The Best Sales People Carry Chainsaws

Tuesday after work, I traded my laptop for a chainsaw.

Just 24 hours earlier, an EF-3 tornado carved a path nearly 12 miles long and almost a quarter-mile wide through Northeast Wisconsin. Entire neighborhoods looked like war zones. Trees lay across homes. Roofs were torn open. Families stood in their front yards wondering where to begin.

Our church organized crews to help families whose homes had been devastated by the tornado. Trees blocked driveways. Massive limbs crushed roofs. Entire yards looked like someone had dropped a forest from the sky.

When I arrived, I wasn't thinking about sales, leadership or even this article. I was just thinking about helping. Some of us knew how to run chainsaws. Some dragged branches. Some stacked wood. Some simply stood beside homeowners who were overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin.

No one cared about job titles. Nobody introduced themselves by saying, "I'm the CEO," "I'm in sales" or "I'm a vice president." The only question anyone asked was,

"How can I help?"

As the sun began to set, Carolyn and I climbed back into the Jeep completely exhausted. Our clothes were soaked with sweat, our arms sore and our bodies ready for a nice warm shower and bed. But our hearts were full.

It turns out there may be a reason for that. Researchers have spent years studying what happens when people serve others. A comprehensive meta-analysis involving nearly 200,000 participants across 201 studies found that acts of kindness and service don't simply benefit the person receiving help—they also increase the helper's sense of purpose, life satisfaction and psychological well-being. Interestingly, informal acts of helping neighbors and communities, much like our tornado cleanup, often produced even greater benefits than formal volunteer programs.

Maybe that's why I drove home physically drained but emotionally energized. Helping others doesn't simply strengthen communities. It changes us.

As I reflected on the evening, I realized how closely that experience mirrors what the very best sales professionals do every day.

Sales isn't about persuasion. At least, the best sales isn't. The best salespeople aren't persuaders. They're servants. They're problem solvers. They're burden lifters.

Every client you meet is carrying something heavy. Sometimes it's declining sales. Sometimes it's pressure from ownership. Sometimes it's uncertainty about the future. Sometimes it's simply the weight of making another difficult decision. Or locally and recently, a bakery whose building was completely destroyed by the tornado.

When you walk into a Customer Needs Analysis asking, "What can I sell?" you may make a sale. But when you walk in asking,

"How can I help?"

You begin building something far more valuable.

Trust.

Jesus taught, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant."
— Matthew 20:26

That isn't just spiritual wisdom. It's timeless leadership wisdom, and it happens to be extraordinary business and sales advice.

Research on servant leadership consistently reaches the same conclusion. A large analysis of more than 130 independent studies found that leaders who genuinely serve others earn greater trust, build stronger relationships, create higher engagement and achieve better organizational outcomes.

Serving isn't soft. It's strategic.

Years ago, Zig Ziglar said,

"You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."

Tuesday evening, I watched that quote come alive.

The tornado victims probably won't remember how many trees we cut down. They won't remember whose chainsaw did the most work. They won't remember who carried the biggest branch. What they'll remember is that people showed up.

I'll never forget turning into that neighborhood. Before we ever started cutting trees, I remember thinking, "Where do you even begin?"

Your clients ask that same question.

"Where do I even begin?"

As sales professionals, we have the opportunity to do the very same thing every day. Not with chainsaws. But with listening ears. Creative ideas. Thoughtful questions. Meaningful solutions. Integrity and a genuine desire to make someone else's life just a little bit better.

Because in business, as in life...

People may forget what you sold them, but they'll never forget that you showed up when they needed help.

Think Big. Make Big Things Happen.

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.