Biggest Fears of a Sales Person

Research says other than 2 fears i.e. Fear of Height & Fear of Sound all other fears are acquired. We develop fears as we grow.The 4 biggest fears of a beginner in Sales profession are:-

1. Fear of Moving Out (FOMO)

2. Fear of Betrayal by Others (FOBO)

3. Fear of Losing Orders (FOLO)

4. Fear of Failure in the Org (FOFO)

How to overcome or tackle each one of them-

1. Fear of Moving Out (FOMO)

At the early stages of our career we have to take the decision to move out from our established place of stay, give up the homely comforts, love of the family members & head to a new place. Many a times we have to leave our family, friends, home cooked food behind to go to a unknown -unsure environment. It is so painful. It seems that everything gets uprooted instantly

Think of the bigger picture. The career growth & Happiness that will be bestowed on you at the later stage is worth making these smaller sacrifices now for the bigger pleasures & gain.

The analogy is fishing. You want to fish from the shore or fish from the boat? If u want to catch more; catch big go in the boat. Go deep. Go to uncharted waters.

Take some calculated risks but the returns will be rewarding. If u want to be in the comfort zone, sitting at one place & fish...u know the returns.

2. Fear of Betrayal by Others (FOBO)

Often what we expect from the other person it does not happen likewise. It happens from peers, bosses, colleagues & our trade partners. We take them on their face values but when we find at the wrong end of the expected result we get frustrated. Negative thoughts brews in our mind. We view everyone as our enemies.

Consider these as valuable experiences. You will learn who can be trusted & who cannot with experiences. The more you meet people you will understand the ulterior motives. Understanding people & dealing with them is the essence of man-management. No two individuals are same. It is our task to take out the best from each one.

Some will be real friends & few others will be business friends or transactional friends. We need to categorize them & similarly our expectations from each one of them. Take the positives out from these experiences. Soon you will have a reliable group of well-wishers & friends.

These “tests " are required to segregate the grain from the chaff!These lessons can never be taught in books-One has to go through it to learn them.

3. Fear of Losing Orders (FOLO)

There is a constant fear that even after slogging & putting in the hard work the orders at the last minute might give us a miss. It is a big frustration for us. Very difficult to recover from such shocks. I have seen people ruining themselves after such incidents. They develop a completely negative attitude towards life after such incidents they lose self-confidence & belief. For a sales person bagging the orders & achieving the revenue targets is a rich source of happiness. It is like scoring a century!

Such is the importance of orders & therefore it is prudent to track & monitor the progress of the orders with the customers. Be in touch with them to understand if there are any issues that needs to be addressed. Try to uncover any attended areas which your competitor might take advantage off!

Watch out & try to cover up the soft or vulnerable spots beforehand. Be aware of the competition moves & their possible reactions. Ring-fence the Customer & close the orders pro-actively.

4. Fear of Failure in the Organization (FOFO)

We often get very dejected if we are rebuked by our bosses, receive a harsh e- mail or not getting recognized at the workplace. We generally feel left out, victim of some internal politics which impacts our next day. We get distracted & disturbed. We often feel that inspite of our best efforts, hard work we could not produce the results which management wanted. These are of frequent occurrence in sales.

The irony is we are measured by numbers. At the end of the day past reputation does not carry us long enough. We are known by the numbers we achieve. It is the reality.There are frequent disruptions & therefore we need to handle them calmly, intelligently & proactively.

Like in Cricket when you are batting well score the maximum no. of runs. Don’t throw away your wicket! You never know when you will run into a bad patch. Make the maximum impact when the going is good. These good performances will be your motivators during bad times. Similarly, fill up your order books when you are in that sweet zone. Make hay when you are feeling confident, happy & motivated. Let the good times linger!

During failure continue putting in the right efforts & keep your bosses appraised on what you are doing. Remember that during average days you need to present a more committed, disciplined & methodical picture of yourself to your superiors. That is the time more eyes will be watching you & you will be under surveillance. Seek advice/inputs of your trusted seniors (mentors), if things are not happening as per plan. Request for their help in accompanying you to field trips to your Customers for a first hand assessment & course- correction. Do not allow failure to affect your sub-conscious mind. Once it does, our inner critic will stop us from thinking anything positive. It will constantly remind you that you are no good, you are destined to fail, you should quit. This inner negative chatter of the sub-conscious mind is called Psychic Masochism. It is advised that during these times you need to detach yourself, engage in some other constructive activities, read some motivational books or see a movie. Dis-engage from the problem & view it from a distance in a dispassionate manner. Re-wind similar situations that had happened earlier & how you had come out as a Winner. Play those good times in your mind. Restore the self-belief & confidence. Re-start with a bang. The temporary phase will soon be over.

Remember Form is temporary, Class is permanent. It is how we deal with the rough phase of our life that makes us a well-rounded professional & determines our Class!

Convert the fears into learning opportunities & valuable insights.

These experiences can be career-changing & transformational!