In the first chapter of this topic I was talking about the reasons why some sales people fail. Very often it is fear.
The only way to overcome that is to identify when we are afraid and then to work toward a solution.
You cannot change what you don't acknowledge
Very often I observe that women have a much easier way of understanding their strengths and (what we call) opportunities for growth. I am not a psychologist or an expert on gender studies, but I believe that it has to have something to do with the way we were socialized. However, during all my years of coaching I have seen as many guys struggling with fear as I have with women, just that it took longer for men to admit that the root cause of some of their sales traits was driven by the fear of failure. Sales is very personal, we need to understand that. We are only as good as our numbers and rejection can feel very personal.
Repetition is Learning
I always compare, being comfortable and successful in a consultative sales environment to driving stick shift. As long as you are focusing on shifting gears, you will not be in command of your vehicle and you won't be able to focus on traffic the way you should. You need to get to a point where shifting becomes second nature. The same holds true when prospecting, for example. You need to be comfortable when picking up the phone, easing into conversations, being prepared to ask the right questions when the opportunity arises, or ending the conversation should you feel the vibe that it's not a good time. But feeling the vibe is only possible when you are content, not focusing on what to say or being frightened.
Practice makes perfect
It really does, in every area of our life. I, for example have no fear of cold calling whatsoever. Not sure why, but I almost get an adrenalin high when chasing C-Level prospects and breaking through to them. For some reason the universe has given me that unique gift and I embrace it and tapped into it to start a business.
Flying on the other hand was something that caused me sleepless nights, shaking, sweats and all the other unpleasant things that happen when you are afraid of something. Air travel, in spite of all the accidents, terrorist attacks, etc. is still safer than getting into a car, but I certainly don't tremble when driving north on I-95, although I should looking at the statistics.
Once I recognized this fear as being a constant companion, I started to choose air travel over ground travel every single time I had a choice, just to make it more routine. Unless there is a deeper psychological issue simmering, the more often you do something, the easier it will be.
Still to this day I don't like turbulences (neither do I like potholes on the highway), but these days I board an airplane with the same ease as getting into my car.
Research, Prepare, Do, Repeat
The better prepared you are and the more you prepare, the more comfortable you will be in any sales situation, it puts you in the driver's seat. Write out the questions you want to ask and make sure you start with a Why, What, When or How so the answers will not be a simple yes or no. Pick up the phone, when you are afraid of cold calling, there is nothing like jumping into the pool and swimming. Take a deep breath after every prospect/client interaction, reflect and then do it again! That's a big step in overcoming your fears.
Test your Sales IQ
There are many great tools out there to test your sales acumen. My company, the Consultative Sales Academy offers a Sales IQ. It is not a psychometric exam or aptitude test, but rather a quick and thorough method to measure your sales skills and knowledge. Once you know what your strengths are and where you need work, you can focus on those areas. In our case, we have corresponding learning modules that help you become stronger in the areas that need improvement. We encourage our participants to learn and apply. The only way to improve is to focus on one learning competency at a time and to repeat as often as possible, until it becomes routine. Feel free to check out our SalesIQ at www.getyoursalesiq.com
Celebrate your success and reward yourself for ever No
Entrepreneurs and sales people don't celebrate their successes enough. We are easy to point out bad experiences, but hardly every take the time to acknowledge what we have accomplished. It's important. Take the time to reflect and celebrate AND also reward yourself for every No that you get. Whether your prospect will agree to a conversation or not, you have worked hard to get somebody on the phone and whether they are interested or not is not always something you can control. It's common in sales to get rejected and the more often you experience it, the easier it will become. If you like chocolate, put Hershey kisses on your desk and grab one every single time your prospect says no thanks.