My son, Jude, finished grade 1 this week. I can’t get over how fast this year went! I feel like I literally blinked and it was over! Wow. He brought home a lot of stuff from his classroom and one thing stood out in particular. He brought home a math book that is at the grade 2 level. He was very proud to show me what he had completed so far. I noticed that his numbers looked so much better – at the beginning of this year, his twos and fives were always backwards. I couldn’t help but realize that it really comes down to practice. Repeat, repeat and REPEAT until mastery occurs. This is really just the same with sales. Everyone can learn it and it’s just about putting in the time until it becomes second nature. Of course you may need to dig out a limiting belief holding you back as well, and we will get to that in the article.
Here is a picture of Jude on his last day wearing his lucky sock :)
It’s like that old saying “practice makes perfect”. The more you do something, the more comfortable it becomes. You also become better at it. That is the natural progression. Think about learning fractions growing up. Not the most fun thing, right? BUT the more we practiced them at school, the better we became at them. The better we became at them, the more doing them actually felt like second nature. Hence mastery.
I’m reminded of the time I took calculus in high school – another math example! The first time I took the class – yes I took it twice – it was such a struggle. It really didn’t make any sense to me, and I ended up getting 67% as a result. Since this wasn’t going to cut it in terms of getting me into the university I wanted to attend, I had to take it again. The second time, it was like something clicked. Everything the teacher said made so much sense, and I ended up getting a 91%. Easy peasy. The point here is that the more you do something, the better you become at it. This is good news for sales, and therefore your bottom line :)
Tip #1: Come from the place of service ALWAYS. It doesn’t matter what your financial situation is. You must come to the call with the intention of how you can truly help the person you’re talking to. If you come from a place of trying to “get” something, the other person will feel this energy and won’t want to work with you. You must show up in way that conveys you don’t NEED this sale. Another great point is that the more unattached (aka less needy) you are going into the sales conversation, the more apt it is to actually happen. It’s universal law. Like anything in life, the more unattached you are to the outcome, the faster it actually occurs.
Tip #2: This one is right up there with #1. You must have unwavering TRUST and FAITH that your success is certain. Source always has your back. You will be shown the people who need your help always. Source does not speak to you through worry, doubt or fear. Stay positive and trust that it will all be fine. It really will be. This will also keep you unattached to the outcome – hence making it arrive more quickly.
Tip #3: Don’t product dump! Try to ask as many questions as you can during the sales conversation in order to get a clear picture of what is going on. You really want to make sure you and they understand what they are actually wanting and whether or not you are the one who can help. If you can’t, please refer them on. You will do both of yourselves a disservice if you can’t actually help and you take them on as a client. This is not in integrity with what you are doing. By referring people on, you will actually increase your credibility.
Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to ask those tough questions. Helping people see their situation clearly involves asking tough questions sometimes. They are not hiring you to be their friend – this doesn’t mean you should be rude or disrespectful – but it does mean you should not shy away because you are afraid of what they will think of you. They will likely appreciate a more direct approach and will really see the value in working with you.
Tip #5: This is a BIG one and is in line with #3. What belief or value are you hanging on to that is actually stopping you from moving forward? Per my mentor, David Neagle, it will always come down to one of love, security or self-esteem. For example, if you are valuing approval right now – meaning you like to get approval and validation from others – this is a self-esteem issue. This is holding you back from being the person you need to be in order to help the people who need you and make a great living doing it!
* Take some time to really think about what values/beliefs you are hanging on to that are implicating your success. If you need help with this please reach out.
Tip #6: Practice, practice, PRACTICE. Repeat, repeat, REPEAT. Until mastery is achieved :)