Sales and Mental Toughness

Most people feel uncomfortable about selling.

Discomfort comes from fear. Some call it fear of failure–others fear of change. Commonly it’s rooted in fear of the unknown.

Sales can feel like venturing into the unknown. It’s a fear inducing concept. But, it’s a fear that’s easy to overcome. You just need open your mind and commit your will to it. Here’s how to get started.

First; squash the stigma.

For some, the word “sales” can conjure-up nasty images. The slimy used car sales men in a tacky jacket – The smooth operator with shiny shoes who talks dazzling BS. We all know these caricatures because we see them regularly depicted in our fiction and the media. Unfortunately, the deceitful salesman is far from fiction.

A few bad actors can cast a negative light on any profession.

In most cases, there is an information gap between sales person and buyer. This gap gives the person who holds knowledge leverage over the person who doesn’t. It’s why we fear being taken advantage of. It’s also why we fear being perceived as a predator who takes advantage of others.

You don’t want to be perceived as a slimy salesman. So, don’t be one. If you sell the right way you can overcome the stigma by not playing into it. It’s up to you.

Start rewriting the stigma.

Realize that sales people, customer service representatives, and technicians all exist for the same reason. The purpose for these, and almost all professions, is to serve other people.

Accept that selling is a service.

Asking questions and educating your client is part of the problem-solving process. This is how you will fill the information gap between yourself and your client. There are two things you can fill the gap with – knowledge and trust. If you don’t take the time to do this you won’t understand their needs, they won’t know if you’ve done right by them, you’ll fall short in serving them and the stigma shall remain. 

Trust is both the problem and the solution.

By empowering your clients with knowledge you’ll build a whole heap of trust. This reduces a buyer’s perception of risk. Thereby increasing your own value and the value of whatever you are selling.

It’s your job is to improve your clients lives in some way. You can’t do that by being self-focused.

If you’re worried about getting started, I recommend learning a good process. If you’d like, you could try my K.N.E.A.D. process – or search google for and endless supply of great options. The point is just to get the ball rolling and a good process can make that more comfortable for you.  

Second; get over yourself.

Fear, confidence, ambition, apathy; all are tied to one thing, your ego.

Ego can be defined as your sense of self-importance. It is a part of your psyche that closely relates to your personal identity. You could think of ego as the hard candy shell that protects your personal identity.

Personal identity is who you think you are. Think self-image or sense of self.

Most people have a strong ego. Don’t assume you are the exception.

Contrary to popular belief, a strong ego does not equate to confidence. It’s more likely a strong ego would create an unhealthy display of over confidence to hide feelings to inadequacy. This is because a strong ego—which is a high sense of self important—Indicates a ridged personal identity.

Think about something that is rigid. Rigid things are not flexible, they are brittle. They don’t bend, they break. So, when your personal identity is rigid your mind tries to protect it from anything that might alter or bend it. That part of your mind is your ego. It gets strong so it can cradle and protect your fragile personal identity.

This is pure survival instinct at work. Your body and mind are adapted to protect its vulnerabilities. A rigid personal identity is a vulnerability to you because an inability to change is an inability to grow. An inflated ego will protect your personal identity at the expense of your own personal progress.

Your ego is a part of your psyche that has a huge effect on your behavior, and your behavior has a huge effect on your outcomes. This is why in sales and in life it is important for us to understand and manage our ego. You won’t get rid of it. But you can recognize it, understand it, and control it.

Allow me to present to you this new piece of information: No matter who you think you are, or what you think you do, selling is your responsibility.

Observe your reaction to the statement. Notice how it makes you feel. If you reject, dismiss, or disagree with this very general statement, you might want to check your ego.

Question yourself:

“Am I operating off preconceived notions?”

“Is my mind open or is my ego in control?”

This is a great practice for keeping your ego in check and growing as a person. Observe your reactions. Then, question yourself. An automatic reaction isn’t necessarily wrong, but it does mean that you are not in control.

There is a famous saying often attributed, possibly wrongfully, to Winston Churchill. It goes like this:

“Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

Probably Winston Churchill

You are in sales now and that means you need to be very comfortable with rejection. If you are lugging around with a big strong ego then you are deflecting personal growth opportunities left and right. Rejection will break you.

In sales you need the ability to bounce back. To walk away from a failure and go straight into a win.

Squash the stigma. Get over yourself. Then, proceed with an open mind and confidence.

These are the exact qualities to hone over your life and career. Continue to question yourself and challenge your beliefs. This will allow you to remain in control of your mentality, which will lead you to remain in control of your prosperity.