Getting Past Your Emotions in Sales

Terry had just finished making some joint calls with her boss Craig and they were reviewing the day. Craig was concerned that Terry had not asked for any timelines on decisions and had accepted some bogus put offs after a few of the clients told her what a good job she had done with her presentation. Craig knew that Terry was already a fairly good rep because of her pleasant way with people, but he needed to find a way to get her to the next level of production by shortening her sales cycle and asking some tougher questions.Terry’s love of people sometimes holds her back from staying focused on the business issues. Her continual need for approval causes her to look for “strokes” and other emotional payoffs on the job and results in her sales cycles becoming extended because she is not comfortable controlling the sales process. Underlying the obvious, Terry also needs some recovery days when she feels she is under attack and therefore sometimes finds it difficult to maintain consistent self-motivation.Related: The Most Common Mistakes Salespeople Make

The need for approval and acceptance plagues even the best in the sales profession, but there are ways to get past these barriers:

Understand that there is a difference between your Identity and Role

Raise your concept of self and behave accordingly – you are better than what you think or know

Maintain a mindset of doing whatever it takes; “Lights, Camera, Action”

Remember that your best shot is during the meeting and not after it!

Get your biggest fears out in the open so that you can learn to manage worry

Make consistent use of “In the Way” strategies.

Feel the fear and anxiety, recognize it as real, but don’t give in to it

Think about it, if you have a choice between being paid and being liked by every prospect, which would you pick? Recognize your strengths and unique abilities, and remember the real reasons you are out making sales calls.