Recently, I received a call and was very glad that I did. However, at the end of the call, I asked myself – more like asking the caller who had hung up by now – “Where is your confidence?” To give some context, I knew I had to make the call for a service appointment but had been putting it off for a while. On this day, a representative of the company called me. She introduced herself and informed me that it was a courtesy call for a service appointment. Like I pointed out, I was glad she called. But, something about her tone left me with the experience that she wasn’t confident in herself, her company or the reason for her call.
Now, this wasn’t a typical “sales call”. In my opinion, the representative did me a favor by calling me to make the appointment. Maybe she considered it a sales call. It bothered me for a while and I concluded that she must have thought she was making a sales call and perhaps, was expecting I didn’t want to talk to her. From my experience, one thing was certain; there was a lack of confidence.
Unfortunately, lack of confidence can manifest itself in many ways. Too many sales professionals are plagued with this – either self-confidence, confidence in their organization or product. Successful sales professionals understand they must transfer their confidence in their offer over to (potential) customers to overcome any doubts the customer may have. Prospects take their cues from salespeople.
(Self)-confidence, like most things, can be learned. You can increase your self-confidence through practice, and ultimately, increase your sales success. How do you increase your confidence? Where do you start?
Know your “why“: Sales can be challenging, and it can also be a lucrative profession. Being clear what it takes and why you’re willing to do what it takes to be successful is the foundation needed to build confidence in sales. Your “why” will help you pull through those challenging times and keep you grounded when you begin to find success.
Work with a script: In the early phase of your career or building confidence, use a script. The purpose of a script is to equip the sales representative with language, and perhaps, a process that can be used over time. After a while, the script will become a natural part of your sales calls then you can find ways to be creative using the script as a foundation for your conversations.
Record successes and failures: Being exposed to lots of failures and successes helps boost confidence. Failures help you learn about yourself and show areas of growth. Successes give the feeling of accomplishment and the momentum to keep going. You need to experience both.
Engage a sales coach: Having the perspective of someone who can point out your strengths, opportunities for growth and innovative ways to solve problems is priceless. This helps you see beyond what you can see by yourself. Ongoing sales coaching allows sales professionals to develop and improve their selling skills, reach their goals and become bigger leaders.
Beware the dialogue in your head: A more subtle and powerful tip for building confidence is to pay attention to the dialogue in your head. This applies to rookies and seasoned sales professionals. It could be lack of confidence, bias, complacency…name it. Be sure that the dialogue in your head is one of humility, service and interest in the prospect or customer.
At the end of the day, the right delivery trumps the right words. It’s not what so much about what you say, it’s how you say it. Said another way, it’s not so much about the content, but more about the delivery.
Need help boosting self-confidence for you or your team? Want to elevate your sales performance and results? Let’s talk: info@thecommissioninternational.com.
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