Does a 'No' Surprise You?

It should!

Henry Ford once said, if you think you can or if you think you can't you're right! This could not be truer when selling. Compare these two sales representatives making sales calls with a similar product. One has the attitude, 'It is a question of will the customer commit to using my product,' and the other, 'It is not a question of if, but when will the customer commit.'

Which one of these sales representatives do you think will be more successful at making sales calls?

That's right, the second sales representative has the advantage. The reason for this is their mental state about making a sales call or about making a call on a particular prospect or customer.

When I travel with salespeople I hear words like tough, difficult, challenging, and etc. to describe an upcoming sales call or about a particular prospect. These words are all manifestations of what are known as self-limiting beliefs. These self-limiting beliefs can be poison and act like viruses that invade and control what a salesperson believes about his or herself. For example, take these three statements:

• I want to sell this prospect but there is a problem.

• I want to sell this prospect and there is a problem.

• I want to sell this prospect even though there is a problem.

Any difference? You can be sure of it. From a mental standpoint the first statement can seem almost insurmountable where each progressive statement there is a loosening up of the belief with the third statement making situation more doable. That is from a mental perspective. This is why two sales people facing the same situation may interpret it the sales situation differently, act according to their different beliefs, and experience different outcomes.

These limiting beliefs will directly affect our actions or inactions. Just as Henry Ford once said, if a sales person believes the sales call will be tough, difficult, or challenging, they're right! It will be.

In reality we have no limitations except what we put on ourselves. These limitations are a thing of the mind only. Unfortunately, you cannot move beyond them. They can create a vicious cycle that can keep you from moving beyond where you already are. The good news is that these thoughts and beliefs are only programing and you are the programmer. You must root them out and bring them to extinction.

To eliminate these beliefs you must first identify them. Write them down or catch yourself saying them either to yourself or out loud. Then change the word or phrase into more positive affirmations and repeat it to yourself. You need to be very aggressive at rooting these 'thought viruses' out. The phrase I used when I began my selling career was:

'This prospect really needs to see and talk with me if they want to . . .'

Remember, a prospect is only as tough, difficult, or challenging as you believe them to be. It all starts and ends with what you believe about yourself.