Fear Nothing

Fear is a tough thing to overcome. In the selling business, it can handicap the most skilled and competent sales people and in some cases actually ruin a person’s career. Fear can take many forms. Some salespeople have a difficult time asking for the order. Others have an inordinate fear of making a stand-up presentation to an audience. Other salespeople have a difficult time making calls on an account where a key person is difficult. There are all sorts of hang-ups that salespeople can experience and yet because they don’t want to make their “fears” known to their bosses and colleagues they keep their shortcomings secret.

It’s a mistake to do so because there are ways of overcoming sales fears by good old common sense and logic. I even know salespeople who have had some measure of success in sales who find it difficult to handle any kind of rejection from a client or a prospect thinking that the rejection reflects on them personally and their abilities. Rejection is a given in the selling business and unless a salesperson accepts that premise they are in for some very rough times which in the long run could hurt their effectiveness and productivity.

So how does a talented Crain salesperson overcome fear? The simple answer is to recognize your fear and then be prepared to do something about it. That takes courage. Fear can do funny things to individuals and unless you are determined to take your fear head -on you will probably have a very difficult time defeating it. When dealing with a fear you’ve simply got to put together a plan to deal with it.

Let’s take the case of the person who has a problem of asking for the order. Talk to others about your fear and ask them how they think you could find ways to defeat it. Don’t forget, asking somebody for help is always a smart thing to do and when you do you make others feel that you respect their opinion. We all like to help others because when you do it you not only give yourself a boost but the person you are helping as well. Then when you receive help from whomever you’ve asked for help work with them on how you ask for the order. In other words, try playacting with them. Rehearse closing lines like, ”When do you want to start your schedule?” Or, something like “I would love to have you sign a contract right now for that program.” There are all sorts of ways of asking for the order but actually going for the order on a call is essential to success. So work on various scenarios and lines so that when you ask for the order on an account you do so prepared with the right verbage. Like anything else, practice closing and eventually any fear you have will dissipate. But like anything else you have to work at it.

The same would be true of presentations whether to colleagues or customers or prospects. You have to be willing to work with others to do away with your basic fear of giving a presentation . It takes hard work and it takes practice but it can be done with perseverance and a willingness to become a good presenter. Watch others give presentations, read everything you can on how to give any kind of a presentation in front of others. Practice giving a presentation in front of friends or family members and colleagues. Practice and practice and practice and in time you will overcome your fear because you will be prepared for anything. But you have to be willing to learn and you have to set aside your ego and learn from others. Others will be delighted to help you over come your fear of giving a presentation.

Finally, rejection is part and parcel of selling and unless you have learned to accept rejection and turn it into a positive when selling you are doomed to live a continual life of frustration. Exceptional sales people take a rejection as an opportunity to go back and back and finally get an affirmative from a client or prospect. The reason they are able to do so is because they take the reasons they were turned down initially and turn them into positives. In other words, they go back and answer the objections that were thrown at them on the initial call and make sure those objections are answered one by one so that at the end the client has no alternative but to say yes. That kind of selling also takes hard work, practice and perseverance. The only way I have defeated my fears is to admit to them and then dedicate myself to turning them around into strengths. Athletes do the same thing. They keep working on their weaknesses until they become strengths. They don’t sit in a corner and feel sorry for themselves , they make it happen with enthusiasm, ambition and dedication.

Fear nothing,

Chuck