Sales Training – Salespeople Need Both Building And Maintaining Self-Confidence

Did you ever notice on an automobile dashboard that some of the lights are green, orange or red? And sometimes multiple lights come on? Red lights and two simultaneous lights scream, “Call your auto repair of choice immediately.” The next three sales action indicators for a sales person can point to a self-confidence issue - lack of follow up, feeling like an imposter or somehow fearful in giving presentations, networking, or even asking for an order.

Thoughts such as, “I’m bothering them,” or “It’s too much pressure,” may be a warning similar to your oil gauge light flashing that your sales follow up needs adjusting. Follow up is where almost 80% of a salesperson’s sales come from and yet, for many reasons, 80% of salespeople don’t do it after the first or second contact! When your car’s oil light comes on, you take immediate action. Regardless of your reason, or excuse, for lack of follow up, immediately put a follow up plan in place. This is a red light indicator! Determine your sales cycle and plan a systematic follow up with personal and business reasons to talk with your prospect.

If you often suffer from the ‘imposter syndrome,’ consider a lesson from the battery charge light. You know your product or service better than your prospect. If you don’t, then get charged up. Get more training and more practice from talking with your prospects. Get a coach to help you learn the areas of selling where you need more skills. Get yourself charged up in every area that is critical to the selling process. Then ask yourself, how can you be an imposter when it’s clear you are proficient in product, people and sales knowledge? Imposter syndrome is another red light kind of indicator. If you feel like an imposter, it’s highly likely your prospect will feel it too.

Fears of any kind like being queasy about giving a presentation, fear of asking for a decision, fear of networking; all fears are flashing double indicators. In my car, if two lights come on at the same time, I stop and call the dealer before getting back on the road again. Identify what your fear is and decide what action to take. Maybe you clam up when you get to the end of a presentation and know it’s now your time to ask for a decision. What’s the worst that can happen? Maybe they say no. But aren’t you already at a no standstill if you don’t ask? And besides, a no may mean you may have not explained the benefits of your offer in a way the prospect understands. Whatever your fear is, focus on what benefits clients get from your offer and then put that pedal to the metal to conquer whatever fear is blocking you.

These three self-confidence indicators: lack of follow up, feeling like an imposter, or being somewhat fearful, are like an automobile’s red and double light indicators. Try all mental, emotional and behavioral strategies until you find your personal effective formula for resetting them.