Sales is one of the most rewarding careers that you could have. You can have an unlimited income and flexible hours (for most opportunities). You build relationships and help people make decisions that are in their best interest.
Over the past 25 years, I have held a few sales positions. Some of them, I've had for over ten years, and some have been short-lived. Recently, I was asked what the one thing is that will determine success for a salesperson. Admittedly, I had to think for a minute. Many words came to mind: skills, communication, influence, persuasion, confidence, speaking ability, and the list continued to get larger in my mind.
As I contemplated what the one thing is that will determine your success or failure as a salesperson, I became convinced that it is one word. And that word is "faith." By using that word, I'm not trying to preach to you. To achieve success, you must have faith in many things. By contrast, a lack of faith in the following will most likely guarantee failure for you.
You must have faith in your product. Is it good? Is it needed? Is it wanted? Is it necessary? Does it solve a problem? Is it better than the competition? Why?
You must have faith in your company. Do you have faith in the leadership? The mission? In which direction is it headed? Your peers? Does the company chase the dollar, or do they genuinely want to serve and help others, knowing that by doing so, they will make money?
You must have faith in your abilities. Sales ability must constantly be refined and sharpened. If you're not working on your abilities, you will eventually find yourself going backwards. Learning and applying new things regularly in sales is like exercising your body. You'll never grow stronger if you stay on the couch. As you develop your abilities, you'll find that faith and confidence grow.
I think you must have faith in your process. Are you trying to follow up, only to be met with silence? Do you encounter the same objections repeatedly? Does a seemingly cordial meeting always turn into a confrontation? If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, then you need to refine your process. Your results from the process should adjust your faith in it. If it's not working, adapt and grow your faith by embracing new and proven methodologies. Experiment, try something new, get help. This is a big one! Salespeople are often the last to realize that their current approach isn't working! When it comes to sales, intention means nothing; results mean everything.
You must have faith in your numbers. Salespeople tend to overinflate their numbers. What's your closing percentage? How many new calls are you hitting every week? Every day? How many follow-ups are you making? Is it enough? How many “no's” does it take before you get a yes? If you’re answering any of these questions with "About X %" or "About X calls," you DON'T honestly know your numbers. Real sales professionals understand the score and tirelessly work to improve the score! You can't have faith in your numbers if you "make up" the numbers! Imagine if your tax professional just "made up" your numbers on your taxes.
You must have faith in your leads. Are they qualified? Are you qualifying them, or are you wasting their and your time?
You must have faith in your prospect. Is the person you are trying to sell to someone that you want to help? Do you like them? Do you trust them? Do you want to build a relationship with them? If the answer is "no,” then you should do both of you a favor and find someone else. Mutual respect is the key to success in business relationships. Mutual respect leads to future business and referrals!
You must have faith in your words. Can you explain your product or service in a way that makes others want it? Can you adapt what you say in a way that fulfills the wants, needs, and desires of each individual's liking, or are you just reciting a canned script?
I think you must have faith in your intentions. I was told by one of my mentors a long time ago that sales is helping someone make a decision that's good for them. Manipulation, on the other hand, is helping someone make a decision that benefits the salesperson. The world is tired of salespeople who spend all their time and energy trying to help others make decisions that benefit themselves. This is no different than manipulation. And, people don't want to be manipulated. If you're a struggling salesperson, shift your focus to "other-focused” from being "me-focused." I promise you won't miss your quotas, and you won't have money problems once you make this shift!
If you've found yourself as someone who has lost faith in any of the above, let this serve as a friendly reminder that you are limiting your success. Faith in the areas I've mentioned above is the key to unlocking a successful sales career. If you've found yourself in a place where you've lost faith, it's time to get to work. It's time to ask for help. Don't be a casualty. There is hope. Study. Grow. Find a mentor. Some of the most successful people I've met recognize that they don't know it all!
If you read this and realize that you don't have a lot of faith in the areas I mentioned above, we should talk. I can help you!