Some people think selling is easy. If it were really so easy then everyone could do it. Selling is not easy. Your job is to reduce your sales frustrations and make your selling easier. That’s why you should focus on the sales process, not sales results.
Accept that you cannot control what other people do.
What makes selling so hard is that you can only accomplish your sales objectives through other people. You can’t buy. You have to get appointments with people who either can buy or lead to those people who can buy from you. You are not in control of those people.
All the great technology that exists today to help you sell more is also there to make it harder for you to reach prospects. Prospects are busy just like everyone else. Prospects don’t reply to emails. They screen their calls. They don’t return voicemails. You can’t make prospects do what they choose not to do.
Learn to control what you can control in sales.
I still find some salespeople who let their frustrations overtake them as they sell.
They focus on thinking, “I’m not making my sales.” Instead, they should focus on their sales process, not the results.
Here’s what I mean. If you keep focusing on selling $X you will be frustrated if you don’t make that number. $X is the result. Instead, why not set a goal of making X qualified prospecting calls each day? You can control that you set the time to make those calls. You can identify the ideal prospects who you are looking to sell. You can create an effective telephone introduction that gives a prospect a reason to listen. Making those calls is in your control. Selling $X is not.
Pay attention to what is working and change what is not.
Notice what’s working as you focus on your sales process. How many appointments are you getting if you are making X prospecting calls each day? Your message needs improvement if you are not reaching the number you want. You can control the process improvement of crafting a more effective message. You can’t control whether the prospect is sitting at his desk to pick up the phone.
You have to pay attention to what’s working and what’s not working by thinking about process improvement. By focusing on improving a process you put yourself in a different place that allows you to avoid beating yourself up if a prospect doesn’t respond the way you want him to.
You will reduce your sales frustrations when you work on sales process improvement. I’ll also predict that you’ll increase your sales.
Best wishes for your sales success,
