During the course of my career I have heard many biomeds say, “I could never be a salesperson!” But the fact of the matter is you can't lead your department to a higher level of value within your organization without some basic sales skills, and when you are trying to move your department or an initiative forward, particularly when it involves an up-front investment of money or trust from your organization, your sales skills had better be well honed.Being a good “salesman” for most of us started when we were first interviewing and selling ourselves for our past and current positions. Zig Ziglar, a world-renowned motivator and leader in sales training, refers to sales people as professional persuaders. At various points in time, you will need to be persuasive to your boss, your staff, your co-workers, your customers, your administration, your finance officers, etc., so learning these skills will serve you well in any position. Having had the opportunity and the privilege to get to know many excellent “persuaders,” I have learned many of the attributes that have made them successful and can also help you reach new heights.I highly recommend books such as Real World 101 by James Calano and Jeff Salzman, Speak and Get Results by Sandy Linver, and Writing with Precision by Jefferson Bates as good resources to help you develop in all of these areas.Remember, with some projects you may need to make your proposal with several different groups before you can move forward, so tailor your presentations for each specific group. I strongly recommend that even after getting support from the top, you identify all potential parties who might be affected, including your own staff, and “make your sale” to get their support as well. It will make buy-in much easier, and they may have some good ideas to enhance your initiative. Everyone wants to know, “What's in it for me?” Figure out what that is for each group, and make sure they understand the benefits that affect them.Adopt these practices, and very quickly you and your team will find yourselves more valued in your organization. As a result, you'll be more engaged, motivated, and will be establishing goals based on what is most important to making your organization successful, thus further ensuring your own success. Now go out and sell!