For many of us we did not choose sales as a career, it chose us.

We were the ones having garage sales trying to sell Mom’s old toaster, Dad’s old ties or toys we had since outgrown. Or perhaps selling our duplicate baseball cards of Joe Pepitone as if they were a one-of-a-kind treasure, or convincing your parents to let you “go camping” overnight in the backyard with your best friend.

Let’s face it, we have a gift. The Greatest Gift.

We knew how to convince others at young age to do as we wish. In our youth, family and friends called us “smooth talkers” as it had a hint of negativism as others feared what they could not do nor understand. What we really knew how to do was sell. What started out as a little seed inside of us, blossomed into a career decades later. We could be successful selling shoes, cars, financial services and yes, even ice to Eskimos.

After college, our buddies became accountants, entry level execs, pre-law or pre-med while we were the ones that went into sales. Nobody quite knew what we were selling, what we were doing, or why in the world we chose to work on commission and give up the almighty base salary. They all thought we were nuts. How were we to explain to friends that the art of persuasion was our elixir? We then felt a sense of separatism and for the first time we were OK with that too.

You took that sales job, grabbed the phone book to make your calls, got a haircut, some new dress clothes (compliments of Mom and Dad), and put that calculator on the passenger seat of your 1975 Datsun so you can calculate your commissions. You were brimming with optimism and hope.

Each sales call was an adventure, a road trip. Looking back, we wonder how or why did people buy from us? We were babies; neophytes. Couples at the kitchen table gave you a check for an insurance policy product that we did not even fully understand. Whole Life vs. Universal life vs. Variable life - I really had no idea. We just knew that selling term was a death sentence in this business.

For me, I can still recall the dogs sniffing me (where I did not want to be sniffed) and acting like I did not mind. And some of the homes had the funniest smells. I remember it all. These were my growing pains.

I loved sales. Yet at times I hated it. I was the one who was going to have a 100 % closing ratio. I took rejection as a personal affront. Perhaps my friends were right, maybe it’s time to cash out and get that base salary. Then a quick moment with a pen and paper and you realized it took only a few sales to make more than my buddies made in an entire year. I was hooked. One day I was convinced I had a great prospect list and the next day, felt that I had no one to talk with. The emotions were all over the place all the time. My head was filled with so much clutter, it became the norm.

We are nuts. Let’s face it, NOBODY can sell better than us. I mean NOBODY. I cannot teach someone this skill, just like Nolan Ryan could not teach me how to throw a baseball 100 mph. My son says he wants to follow in my footsteps. I don’t see it. Succession planning is looking bleak for me.

I finally realized that I need to accept what I am and learn to accept others for who they are too. I am not better, only different. I am not the only greatest salesperson that was ever born. I just don’t see that many of them—or so I thought. The truth is I met many but was too stubborn to accept the fact I had competition. If I only had an open mind I could have learned so much more.

Perhaps I can teach my son or someone else about this business after all. There have been many major league pitchers that threw much less that 100 mph that have had hall of fame careers.

Maybe it’s time I stop trying to have others meet my expectations and begin to mentor others to maximize their true abilities.

Now that is not just being a great salesperson, that’s being a great person.

To give others all you have learned and to watch them flourish. To me, perhaps that is really our greatest gift; for it’s not about our little victories --- but teaching others how to win.

So one day when my heart decides to rest for good, I will look back and think not about the big sale, the big house or even the new Mercedes. I will reflect and see how many lives I changed for the better. For helping others will now be my new elixir.

After 25 years on Wall Street as a Senior Executive for one the world’s largest investment banks running a $30 billion sales division, Rich decided to trade in his corner office for a home office in Madison, NJ to serve others. Rich now owns a business which has a sales/executive training and coaching division. Not only can Rich be seen frequently on many FOX NEWS channels, he is also quoted in the media, is an accomplished public speaker, and has authored a book titled, “The Power of Pain.” www.richdesavo.com