of us is in the business of sales. You have to get better at it to get ahead.

💪 Wins of the week

  1. I managed to shortlist top battery providers in Dubai and prepare a pitch to initiate a conversation. It feeds directly into my goal of understanding their needs and selling them my new battery product.
  2. I published my article and YouTube video (watch the video at the end of this newsletter)

🧐 Challenges & Learnings

  1. I am finding it tough to begin work on an important task. I know I have to do it, but somehow, I cannot get started. I feel unprepared to dive right in, but maybe it is an excuse. My learning is that I need to take action and dive right in without wasting time; the action will enable clarity. 
  2. I went to the gym only once. I’m feeling a little distant from the gym - maybe introducing new exercises might help. I don’t know yet. It’s a challenge to push yourself through the downturns. 

🎯 Goals for Next Week

Next week is all about getting shit done.

  1. Connect with electric battery suppliers in the UAE and establish relations to understand the nature of their business.
  2. Complete sprint at work and supercharge the development process to meet deadlines.
  3. Publish 1 article and 1 YouTube video.
  4. Eat well and take care of my mental health.
  5. Gym: 4 days.

📖 My Readings

I'm reading Skin in the Game by Nassim Taleb. The core lesson of the context setting has been focused on working on things that you have a direct stake in. Without skin in the game (personal stake), you will make decisions without thinking about all consequences and end

🎬 My Latest Video

How I got a 9 Band on the IELTS Speaking Test | Strategy, Tips & Resources: In this video, I share how I got a 9 Band on the IELTS Speaking Section on my first attempt in just two weeks of studying. I’ll go through the strategies and a 30-day plan that you can follow to ace the IETLS section.

✍️ Quote of the Week

"One thing we've learned is, if it's clear that something is a mistake, is to fix it quickly. It doesn't get better while you wait."
— Charlie Munger

Till next time.
Raheel Ahmad