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As schools close for the summer, there is a new temporary workforce out there that is very often overlooked, but can help you have your best Q3 ever. While this school year was not normal by any means, we saw the ability of teachers, students, and parents to adapt how we educate our children, and they still were able to grow and succeed. Zoom, social media, and many other cloud-based technologies we use in business everyday quickly moved into the classroom at a rapid pace. Not only did they move in, many teachers and students thrived in this new environment. It was no longer just Mom and Dad that had a call, everyone in the house had meetings.

That being said, teachers have been doing this for decades, it’s nothing new. Each year it is like they start a new job, with a whole new team, and sometimes a new skill. Imagine every 12 months someone told you that you have to do something completely different with a brand-new team and product. Yet, teachers continue to adapt, innovate and motivate our next generation of entrepreneurs.

That being said, as many teachers have the summer “off” they are looking for something to fill the time. Many companies see great success hiring teachers as part time salespeople due to their ability to educate, build relationships and ultimately close the deal.

The following are a few reasons you should consider hiring a teacher to help your organization crush it:

1. Teachers don’t sell, they educate

Many sales-oriented people come on strong and pushy. They want to tell you about why you need the product or service. Teachers have a great way of asking questions, teaching someone about what makes that product or service great and finally, gently asking for the sale. 

They also know how to take complex concepts and make them simple, so people are sometimes better able to relate to the solution, not the problem. You will see their goal is very often not to convince the person to buy a product, but their goal is to ensure your customer truly understands how your product or service will make their life better.

“Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.” – Seth Godin

2. Teachers are a trusted group

We all know great sales are about relationships and trust. Each school year parents hand over their most important thing in their life to this person and say, teach them! When someone meets a teacher representing your product or service and is told they are an educator, this puts them at ease. It also makes for a great ice breaker and gives each side something to talk about. Everyone has had a teacher who impacts their life or has kids in school. It is a great way to build rapport and have a customer for life.

3. Teachers are able to pick up things quickly

Bringing on any new employee can come with its challenges, and one of the biggest is very often training them. Teachers are challenged often to learn new skills and teaching techniques continually to make sure they deliver the best educational experience possible. 

Teachers are often able to understand and study your product or process and prepare to move into relationship sales. Another great thing about this is they are comfortable asking questions. They will know where to stop in the sale and get clarity on a question. This will very often prevent the over promising some salespeople do that can cause you as a business owner to under deliver.

“The major difference between successful and unsuccessful people is that the former look for problems to resolve, whereas the latter make every attempt to avoid them.” – Grant Cardone

4. Teachers can change or create training for your organization

If you still are not convinced that teachers may be a fit for your organization in the sales department, that is understandable. One place many business owners lack is in what we just spoke about, training and onboarding of new employees. If you are busy running your business and have not had the time to get to creating SOPs and training documentation for your business, this summer may be the time.

As we all know, teachers create amazing classroom content and lesson plans that go behind them. Even if it is not sales, you can have a teacher spend the summer shadowing your employees and create SOPs and training documents. This will allow your business to grow and scale by making training of future employees effective and efficient.

So, where do you go to find these master teacher salespeople? Well posting the usual job post very often won’t get it done. Not all teachers are seeking out these positions, but they know they do want to do something with their time over the summer. The best place to go is social media. Try posting to your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest pages. This is where teachers live, and you can reach out directly. It may seem like an unlikely connection neither one of you were thinking about but could be a win win for everyone.

What do you think makes a great salesperson? Share your thoughts with us below!