self employed

What are you afraid of? If you are like most of the people I encounter in my sales training programs, you likely have some type of fear relating to the sales process. When I pose this question to people in my workshops, the fear of rejection is usually the top concern participants express.
            For me, it is cold calling. Prospecting via the telephone has never been a big part of my lead-generation process, and it's not something I do with much consistency. As a result, I experience a fair bit of anxiety when I think about cold calling. In fact, on most days, I'd rather take a trip to the dentist than make these types of calls.
            What I find intriguing is how debilitating this fear factor can be. Far too many people in sales don't reach their goals or quotas because they allow their personal hesitations to influence their behavior even when they know it makes good business sense to ignore the fear and push forward. I know from experience that once I pick up the telephone and begin making my calls, my anxiety quickly dissipates. Yet, that initial fear and hesitation often stalls my efforts.
            The other interesting insight is that very few people have ever actually encountered a negative experience relating to their fear. Another issue that pops up regularly in my programs is asking questions. Most people who sell a product or service know that effective question-asking will help them overcome objections and move the sales process forward. However, many people don't ask good questions because they feel that their prospect or customer will feel like they, the salespersons, are prying.

So, What's the Solution?

             Unfortunately, there is no quick fix, easy answer to this issue. And that's because everyone is unique, and the underlying cause of the fear or hesitation is different with each person. However, here are few suggestions for you.
            The most effective solution is push your fear or concern aside and simply do what you need to do. Although this is much easier said than done, it is important to recognize that engaging in the activity that causes you the most concern will help you develop your skill and improve your results. The key is to recognize that it will likely take several attempts before you begin to master your proficiency. However, if you discipline yourself to stay at it, your results will improve and your fear will gradually disappear.
            Enlist the support of a coworker or peer. I'm not suggesting that you get that person to do the task for you! However, by working with a partner, you can role-play and practice the scenario that causes you the most grief. When I first started cold-calling, I rehearsed my opening line and voice mail message with a friend to get his reaction. My goal was to sound genuine and conversational and to keep my message short and to the point. After listening, he gave me a few pointers that improved my message.
            Another approach is to think of a positive outcome. I remember my first sales call many years ago. My prospect showed interest in the training program I was offering, and not knowing what else to say, simply asked, "Would you like to book a date for it?" My heart leapt into my throat as I said those words. I felt my heart rate increase. And I was sure my prospect would feel like I was being pushy. Imagine my surprise when she reviewed her calendar and enquired about a specific date. Even though I was nervous and scared about asking for her business, it was a natural extension of our conversation and she was not offended by my question. I know from this experience that asking for the sale often yields results.

The fear factor also affects our customers.

            Most buyers experience some form of fear or hesitation when making a final buying decision or considering a new product or vendor. These concerns may prevent them from making a decision and may stall the sales process. That's why it is important to uncover buyers’ concerns during the sales conversation. I know some sales people avoid this question because they don't want anything negative to come up during the sale process. However, it is much better finding out what may prevent your customer from moving forward early in the sales process rather than discovering it after you have spend a lot of time with that person. As Susan Jeffers said, "Feel the fear and do it anyway."

Persistence Without Stalking
            Persistence is a vital skill that every sales person needs. It's been said that most sales are made after eight contacts with a prospect. However, most people tend to give up after just three or four attempts. Let's explore the behind-the-scene dynamics involved in a typical scenario.
             Meet Mrs. Executive or Mrs. Business Owner. Her day is booked solid, scarcely allowing her to catch her breath between each meeting. Some meetings are internal. Others are with clients and customers. And a few are with current suppliers or business partners. She has a dozen balls in the air and focuses most of her time trying to juggle them all and keep them in the air. She has several major goals she wants to accomplish this year but progress is slow because the demands on her time are non-stop.
            Fortunately, she has an extremely competent executive assistant. Ms. Gatekeeper knows what projects Mrs. Executive is working on and does what she can to help her boss achieve these goals. She is very proficient at protecting her boss's time and has become adept at warding off unwanted calls, especially from sales people.

            Today is your first prospecting call to this company. You want to meet with Mrs. Executive. You pick up the telephone and when Ms. Gatekeeper answers, you recite your well-developed opening and capture her interest. After a brief conversation you manage to schedule a telephone meeting with Mrs. Executive a few days from now and are given her direct number.
            Fast forward three days. Your call with Mrs. Executive flows beautifully. Your pre-call research paid off and through effective questions, you learned additional information that gives you better insight to present your solution. Mrs. Executive requests an overview of your solution and agrees to discuss it with you next week.
           The following week, you call Mrs. Executive at the scheduled time only to end up with her voice mail. You leave a brief message and tell her you will follow up shortly. You call again the next day and receive her voice mail yet again. After some debate you leave another message, but as you hang up the phone, thoughts of self-doubt creep into your mind leaving you wondering why Mrs. Executive has not returned your calls even though she displayed interest.

Maintain Momentum With Savvy

            Meanwhile, back at the company, Mrs. Executive has been responding to several unexpected fires and critical issues. She is still interested in your solution but she simply does not have the time or resources to even discuss it right now. Here's the dilemma. Do you keep calling? Or, do you leave a final message and tell Mrs. Executive to call you when she's ready to talk about your solution? So far, you have made five contacts with her which means you will probably have to make at least three more connections before the sale moves forward.
             It is critical to recognize that executives and business owners are exceptionally busy. And while they may want to discuss your solution, other priorities crop up all the time. If you stop now, there is a good chance that she will forget about you and your particular solution when she is ready to move forward. Your goal is to keep your name in the prospect's mind and develop a "stay-in- touch" campaign. This can include email, voice mail, letters, and cards. Each point of contact should offer something of value and MUST be brief. Respect the decision-maker's time. Recognize that they have multiple projects on the go at any given time. Like you, they can only work on a certain number of them at once.
            Many people close sales long after the initial contact simply because they have been persistent and executed a solid strategy and keep-in-touch plan. While the standard number of contacts is eight, this number is not carved in stone. You can rest assured that if you give up after three or four attempts, a competitor who is more persistent will eventually get the business. Are you willing to give business away or are you prepared to persist until you succeed? HBM

© 2007 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved. Kelley Robertson is a professional speaker and trainer on sales, negotiating, customer service, and employee motivation. Receive a FREE copy of "100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to his free newsletter available at his website. Visit www.kelleyrobertson.com. He is also the author of "The Secrets of Power Selling" and "Stop, Ask & Listen-Proven Sales Techniques to Turn Browsers into Buyers." For information on his programs contact him at 905-633- 7750 or