Written by; Ken Kupchik
People usually don’t go into sales because it’s easy. And if someone does take a sales job because they believe that it’s a stress-free way to make money, they quickly learn that that’s rarely the case. Sales comes with all sorts of challenges, but can be a great and lucrative career for anybody who’s willing to push through, focus, and work hard.
Many people who go into sales experience anxieties and fears about some of the things they have to deal with. These fears are common, but can make the difference between success and failure. Getting over the most common fears in sales is a necessity if you want to survive in the profession.
Here are the most common fears in sales and how to get over them:
1. Fear of calling
Some people are intimidated by picking up the phone throughout the day and reaching out to prospects. This usually stems from shyness, or the desire to not “bother” people. But it’s also a deal-breaker when it comes to sales. To get over this fear, you need to simply prepare yourself for the call and then force yourself to do it enough times where the fear wears off. After making enough calls, and understanding that even if a call goes poorly that it won’t kill you, it won’t be intimidating anymore, and will become second nature.
2. Fear of rejection
This is a powerful fear that extends far beyond sales for most people. We fear rejection from friends, potential dates, and from clients. In sales, the best way to get over this fear is to expect rejection and understand that it’s simply a part of the process. This means management should help new hires understand that they will be rejected. If you look at rejection in this context, and understand ahead of time that one rejection doesn’t mean permanent rejection, you’ll get over this common fear.
3. Fear of asking for the business
This fear is somewhat tied to the fear or rejection. We have long discussions with prospects, but too many salespeople will allow a conversation to run its course without putting the prospect to a decision and directly asking them for their business, otherwise known as closing. The best way to get over this fear is to realize that asking for the business is your job. This is what separates you as a salesperson from a customer service position. You’re being paid to ask for the business. And once you get used to the act of closing, the fear will evaporate.
4. Fear of missing quota
One of the reasons why sales is so stressful is because you always have a quota looming over you. And in most cases, missing this quota means less (or no) money in your pocket, and even the potential of losing your job. The way to tackle this fear is simply working as hard as you can. If you know that you’ve done everything you could to hit your goals, then everything else is outside of your control. The fear of missing your quota will never fully disappear, but you can only control your own efforts.
Related: Ten Assumptions About Salespeople That Just Aren’t True
5. Fear of pushing past no
This is one of the hardest fears for salespeople to get over, but if you think an initial “no” means there’s no chance of closing the deal, you’ll be leaving a lot of money on the table. Of course, you don’t want to cross the line into annoyance or harassment, but hearing “no” should open up the opportunity to overcome objections. The way to get over this fear is to assume the mentality that hearing “no” is when your true job of overcoming objections begins. If you look at “no” as part of the sales process, you’ll be less intimidated when you hear it.
6. Fear of using new technology
Salespeople are so busy and so focused on selling that adding new technologies to their processes can be intimidating and daunting. This is especially true when they have already gotten used to existing systems that they use. But in today’s fast-moving world, adopting new technologies like Spiro’s AI-powered CRM can give you a significant competitive edge without having to do very much. The only thing you should fear is not adapting quickly enough to benefit.