Selling Skills: Taking Control Of The Fear

Furniture World Magazine

by Sam Allman “Successful salespeople know what to do. And they do what losers refuse to do.” Why is it that in any sales organization, a small number of sales people out sell the rest by a substantial majority? Well, the average sales person does not do what the peak performer is willing to do. It’s all about action. My premise is that many salespeople know what they should do, but don’t do it because of fear. They are afraid to ask for the order, afraid to ask for referrals, afraid to make cold calls, afraid to ask for the customer’s name and address, afraid to follow up with customers who don’t buy, etc., etc., etc. “Successful salespeople do what unsuccessful salespeople are afraid to do.” Most good salespeople consider themselves self-employed, no matter for whom or where they are working. They think in terms of Me, Inc. When salespeople consider themselves self-employed, they think and act differently. They cease blaming the employer, the economy, or the customer for their problems. They do whatever it takes to make their business succeed and grow. Yes, they consider it their business. The fact is: it is their business. The company they work for only facilitates. I’ve heard employees and salespeople say, “Well, they don’t pay me enough to do that.” These are the sounds of mediocrity. Peak performers, be it employee or salespeople strive to be the best they can be. I promise them that if they strive for excellence, thinking and acting that they are working for their own company, they will be successful beyond just having a job. In one study it was found that most people just put enough effort into their job to keep it. Many said they could work better and harder if they wanted to. Why don’t they work harder? “Well, they don’t pay me enough to do that.” I believe these workers don’t understand one of the basic rules of business: If your employer doesn’t pay you enough to be excellent in your profession, be excellent anyway. Someday, someone will come along and pay you what your worth. It’s a law of life (except in professional sports): The pay comes after the performance. Prove to me you’re worth it and I’ll pay you what you’re worth. Think about it. If you’re self-employed, how are you going to treat your customer? What is the most important factor in the purchase of a big-ticket item? The salesperson. “The days of the Knute Rockne-type pep talk delivered in the locker room by a fire-breathing coach is pretty much a thing of the past. We are highly paid, intelligent, goal-oriented professionals, and we are expected to get ourselves motivated, to go out and perform our best. You can’t wait for someone else to motivate you.” Troy Aikman ”Feel the fear and do it anyway.” Accept your current reality. Create a vision of what you want. Take action “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this life are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want. If they can’t find them, they make them.” -George Bernard Shaw The Three Self-defeating Behaviors are Blame, Shame, and Justify. “Don’t allow yourself, ever, to come to terms with being a loser.” Take a risk because it’s worth it; tell yourself that you have the right stuff. Don’t let yourself down!” “One of your main jobs is to manage your own productivity by regulating the level of tension within your mind.” Tension is not a synonym for stress. Stress is a negative, non-productive feeling of anxiety and strain, when people are under pressure for extended periods of time. Tension can generate productive energy. For example, the tension actors or athletes experience while preparing to perform can actually provide an edge that heightens their performance. Tension is everywhere and everyone faces unpredictable challenges that produce tension; recalls, price increase, lagging sales restructuring, new technology, tight money, internal forces, goals. Whenever gaps exist between what people want and what they have, tension results.” High tension and a stressful crisis mode can paralyze you. Instead of focusing energy, it dissipates it. Everyone is on edge -- defending and preserving themselves, taking no risk, protecting their emotions. People in crisis eventually stop caring and shut down. The correct balance of tension works. Achieve that by making a direct correlation between your efforts and the productivity, profitability, and success you seek. Generate tension high enough to motivate and challenge yourself. Become a tension thermostat -- keeping the tension at optimal levels! Leadership in a learning organization starts with the principle of creative tension. Without vision there is no creative tension. “Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind, so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths . . . so must we . . . create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism.” -Martin Luther King “Courage is not the absence of fear; it is taking action in the face of fear.” About the Author: Sam Allman is CEO of Allman Consulting and Training, Inc. and is an internationally recognized motivational speaker, consultant and author. For almost two decades Sam has been one of the most in-demand sales speakers. Delivering high content, customized, inspiring programs in areas such as leadership, customer service, management, team building, retail and outside sales and personal development. Sam has created hundreds of training and educational learning programs and systems. His latest published book, “Heart and Mind Selling” has helped hundreds of sales professionals build genuine trusting relationships with their customers that will last a lifetime. To schedule a keynote speech, training or consulting session with Sam Allman contact Bill Terry, VP Sales at Allman Consulting at bill@allmanconsulting.com.