Tag: Fears

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Weakness Trumps Strength

Oak TreeSome in sales think strength will win the day,
but strength will break
where weakness remains intact.

An oak tree is stronger than a blade of grass,
Yet storms can uproot it in a moment
while the grass remains.

Better to defer to the prospect,
let them lead with complaints and fears,
by drawing out their secrets
the non-pushy seller uncovers wants and needs.

This is called building trust.

The fast talking huckster foolishly believes they will sway their prospects with brilliant logic and engaging emotion. They are deaf to the buyers allergic response to pushy sales. Some weak prospects cower to such tactics, and may even buy, but will reflect on the transaction forever in disdain. Bullied buyers are not repeat buyers. Defer to the prospects desires, this is the wise path.

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Competition Is Not Your Enemy

Greek GuardsFor the Master Seller,
Sales is an engaging adventure of success.
For many,
A profession of frustration, dread and fear.

There is no greater illusion than fear,
no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself,
no greater misfortune than making an enemy of your competition.

Whoever can see through all fear
will always be safe.
Whoever can see the needs of their clients
will grow market share.

Too many sellers focus on avarice and short term commissions They see the world as a zero sum game. A brutal game where the competition is just around the corner, ready to take away their portion of the pie. In truth, long term success is dependent on process, the process of understanding market needs and fulfilling them. By focusing on the buyer, you will take the offense and avert your eyes from defensive strategies. The marketplace has infinite possibilities. The Master Seller is forever awake to opportunity.

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Quiet Listening

Express yourself completely,
then keep quiet.

Be the early morning.
Let the silence ring,
patient,
open,
ready
till the answers spill.

Like a babbling stream
They share frustrations
fears
and even hopes.

If you listen,
You just might
Be able to help.

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Stuck Deals

Tractor tire stuck in mud

No urgency,
today looks like yesterday.
No change in priorities,
Tomorrow looks like today.

Defending same as, same as,
The status quo
instills fear and doubt.

Douse fear
as water douses fire,
mitigate risk,
and grease the rails of change.
Knowing deals don’t unstick themselves.

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Deep Roots Bring Longevity

The Master Seller takes a balanced approach
They are never stubborn with fixed opinions.

Because they are tolerant of difficult prospects
They are supple like a field of wheat 
Bending to the buyers  whims  
Giving answers to even the silliest of questions. 

No deal is impossible for them
Because they  let go fear.
They care for the needs of the customer
Like a Mom. 

This is called deep roots.
They have longevity with this foundation.
They have  lasting success. 

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Cold Calling

Telephone The journey of a closed deal
Begins with a single cold call.

While some fear it
Others  embrace
Knowing that while those  who can manage others is powerful
Those  who manage their fears is mightier still.

The Master Seller anticipates the difficult sale
By managing the cold call.

By separating the wheat
From the chaff
They use  a numbers game
To create opportunities.

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Focus On The Hard

Question Mark

There are many tasks in sales and some you naturally attract you; organizing your desk, preparing your script, going on cold calls, tidying your contact data or schedule . These things are all well and good UNLESS you’re doing them to avoid real work. Ask yourself “What do you dread doing?” Ask yourself , what are the things you find hard to do and then consider that maybe, just maybe that’s where you’re failure lives?

Take a moment and look inward. Do you have any suppressed self-destructive traits or childhood hang-ups that are roadblocks to promoting your dream? Are you putting yourself out of business?  Today, focus on one thing you avoid. Put it on the top of your to do list. Do it right now!

See the world as it is
Focus on the hard
until the hard becomes easy.

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Looking Good

Question MarkYesterday spoke about how “looking good” is a barrier to picking up the phone and potentially embarrassing yourself in front of a stranger. This fear focuses your energy, not toward the task at hand, but at the self’s fear of humiliation.

Put yourself in a prospects shoes. How do you treat sales people when they call you? Are you patient, curt, distracted or sometime curious about what they say? Might not it be that these are the same possible outcomes  could happen when you’re the caller? And with these outcomes do any of them have anything to do with embarrassing the seller? From the prospects point of view, the seller is an after thought. And in the case of your prospects, so are you. So why be embarrassed! 

Make a list of possible outcomes that might occur when cold calling.  Spend  a day marking off which outcome happened at each of your sales calls.  At the end of the day tally them up and awake to what in reality happens. Note how predictable the cold calls become and how any “yes”  or “no” needn’t  raise or lower   the value your self esteem.  Often the greatest barrier to success is yourself. 

The Master Seller revels in  meeting strangers and the opportunities it may bring. 

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Fear and Success

Success is a dangerous as fear
Both generating shame and laughter,
The worry of looking stupid. 
Success and fear are phantoms that arise from the self.
More concerned about how you look, 
The seller stops looking.

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Cold Call Questions

Question MarkYesterday posting spoke about the fear of cold calling.

Sales cannot be won without leads. And often times its the seller who must cold call prospects to hunt for leads.  Yet it’s the fear  of rejection that slows or stops  sellers from success.  Awareness of this fear is the start of realizing that fear as no more than morning fog  to be cleared as the sun rises.

Review yesterdays teaching and ask  yourself:

Do you have a prepared list of prospects to meet or call each day?
Do you have a prepared greeting that explains your visit unapologetically with confidence?
Are you prepared for rejection and ready to accept it willingly?

Unless you answer yes to all of these, both your  overt concern for success combined with the fear of failure will debilitate your ability to cold call successfully.  For those questions you answered no, plan a way to answer the questions yes, and approach tomorrow with the new found confidence of a Master Seller.

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