How Good Is Your Sales B.S.? (Belief System)
Problem: Jeremy had been selling for 15 years and was feeling a little frustrated lately. He honestly evaluated his job in sales and figured out that there were some things about selling that he really hated. Top on the list were: chasing prospects who don’t return calls, wasting time doing proposals and presentations for prospects who shop around, always having to work hard to convince prospects, dealing with resistance, and handling constant rejection.
Analysis: His belief system (what he believes to be true) is contributing to his frustration with his sales job. Most salespeople have learned to believe that a “no” from a prospect means failure and, that to be effective at selling, it’s necessary to give polished, convincing presentations and be good at overcoming objections. Maybe worst of all is the belief that prospects will tell the truth in a sales interaction all of the time.
Solution: Attitude (your belief system) is the key to success in everything you do. Change some of your non-supportive attitudes and adopt a system of beliefs that are consistent with success in selling in today’s competitive markets. Here is our top five:
- I have no money worries and don’t need this particular piece of business.
- My job is to disqualify people who aren’t prospects.
- “No” is okay (as long as I’ve qualified properly).
- If I sense something negative, I bring it up with the prospect (politely).
- It’s the prospect’s job to convince me that he has a problem and that it’s important enough to do something about it.
Adopting these beliefs will provide a new outlook on selling and your career.
