As sales people, we all experience knock-backs and rejections; it’s part and parcel of the job. In order to succeed in sales, you have got to be resilient, dust yourself off and try again. So what techniques can you put into place to build resilience as a sales person?
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1. DEVELOP DAILY MANTRAS
Developing a mantra is a great way to boost confidence and resilience in all areas of life, not just in business and sales. Every day I look in the mirror and say to myself:
“You’re good James, you’re brilliant at what you do and you can have an impact on someone’s life today in a positive way.”
Doing this gives me a huge boost of self-belief and makes me feel like I can do anything I put my mind to.
Another technique I use to boost my own self-belief and resilience is holding onto an item that makes me feel good; a poker chip. I had a great win at a casino a few years back and since then this poker chip has been a symbol of positivity and luck for me. If ever I need a confidence boost, I hold onto my chip and it gives me the lift I need.
What will be your mantra? Do you have an item that can give you a boost of self-assurance? Here’s a great article to help you develop your own mantra. Doing so really will change the way you think and feel about yourself and help you to build resilience as a sales person.
2. DEFINE YOUR WHY
Why do you want to succeed? Why do you work as hard as you do? Is it to reach the top of your career path? Is it to help others? Or is it the same as mine- to provide for your family?
Once you realise WHY you do what you do, you reignite your passion and nothing can hold you back.
When I have a bad experience with a prospect, I remind myself of my ‘why’ and it keeps me going. I can refocus on my goal and overcome any obstacles that life throws at me.
3. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE WHO BUILD YOU UP
I once read a fantastic quote:
“If you hang out with chickens you’re going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you’re going to fly.”
It’s important in order to build resilience as a sales person, to surround yourself with people that build you up and don’t knock you down. If there are people close to you that aren’t supportive, encouraging and uplifting, it’s time to make some changes.
Having positive people around you; who give you words of encouragement and believe in your abilities is a great way to ensure you find the determination to reach your goals and achieve more.
4. CHALLENGE YOURSELF ON A DAILY BASIS
Setting yourself small, manageable, daily challenges is another effective way to build resilience as a sales person. Why? Because completing these challenges will help you to build up the ability to win and succeed at everything you do. Challenge yourself to learn a new skill for 20 minutes a night or to complete 30 minutes of exercise a day. Whatever challenge you choose will be personal to you, but whatever it is, make sure you form a habit and complete it every day. You can also set yourself sales-related goals like: make 5 prospecting calls or send 10 prospecting emails. This will help you get into the habit of doing it every day and you’ll prove to yourself that you can achieve anything if you have the willpower to do so.
5. SEE THE GLASS AS HALF FULL INSTEAD OF HALF EMPTY
It always easy to see the glass as half empty when we get a knock back from a prospect. But in order to build resilience as a sales person, it’s vital to see the glass as half full. Unfortunately, you only have to turn on the news or go online to read stories of less fortunate people and yet they’re still doing what they can. Reading these stories makes me realise that in the grand scheme of things, being rejected by a prospect or losing a deal is irrelevant.
Of course, it’s ok to feel disappointed at the outcome but in order to succeed in sales, it’s important not to dwell on the negatives but to brush yourself off and move onto the next prospect with a positive mindset.
6. REALISE IT’S NOT PERSONAL
One of the key ways to build resilience as a sales person is to realise that sales is not personal. If a prospect is rude to you or offends you in some way, it’s unlikely to be a personal attack. In the early stages, your prospect doesn’t know you or your company and so if they display any hostility towards you; which is common in sales, don’t take it personally.
7. ACCEPT THAT CHANGE HAPPENS AND THINGS WON’T ALWAYS GO THE WAY YOU PLAN
I was with a client recently and they were with a prospect ready to do a demo of their product when the machine broke down. This meant they couldn’t do a demo and therefore couldn’t close the deal with the prospect that day. They were so frustrated but as I said to them- these things happen, you can only control what you can control. Sometimes you have to accept that things won’t always go the way you plan but in order to build resilience as a sales person, it’s important to take these changes in your stride and make the best of a bad situation.
8. WRITE DOWN YOUR TOUGH MOMENTS
I find that writing down my thoughts during tough or stressful times, gives me the ability to express and release my emotions. But not only that, it also allows me to look back and learn from my mistakes. By recording what went wrong, I can refer back to my notes a few weeks later and clarify what I can do differently next time.
Sales is a rollercoaster- there are great high moments that make you feel exhilarated and there are terrible moments when we feel down and want to give up. As a sales person you’ve got to learn to ride the rollercoaster and become resilient in the toughest times.
So take these points on board to build resilience as a sales person and achieve great sales success. Let me know what works for you or if you know of any other effective ways to build resilience! Contact me here if you need help hitting your sales numbers or take my Sales Success Test to see if you have what it takes to achieve consistent sales success.
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