Category: Business

Not getting a call back after your first date, interview or from a prospect can be frustrating. Then the feelings develop: anger, insecurity and beliefs about life being unfair. However entitled we may be to the rewarding and meaningful things, they don’t always materialize. But managing that is essential in our careers, especially as sales people, because the foundation on which the rest is built must be solid.

Anger

Struggling with anger may come in part from rejection. Examining how rejection has created anger is helpful, because it allows you to stop thrawrting yourself. Was your experience different from others because you were rejected or felt rejected? And now, as a result, you’re angry at the lost time and effort? I would want to clear myself of past rejection to move forward without anger grinding me down.

Insecurity

Imagine picking up the phone to convince someone to buy your product and the whole time you know it’s not worth the price, or that it’s likely faulty or superfluous. It would give me a bad, slimy feeling. When we try to pass ourselves off as greater than, sometimes we fail to appreciate that it’s not always about us, and feelings of insecurity creep in. Without taking care of these basic concerns, we can’t influence people and things around us for the better.

Unfairness

Life’s unfair. Fortunately, despite the truth of this phrase, an equally true feeling is that it’s worth it. Letting your hold of this truth go is the reality of people when they let unfairness rule their life; and it makes it hard to be with people, clients, family, and so on. When we do get what we want then it doesn’t feel unfair. But what really do others have to do with whether you’re experiencing fairness or not. You can expect to be disappointed when relying on others to make your life worth it themselves, so it’s up to you to make it worth it yourself.

Conclusion

Let’s consider a failure to do ourselves the benefit of feeling well a fluke and begin again when feelings begin to draw out and deprive us of what we truly deserve from life.

My dog has sales skills she doesn’t know of but uses them on me every day. Although cute little Guinevere may be oblivious to it, every time she gives me kisses and plays with me, she is engaging in a game of competition for my attention. This is what sales is about — gaining attention and holding it.

1. Mental Toughness

Rejection is daunting and unavoidable, and to the extent a salesperson deals with it, its an integral part of the sales job. You don’t expect a car wash to work itself and you don’t make a grocery list to not buy the items on the list. However, at least when you wash your car, you’re gaining the benefit of a nice looking vehicle, and so on. Mental toughness is about having the resilience to keep going when you don’t get results. Below are a few books that touch on keeping your attitude straight through thick and thin.

• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• Grit by Angela Duckworth
• Clear Thinking by Shane Parish

2. Relationships of Trust

You wouldn’t give your main argument to the lawyer on the other side, and you wouldn’t help a competing business win the favor of your client. Competition and advantage are the enemy of friendship and trust. So, when push comes to shove, how does somebody avoid getting burned? They are likely to choose their friends carefully and trust sparingly. Find out how to manifest situations that are nurturing and gentle.

• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Influence by Robert Cialdini
• Attached by Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel Heller

3. Knowledge of the Product

Competent salespersons are confident in their understanding of what they’re selling and what solution that offers to their buyers. Someone knowledgeable in problems with supply chain or manufacturing is better suited to confront a potential client who has needs to be met than a person that hasn’t thought of those needs.

• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

4. Handling Objections

There is a finesse in encouraging people to take a leap of faith. I could have cold feet if my money or reputation was on the line and it may take a solid case to convince me the risk is worth it. I’m most likely to risk those things is for guaranteed results. If I’m afraid, then its likely because the salesperson can’t convince me that my objections are covered.

• The Art of War by Sun Tzu
• What They Don’t Teach You in Harvard Business School by Mark McCormack

Conclusion

There are many ways to develop these skills and getting creative is necessary to train up to advance your career or get your foot in the door. Stay motivated!