CHAPTER 2

Why Selling Is Vital to Entrepreneurship

I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard.

—Estee Lauder

There is a famous saying in the world of business: “Nothing happens until somebody sells something.” This oft-cited quote has been attributed to many thought leaders—Peter Drucker and Thomas J. Watson among them—but no matter who said it originally, its truth cannot be disputed. You don’t really have a company until you start selling.

Every entrepreneurial endeavor is about acquiring and using resources profitably. In this endeavor, the ability to sell is sine qua non, or “something that is absolutely needed.” Since selling is so fundamental, it should be treated as a ...

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