Losing sales opportunities or having previously closed sales unravel cause more ulcers and headaches for salespeople than almost any other one thing. As salespeople, we fully understand that these events are as inevitable as spring following winter. Why then do they cause so many emotional problems for some salespeople? It can be answered with one word, “Ego“. Here is a simple strategy to help tame the ego and reduce the need for aspirin and antacids.
So much of our overall performance is based on our emotional state of mind. When salespeople ‘perceive’ failure where they are trying to succeed, many experiences their ego wanting to assign blame to the situation. Assigning blame is usually a destructive action emotionally. It will normally lead to anger, at some level, being directed toward the customer or anger directed within.
We know that anger experienced internally will diminish self-esteem and create unwarranted stress. It can even trigger severe health issues, both emotionally and physically.
The first part of taming the ego is recognizing this one essential thing. When a sale or a sales opportunity is lost and all attempts to salvage it have been exhausted, it must be relegated to history. It’s over. If you didn’t enjoy the dinner you had two nights ago, living in the past, wishing, hoping, or complaining, will not change what you had to eat or your enjoyment of it. Reliving it or assigning blame for it is a total waste of energy and keeps you in the emotional cesspool.
Fortunately, there are a couple of action choices that are just the opposite. When we examine the lost opportunity in the positive spirit of learning something new, we will either discover that we could have done something more effectively or we did everything as well as it could have been done, given the conditions at the time.
If we learned that things might have been done better, we can now choose to make the necessary adjustments or obtain the appropriate skills or knowledge for the next opportunity. If, on the other hand, everything was done well and circumstances beyond your control blocked the sale, take the opportunity to reassure yourself that you are performing a professional service well. Don’t let your ego draw you into the unproductive ‘blame game‘.
Are you interested in selling Verizon Wireless services? Call us at (855) SELL-VZW or fill out the form below. We look forward to talking to you soon!
