Whether you call it grit, perseverance, or resilience, we all need to be able to bounce back from difficulties to be successful in sales. Our ability to keep working in spite of setbacks will largely determine our performance. Rather than suggesting that you develop “thicker skin” (something we have little control over), today I will share with you three mental tips on becoming more resilient in sales.
Resilience in Sales Tip #1: See mistakes as lessons
Mistakes are something you do, not who you are. One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to personalise our failures. The truth is that all of us make mistakes. Read any success story and you will see that they all made errors in judgement and decisions. Online giant Alibaba’s chairman Jack Ma was rejected by dozens of companies when initially looking for work. Basketball legend Michael Jordan was originally cut from his high school basketball team. Oftentimes, these setbacks propelled these people into success, fuelling their passion to succeed rather than dousing them.
Whenever your sales proposal or meeting request is turned down, take a moment to analyse what you could have done better. How did you sound? Was your value proposition clear? Did you truly understand what their needs and goals were? These will help you to perform better on your next sales call.
Resilience in Sales Tip #2: It isn’t about you, it just isn’t right for them
Fix this firmly in your mind – your product is not for everybody! There are certain clients that will work well with you, but most won’t! One of the best ways to de-personalise the sale is to remember that your product isn’t right for those that say “no.” It’s not about you. Try saying some of these phrases to your prospects and yourself:
- “Our product isn’t right for everyone, but I’d like to find out more about your business to see if there is a good fit”
- “We are choosy about who we do business with”
- (to self) “There are plenty of fish in the sea”
Resilience in Sales Tip #3: Focus on your passion in serving people
If you are fully focused on serving people and are passionate about it, nothing can stop you from achieving your goals. One of the major reasons people turn sales proposals down is because they get a sense that the consultant only cares about themselves. By fully focusing on the value you can give to your clients, your persona will transform. Your prospects will sense your sincere desire to help them. They will see you are different from other businesses. Ask yourself: How does your product give value to your clients? What problems do you solve? Who benefits the most from your services?
Take Action
To be resilient in sales, we need to change our mindset. We need to see our mistakes as lessons, recognise that our product isn’t right for everyone, and to focus on our passion to serve people. If you can fully internalise these concepts, nothing will stop you from succeeding!
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