1       Have you ever wished you were a natural salesperson, or that you could find a few of that fabled breed to hire? Sorry, they don’t exist — it’s just a myth. Sure, some folks have innate “people skills,” but while that gift is a terrific advantage, it’s really not enough. Selling is like sports: It’s great to have natural ability, but it is the combination of extreme desire, education, and experience that makes a champion.

2       A passion for selling. When I graduated with honors from a good college, my parents were thrilled. When I announced that I wanted to go into sales, they burst into tears. They were disappointed but consoled themselves with the hope that, maybe, it was just one of those crazy phases young people go through.

3       Sorry, Mom and Dad. I have changed jobs many times but never careers. I have developed a passion for selling that I will never shake. Some people are crazy for football or fly fishing. For me, it’s selling. In my sales-training career, I have encountered many students who are only marking time until they can get a “better” job. The sad truth is that without an extreme desire to succeed, those people will never experience the thrill of extreme success.

4       Education pays. A headhunter once presented me with a choice between two sales jobs. His advice was to pick the one that offered the most education so that, when I moved on, I would have even more job offers to choose from. He was right. More choices mean more money. So, when readers ask me how to choose their next sales job, I always recommend they go for the one that will teach them the most.

5       Sales education can come from a variety of sources. If your employer doesn’t offer formal sales training, ask for it. It could involve bringing in a sales trainer or paying for you to attend a seminar. I had one boss who reimbursed me for any sales training books or tapes I bought. Why? Because it helped me to sell more. In addition, I shared my knowledge and enthusiasm with the rest of the sales team, which multiplied the impact and boosted his bottom line.

6       No substitute for experience. You could spend months studying sales and all that effort still wouldn’t guarantee success. The key is putting that education to work, trying things out to learn what makes potential customers buy and what leaves them cold. That’s called experience and it can only be acquired the old fashioned way, as Smith Barney’s ads used to say. You have to earn it!

7       Sales jobs are like shoes. There are plenty that look attractive, but it’s the fit that counts. The trick is to find one that doesn’t raise blisters.

8       Sales professionals basically come in two types: “hunters” and “farmers.” Hunters prefer looking for new business. They are risk-takers, aggressive, and they usually like variety. To these folks, being rejected is water off a duck’s back. Hunters don’t score with every shot — but they score a lot of home runs, too. Hunters are best used in outside sales and for opening new accounts.

9       Then there are the farmers, who prefer to sell ongoing business. They like to maintain relationships and they are service-oriented. If you are assembling a sales force, farmers are best deployed in inside sales and for handling house accounts.

10       Everything is more fun when you’re good at it — and this is especially true for your career. The good news is you didn’t have to be born with certain traits to be good at selling. Rather, you can develop your desire, education, and experience and match those acquired qualities to a sales job that fits your personality and strengths. Then you’ll be on your way to years of fun and success. Happy Selling!

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1.… while that gift is a terrific advantage, it’s really not enough.

……虽然这种天赋是个极大的优点，它真的还不够。 

此句中while作为连接词，意为although“虽然，尽管”。

2.... but it is the combination of extreme desire, education, and experience that makes a champion.

……但造就一名冠军却是强烈的欲望、教育和经验三者的结合。

本句中使用了it is... that... 表示强调的句型。原句the combination of extreme desire, education, and experience makes a champion也能表示几乎相同的意思，但是作者为了强调the combination of extreme desire, education, and experience，将句子的这一部分置于it is和that之间，其余部分置于that之后。下文中的“it’s the ft that counts(重要的是要合脚) ” 结构与本句相同。

3.... consoled themselves with the hope that, maybe, it was just one of those crazy phases young people go through.

……怀着希望安慰自己，希望这也许只是年轻人要经历的那些疯狂的特异行为期之一。

本句中that引导的句子是the hope的同位语，表述hope的具体内容。

4.I would have even more job offers to choose from.

我就会有更多的工作供我选择。

choose可以作为及物动词，也可作为不及物动词使用。人们可以说choose  from many job offers，也可以说have many  job offers  to choose from，表示有多种工作机会可选择。

5.... what leaves them cold.

……什么不能激起他们的兴趣。

cold可以表示“没有热情、冷淡”。又如：

6.... being rejected is water off a duck’s back.

……遭到拒绝犹如水落鸭背。

英语成语(like) water off a duck’s back意为“(批评或挫折等)对某人不起作用或无所谓”。本句中being rejected是动名词短语，作主语用。

7.... match those acquired qualities to a sales job that fits your personality and strengths.

……使这些获得的品质与一份适合你个性和长处的销售工作相匹配。

句中qualities指上文的desire, education, and experience等，that引导的定语从句修饰job。

* Read the following paragraphs until you have learned them by heart.

A passion for selling. When I graduated with honors from a good college, my parents were thrilled. When I announced that I wanted to go into sales, they burst into tears. They were disappointed but consoled themselves with the hope that, maybe, it was just one of those crazy phases young people go through.

Sorry, Mom and Dad. I have changed jobs many times but never careers. I have developed a passion for selling that I will never shake. Some people are crazy for football or fly fishing. For me, it’s selling. In my sales-training career, I have encountered many students who are only marking time until they can get a “better” job. The sad truth is that without an extreme desire to succeed, those people will never experience the thrill of extreme success.