To Ledio's point, I am a teacher at heart - have always been and will always be - and it is important to maintain the highest level of integrity in our communications with students. However, to Kevin's and Robert's points, additionally, the perception is based on what we believe sales or selling to be.

I sell myself every day, not superficially or in an exaggerated way to get someone to buy something, but in a way to help motivate and engage students and/or training participants. Investment in one's education is intangible, and though having a high return on investment, you can't drive it off the lot, walk out of its front door or watch your favorite TV shows on it. As an educator, I believe one of my primary roles, collectively, in representing both the field and my discipline is to continuously relate learning to students' career objectives and affirm the relevance (of the product so to speak). In that sense, it's really a type of selling to help ensure a student, faced with a variety of life's challenges, walks across the graduation stage and enters his or her chosen field.

A sales professional once told me that a "buyer" will not connect with the features and benefits of the "product" until they connect with the "sales person." How we professionally connect with our students influences how they connect to the importance of their education and training - and hence the outcomes.     

I think it depends on how people view "sales."  The word tends to have a negative connotation, thus, if one has a negative view of what "sales" means, they may not like this idea.  I believe that the reality is we all "sell" something, even ideas.  Instructors must get buy-in from students so that students see the value in what instructors teach.  For instance, a student may think their English class is a waste of time simply because they don't see the relevance to their career training.  Outstanding Instructors "sell" the relevance by making the connection between the topic and how it matters to the individual and that is often a "sales" process beginning with awareness, interest, and hopefully moving a learner toward enthusiasm.  This helps students not only learn, but it hopefully instills an appreciation for life-long learning.  That is the "sales" process I see.  Bad sales professionals "bend" the truth the same way bad instructors are indifferent of whether or not their students are engaged in the class.  Outstanding Instructors are the ones who get learners excited and who can help make the connection of value for the learner.  Indeed, the "sales" aspect of teaching is one of the things that makes the job so tough......and so important!  This is just my perspective and I think of those special Instructors I've had in my lifetime who made me see and feel what they felt and it has helped me tremendously, even when i was not first sold on what they were selling.   

I have to completely disagree. Sales professionals often bend the truth in order to make the sale. I don't sell myself, I don't teach to convince my students how good of a subject-matter expert I am and stroke my ego. I teach because I enjoy it.

Really a waste of my time.