Look we get it.
When you’ve been selling straight for the past 3 hours, eyes-tired, your back is sore from sitting and going from one person to the next is beginning to bum you out…
…and every phone call for the last 20 tries has given you a hard “no” for your efforts…
How do the best salesmen in the world do this?
They step over every rejection, command their way around objections and signed off each sale in triplicate… walking around with R50,000.00, R100,000 or R2,000,000.00-sized commission slips…
Do the best performing salesmen in the world have some magic formula to stay sharp, alert, enthusiastic-as-hell? Will you need to experiment with various hallucinogenic substances, to uncover the secrets of staying sharp, interested and curious about your profession?
Hint: you don’t need to do all of this. In fact, it’s better to be honest with yourself
Career-Check: It starts with understanding how you’re feeling.
And we mean in the most basic form “self-awareness” arrives in.
Examples include:
- “I’m happy that call went great – the client really sounds excited!”
- “I feel tense, is that normal?”
- “I don’t feel so motivated right now – the last guy didn’t sound keen.”
What we’re trying to establish is a basic sense of self-awareness. Most people barely scrape the surface when it comes to acknowledging that they might feel horrible – with a paper-thin veneer of bravado, they might get through the day – but everything else is lost. See, this leaves a bad taste in their mouths, as they swim between clients here and there, with a lower and lower sales-ratio.
The inner monologue they have sounds a bit like: “Could sales not be for for me? No. I saw The Wolf of Wall Street and Leonardo killed it in that movie! I want to be like him.”
This is that veneer we’re talking about. It’s that distinct difference between the self-medication of self-delusion, versus working with reality. You could acknowledge that maybe this work isn’t your passion, but you’re definitely good at it, and it could give you the financial freedom to actually devote time to what you love.
At least you’d be in a better position, as opposed to convincing yourself this is what you love doing. But it starts with recognizing your feelings as a reaction to your situation, not as a reflection of who you are. Or – alternatively, you batter the idea of you as a salesperson hard enough that it hardens – you conclude that you really do have a passion for selling, and you’re good at it too.
Great, you’ve passed the first round of questioning.
Like any great Russian interrogator, you’ve pulled the answers out of yourself – now you better understand where you are.
Where you came from. Where you’re headed.
Now, how do you stay motivated?
- Be curious about your customer…
When the guy picks up the phone on his end, who does he want to hear from?
The curious you, Mr or Ms Salesperson?
Enthused, you know you can help him (this first impression will never happen again so you’re excited it’s happening now!) and as a professional in the field, he’s in good hands! Script aside, there is always an amazing side effect to being genuinely curious about your customer, in terms of their business needs (not their personal life.) - Have a game plan
Sales calls can be measured. The more curious and more responsive you are – as well as the more time you’ve spent honing your pitch, and handling objections – the better you will become. You must be aware that if there is a game – there is a game plan. And most sales flop because the salesperson isn’t aware of the game being played.
We’re sorry, you can’t “wing it” on this one, or “play it by ear.” You need to craft your sales pitch, based on research, online learning and test it out everyday to see if it works. This is called “measuring” and it helps create a bit of “objectivity” between yourself as a person, and your performance as a salesperson. (the first is who you are, deep down – the second can be tweaked, changed and bettered) - Choose your breaks
You now know there’s a game to be played, where you’re an active player… you need exercise that self-awareness we talked about. Managing your mental state is vital. On the other side of the phone, your “Mr Customer” will hear every break in your voice, every smile at the edge of your mouth. If you’re having a bad day, they’ll know. If you try to force the sale – they’ll pick up on it. Desperation? Forget about it. If your mood feels dreary – if you need to take 10 minutes out to watch a snippet of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” – just to laugh again – do it (and don’t feel bad!) You need breaks, and need to take them, not deny them.
It boils down to being aware of your mental state, in the game you’re playing. As you get better at what you do, you’ll feel yourself getting better. You’ll be able to describe those wins and process those losses. You’ll hone your craft – and build your sales career in the same way you would a house – from a strong foundation upwards.
