Four Keys Beliefs for Peak Sales Performance

A “no” in sales means you're one step closer to a “yes.” That's why good sales representatives track their “nos” and learn how many it takes to become a yes. Winners keep score, just like you do at a sporting event. Yogi Berra, baseball legend and creator of unique and funny, but very memorable quotes, had a great deal of wisdom in his mistatements and malaprops that is relevant in many areas, but especially in sales. “90% of baseball is mental. The other half is physical.” Berra was a winner and he knew what it took to be great, even if his math was a bit skewed. The right mental attitude is a huge force in winning any game, especially sales. No matter how much you know about your product, practiced your presentation or studied every book on sales, the right mental attitude, your sales beliefs, are the keys to success.

If you ever read about, knew or partnered with a “super salesperson” you might think they're always up and ready for action no matter how tough the road. Self-doubt, discouragement and lack of belief come with the territory of being human, so the super heroes of sales are just as prone to it as anyone. Instead of letting a no keep them down, they use it as inspiration. Making sales, no matter what the product takes a tough individual that doesn't allow any setback stand in their way of success. They don't allow market conditions or a string of “nos” to define their future. What do these people have that others are missing?

The power of belief is the difference between adequate and great, whether in sports, sales or any other endeavor where you want high achievement. It's the ability to maintain focus and remain productive that comes from emotional or mental strength. It seems like some people are born with that ability, but that's not true. It may have been learned from an early age, but it was learned. That makes it a skill that anyone can hone and use to accomplish their goals and harvest the benefits. It requires creating a strong base of sales beliefs with four cornerstones that provide an indestructible foundation.

1 Success requires that you believe in the benefits of your product or service.

If you're excited about what you sell, your clients will be excited too. Enthusiasm for the services or products you offer is not only important, it's one of the keys to success. Passion, not facts, sell. Knowing that what you're selling will help a customer immensely and being able to convey that knowledge and belief is one of the keys to a successful career. It's more than just knowledge of the product or service, it's knowledge of how valuable and exceptional the product or service is that garners a yes. While closing the deal and improving your revenue is important, understanding the benefits to your customer and being able to convey those concepts is far more important. You're not selling a drill, but the hole the drill makes.

2 You'll improve your chances of success when you believe in your training.

No matter what you're selling, one of the keys to success is great training. Training isn't necessarily knowing everything about the product or having the specs on the tip of your tongue. Product knowledge is part of it, but not the biggest part. The knowledge of salesmanship is the most important part. Once you have those skill, you can sell anything with minimal training. Sales skills involve listening to your customers and being a consultant that not only helps fill their needs but helps the customer identify needs they might not have known they had, building a relationship and using all the tools available that will give the sales person confidence in themselves. That confidence radiates to the client.

3 When you believe in your company, it builds a positive attitude.

Believing in your product or service is important, but not the same as having a belief in the company you represent. Companies that turn a deaf ear toward customer complaints and treat their customers or sales professionals poorly can create an antagonistic, combative tone that spreads toxic emotions. It can lead to burnout and create an indifferent attitude in all employees, particularly the sales force. That lowers productivity and quickly leads to discouragement and the search for greener pastures.

4 This pillar for success is the most important one, the belief in yourself.

You can't attend a sales seminar, read an article on the internet or pick up a book on sales that doesn't have a section on believing in yourself. It's the ultimate key to everything. While the first three sales beliefs are important, belief in yourself sets the stage for everything to come together. It's the driving force, not only in sales but in life. There is no reality, just a vision of how you view your circumstances that is colored by your belief. Circumstances and people don't create your emotions, your belief does and your reaction is based on those emotions.

Successful people, whether in sales or not, never allow their present situation to dictate their emotions and actions or define them. They look past a poor economy, tough competition and even difficult customers and turn to their firmly founded beliefs, in the product, training, company and especially in their own abilities. They make difficult times a learning ground to grow, thrive and achieve greater heights of success. They create their own reality and shun outside negative forces that say anything different.

You have to ask yourself what your reality is. What story do you tell yourself mentally when you aren't having success closing, are in a slump, have few prospects or a low margin. Do you have a laundry list of excuses that run the gambit from a poor economy to the rude waitress at the coffee shop? Just imagine how different it might be if you changed your tale and instead of looking for excuses, found reasons you should succeed. What if you decided each “no” was one step closer to a “yes?” What would it take to reframe your situation and find ways to create a new outcome of success? Skills like this require mental strength, but they build confidence and help you become a great sales professional. Self-confidence and controlled focus are the core of the Sales Strong process.

Gregg Swanson is a sales performance consultant and business coach and has authored several books and numerous articles on peak performance. Gregg specializes helping sales professionals develop mental strength for optimum sales performance.  You can pick-up your complementary report, “The Most Critical Step in Sales” by going HERE.