Overcoming Your Fear of Selling

Overcoming Your Fear of SellingOvercoming Your Fear of SellingFear of selling can vary from person to person, but the first step to overcoming this fear is identifying it. Usually, theres at least one specific aspect of the job that triggers unpleasant feelings. Think about each step of the sales process prospecting or lead generation, setting appointments (both cold calling and following up on warm leads), qualifying prospects, making presentations, umgang objections, closing the sale, and asking for referrals. Rank these stages in the order in which they bother you, from worst to best. Next, review the list below to find out how you can feel less anxious during the stages that affect you the most. Prospecting or Lead Generation Fear in this stage usually stems from one of two causes You have trouble finding leads, and thus prospecting makes you anxious because you worry about not being able to find potential customers.You end up with thousands of leads, in which case youre over whelmed by the thought of dealing with them all. In either case, you can address the problem by fixing or getting help with your lead generation process. If you cant find enough leads, try enlisting a marketing agency that does it for you or provides some assistance. In the second case, youre probably pulling leads that arent really good matches for your product. Your problem isnt necessarily in the generation its in qualification. Again, you can hire an agency to help make sure youre going after- and getting- qualified leads. If you decide to hire an agency to help you find qualified leads, then make sure its not a scam. Read up on how to look for a reputable lead-generation agency. Qualifying Prospects If qualifying makes you nervous, youre probably viewing it as an intrusion- asking strangers fairly personal questions so that you can determine if theyre potential customers. In that case, shifting your mindset about the situation can help. Youre not intruding by getting in tou ch and asking questions. Instead, youre giving prospects an opportunity to find out about a fantastic product. After all, if you didnt believe your product was terrific, you wouldnt have started a business making it When you qualify prospects, think of yourself as an expert- like a doctor or lawyer- who is assessing the prospects needs and finding a solution for her problem. rahmen Appointments Even experienced salespeople occasionally get sweaty palms before a round of cold calling. Picking up the phone or showing up and talking to complete strangers isnt easy because it triggers a fundamental anxiety- fear of rejection.If you look at every no as an opportunity to get a yes, then suddenly the process doesnt seem so intimidating. In addition, fixing your lead generation and qualification processes will also have a positive effect on the next step of setting up sales appointments. If youre getting qualified leads that have shown interest in your service or product, also known as warm leads, then the appointment-setting process happens naturally. Making Presentations Its not easy to stand up in front of an audience, even an audience of one. When your presentation happens in front of a whole crowd of businesspeople, all of whom have their game faces on, it can feel like a pretty frightening idea. The easiest way to get a handle on this fear is to do your homework. If youre fully prepared and have a great presentation ready, and youve rehearsed it until it sounds perfect, youll feel much safer.? Another option is to join a local Toastmasters Club. This organization hosts meetings aimed at helping you build your confidence for public speaking and generally improving your leadership and communication skills. Making an effective sales presentation starts with creating one. Read 7 Tips for Creating a Sales Presentation That Makes the Sale. handhabung Objections Often its not actually answering objections that unnerve sellers. Instead, its the fear of the what ifs you feel before an appointment What if the prospect comes up with something youve never thought of? What if theyre right? What your my mind goes blank and they think youre an idiot? There will probably be some appointments where these kinds of scenarios will play out. However, the good news is that the more appointments you keep, the less likely you are to run into trouble. Over time, youll hear many different objections, and youll work out good responses to each one. If you do hear an objection that you cant answer, you can always stall for time. Make up a delaying response like, Mr. Jones, thats an excellent point. I want to address that concern fully, but I dont have all the information I need with me. May I email it to you later today? Having a set process for handling sales objections is key to building confidence in this area. Heres how to handle objections in six easy steps. Closing the Sale The close is the moment of truth, where you find out whether or not your hard work is about to pay off. This, of course, can come with some pressure and anxiety. One way to ease this pressure is to have a few simple closing phrases in mind so that you can be prepared at the right moment. There are at least as many ways to close a sale as there are salespeople, but it doesnt need to be complicated. All you need to do is ask for the sale in a way thats comfortable for you and appropriate for the situation. Ways to Ask for the Sale Are you ready to move forward?It seems like this is a good fit for you. What do you think?Will you commit to doing business with us today?Have I done enough to earn your business?Is there anything preventing you from agreeing to committing today? Asking for Referrals Many new salespeople skip this step entirely because theyre uncomfortable doing it. Thats unfortunate since salespeople are four times more likely to close a sale with a referred lead compared to a cold lead, according to research from Nielsen. Usually, if a pro spect is happy enough to buy from you, theyre happy to tell you about other people who can benefit from having your product or service. Until you get comfortable asking for referrals, you can use a set script or email template. New to referrals? Read this guide on asking for referrals and youll be on your way to getting warm leads in no time.