SALES HAS ALWAYS BEEN a psychological game. It always takes skill to close a sale, but half of the battle happens in your head. Too much rejection on any given day can invoke fear in even the most seasoned of sales veterans, deflating their confidence. The trick is to recognize the fear, own up to it quickly and address it before it becomes paralyzing. If you feel yourself starting to sink, try these strategies for conquering your fears before they drag you down. First, believe in the product you’re selling. If you really believe that the world will be a better place once more people use your products or services, you’re halfway to overcoming your fears. After all, if you truly believe in the value of your products or services, you’re doing your prospects a disservice by not calling them. If you don’t have a strong belief in the products or services you’re selling, spend time with someone who has a strong sense of the benefits your business offers prospects. Most owners and founders start a company because they have a strong vision, and they’ll almost always be more than happy to share it with you. Next, make sure you’re focused on the activity, not the outcome. Ultimately you don’t have complete control over how many of your prospects sign a check. However, you can control how many sales calls you make a day. If your goal is just to reach a certain level of activity, you can feel successful even when the sale hasn’t closed yet. It can also help to identify a partner who will hold you accountable for meeting your prospecting activity targets. During slow times, prepare by role-playing sales calls, so you can work out any kinks behind the scenes. Preparation leads to confidence; confidence closes sales. Most sales reps understand this, but very few follow through by studying and practicing their playbook regularly. Find ways to make selling fun by connecting personally with your prospects. Make it a point to identify a unique point of connection with each client, and then send a fun follow-up gift related to that common interest after your first meeting. Not only will this make it easier to get a second meeting, but it can also help lift some of the pressure you feel to close the sale. Finally, accept that when prospects finally tell you “no,” they’re giving you a gift. Even though we can all agree that “yes” is the best answer you could get on a sales call, an authoritative “no” is a very close second. After all, if a prospect leaves you in limbo, you’re going to end up investing even more time in a relationship that isn’t going anywhere. Getting a firm “no” means you can move on to a prospect that has a sincere interest in your company. If you embrace this philosophy, you won’t fear rejection. You’ll welcome it.
