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If you're seeking to improve your sales
skills, perhaps you should begin by working to eliminate those unspoken,
subconscious, mistaken beliefs that have served to block your career. Leo Rosten
observed, "We see things as we are, not as they are." Hopefully, the
following catalogue of interfering beliefs, along with their attendant
consequences, will help you extinguish irrational beliefs from your sales career
and from your life:
| Belief
System |
Unspoken
Message to Oneself |
Consequence |
| Fear of
Rejection |
"If the
customer says ‘no,’ that’s awful." / "I can’t stand it
when the customer says ‘no.’" |
Call Reluctance,
Customer Avoidance,
Failure to Contact New Prospects |
| Perfectionism |
"Everything
must be perfectly planned and "in order" before I make any
calls." |
Fewer Calls,
Lower Sales Volume |
| Negative
Prophecy |
"This won’t
work, so why should I even try?" / "It’s a waste of time to
try." |
"Safe" Calls,
Fewer Sales Calls, Lower Sales Volume |
| Self-stereotyping |
"I only
make this kind of sale." / "I only call on these kinds of
accounts." |
Limited Account Base,
Smaller Sales |
| Belief
System |
Unspoken
Message to Oneself |
Consequence |
| Focus on
Product Limitations |
"If the
product isn’t perfect, I won’t sell it." / "If one customer
doesn’t like my product, I can’t sell it." |
Missed Sales
Opportunities, Smaller Orders |
| Wishful
Thinking |
Things will
magically work out, even though I’m not making as many sales calls as I
should" |
Reduced Focus
on Customer, Fewer Sales Calls |
| Focus on Self |
"My
feelings are important." "I must be ‘comfortable’ with a
particular situation." "My needs are important to the
customer." |
Reduced Focus
on Customer, Salesperson-centered Calls |
| Disorganization |
"I’m not
an organized person." "I don’t have the time to organize my
sales efforts." |
Ineffective
Selling, Wasted Efforts, Fewer Sales |
These interfering belief systems
usually result from unrealistic expectations and perfectionism thinking. If you
find yourself bogged down in your sales efforts, conduct a mental inventory and
determine if you are being held hostage by any of the above-mentioned
misconceptions. If so, give yourself a quick talking to, and then get back to
selling. You’ll discover that if you make your more sales calls and if you
make them with a realistic, positive attitude, your personal productivity and
sales volume will increase.
This page was written by
Criswell Freeman, Psy.D. | |
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