By Jacques Werth, President
High Probability® Selling
In the 17 years we’ve been training salespeople in High Probability Selling, we’ve known that what we teach scares people. What we haven’t known is *why* our methods scare some salespeople into clinging to their old – but ineffective – sales approaches. Why can’t many salespeople change the way they sell?
After years of research, we’ve finally determined why so many salespeople can’t change the way they sell: They’re afraid of doing what really works!
Through extensive research under the guidance of psychologist Dr. Wayne Diamond, we’ve concluded that salespeople’s own fears are the biggest impediment to their success. Fear is the real ‘enemy’. Here is a 3-Step Strategy for overcoming your fears, discomfort, uneasiness, anxiety…
1. Determine if the fear is based on reality or fantasy.
The first thing you need to do is determine whether the fears you have are based in Reality or Fantasy. You can’t beat what isn’t real. You can’t overcome what is real if you won’t admit it exists. If a fear is based in reality, facing it helps to overcome the fear. If a fear is based in fantasy, acknowledging the fantasy helps to overcome it.
What you resist persists. If you resist facing your fears, they will persist.
2. Assumptions are “Sales Killers”
Assuming that you know how people will react often produces negative results. It doesn’t matter if your assumptions are generally negative or positive. Both are condescending and/or insulting. Both are based on some or all of the fears listed above.
Assumptions are usually based on what you believe to be true, or what you wish was true. Our false assumptions may be due to past unsuccessful sales experiences, or they may be relics of personal experiences, recent or long ‘buried’. You can use step 1 also.
3. Acknowledge your fears and address / resolve the root causes.
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Typical Sales Fears |
Reality / Root Cause |
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The Fear of Rejection |
The way you sell causes rejection |
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The Fear of Loss |
You can’t lose what you don’t have yet |
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The Fear of Scarcity |
Learn how to find an abundance of prospects |
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The Fear of Being Intrusive |
People who mind intrusion don’t take calls |
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The Fear of Being Offensive |
The timid way you sell offends prospects more |
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The Fear of Not Being Believed |
Practice full disclosure and be believed |
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The Fear of Being Disrespected |
Directness and authenticity get respect |
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The Fear of Failure and/or the Fear of Success |
Needs professional guidance |
Typically, salespeople mask these fears with macho attitudes. They think of themselves as heroic figures, persevering against all obstacles, fighting the good fight day after day. But, think this through first: Who are they really fighting?
This is where true courage enters the picture: We have to recognize and confront our fears before we can overcome them.
If you want to learn the process and mindset of top producing salespeople, you want to learn more about High Probability Selling.
Until Next Time…Sell Well
Jacques Werth – High Probability Selling
Copyright 2007.
Tags: How+to+sell, The+secret+to+selling, Selling+and+Persuasion
