Overcoming Sales Limiting Beliefs
Thomas Kaberi
Managing Partner @ Optimal Consulting | Sales Development | Value Architect | Insuretech | Rugby | Leadership
Do you want to level up your sales game? Do you have the potential to close more deals and earn more commissions? Or do you secretly doubt yourself and your abilities? If yes, this blog post is for you. I will show you the most common limiting beliefs that stop you from doing sales and how to beat them. I will also share quotes, citations from experts, credible sources, and wise words from famous historical figures to inspire and motivate you. Let’s go!
What are limiting beliefs, and why do they matter?
Limiting beliefs are negative thoughts or assumptions that we have about ourselves, others, or the world that hold us back from achieving our goals. They are often based on fear, insecurity, or past experiences that we generalize to the present or the future. Limiting beliefs can affect every aspect of our lives, but especially our sales performance. HubSpot says, “In sales, the right mindset is crucial. It doesn’t matter how amazing your product is or how many leads you’re getting — if you’re holding on to self-destructive beliefs, you’ll likely sabotage your deals.”
Some examples of limiting beliefs in sales are:
- I’m not a natural salesperson
- The prospect will never pay for this
- I can’t handle rejection
- I’ll never get any better at this
- I can’t see myself doing this for very long so why bother
These beliefs can stop us from taking action, asking for referrals, challenging our prospects, improving our skills, or enjoying our work. They can also make us feel stressed, frustrated, or unhappy.
But the good news is that limiting beliefs are not facts. They are just opinions that we have formed over time and that we can change with awareness and practice. Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
How to overcome limiting beliefs in sales
The first step is to identify them. You can do this by paying attention to your inner dialogue and noticing when you say something negative or limiting about yourself or your situation. You can also ask yourself questions like:
What is stopping me from achieving my sales goals?
What do I fear the most about sales?
What do I believe about myself as a salesperson?
What do I believe about my prospects or customers?
What do I believe about my product or service?
Once you have identified your limiting beliefs, you can challenge them by looking for evidence that contradicts them or supports a more positive and empowering belief. You can also reframe them by using more optimistic and realistic language. For example:
Instead of saying “I’m not a natural salesperson”, you can say “I can learn and improve my sales skills with practice and feedback”.
Instead of saying “The prospect will never pay for this”, you can say “The prospect will see the value of this if I show them how it solves their problem or meets their need”.
Instead of saying “I can’t handle rejection”, you can say “Rejection is part of sales, and it doesn’t mean anything about me or my offer”.
Instead of saying “I’ll never get any better at this”, you can say “I can always learn something new and grow from every experience”.
Instead of saying “I can’t see myself doing this for very long, so why bother”, you can say “I enjoy helping people and making a difference with my work”.
Another way to overcome limiting beliefs in sales is to use affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that you repeat to yourself regularly to reinforce a new belief or attitude. You can write them down, say them out loud, or listen to them as audio recordings. Some examples are:
- I am confident and capable as a salesperson
- I attract and connect with ideal prospects who need my solution
- I handle objections with ease and grace
- I close deals with integrity and professionalism
- I love what I do and I do what I love
A third way is to model successful salespeople who have achieved what you want to achieve. You can learn from their strategies, techniques, habits, and mindsets by reading their books, listening to their podcasts, watching their videos, or attending their events. You can also seek their mentorship, coaching, or advice if possible. Some examples are:
Zig Ziglar: He was a poor salesman who became a motivational speaker and author. He said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
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Brian Tracy: He was a high school dropout who became an entrepreneur and author. He said, “The only limits on what you can accomplish are the limits you place on your own imagination.”
Grant Cardone: He was a drug addict who became a billionaire real estate investor and author. He said, “Don’t be confused by what looks like luck to you. Lucky people don’t make successful people; people who completely commit themselves to success attract it instead.”
How do I apply these tips to B2B fintech sales scenarios?
Now let’s see how to apply these tips in B2B fintech sales scenarios.
B2B fintech sales involves selling financial technology solutions to businesses such as banks, insurance companies, payment processors, or wealth managers.
Some limiting beliefs that B2B fintech salespeople may face are:
- I don’t understand the technical aspects of my product
- The decision-makers are too busy or too senior to talk to me
- The sales cycle is too long and complex
- The competition is too fierce and well-established
- The market is too saturated or too niche
To overcome these beliefs, you can use these strategies:
To overcome the belief that you don’t understand the technical aspects of your product, educate yourself on the features and benefits of your solution and how it solves your prospects’ pain points or goals. Leverage your technical team members or experts as resources or partners in your sales process.
To overcome the belief that the decision-makers are too busy or too senior to talk to you, research your prospects thoroughly and find out their names, roles, responsibilities, challenges, and interests. Craft personalized and value-based messages that capture their attention and curiosity.
To overcome the belief that the sales cycle is too long and complex, map out the buyer’s journey and identify the key stakeholders, influencers, and gatekeepers involved in each stage. Create a clear value proposition and a compelling business case that show how your solution helps your prospects achieve their desired outcomes faster, cheaper, or better than their current situation.
To overcome the belief that the competition is too fierce and well-established, differentiate yourself and your solution by highlighting your USPs, CAs, or VASs.
Use social proof such as testimonials, case studies, or referrals from satisfied customers who switched from your competitors to your solution.
To overcome the belief that the market is too saturated or niche, segment your target market into smaller subgroups based on criteria such as industry, size, location, or need.
Niche down your solution by focusing on a specific problem or opportunity that your prospects face.
# Conclusion
Limiting beliefs are one of the biggest obstacles that stop salespeople from reaching their full potential.
But they are not facts; they are opinions that we can change with awareness and practice.
By identifying, challenging, reframing, and replacing our limiting beliefs with positive ones, we can boost our confidence, motivation, and performance in sales.
We can also use affirmations, modeling, and learning as tools to reinforce our new beliefs and habits. And we can apply these tips in any sales scenario, including B2B fintech sales, by adapting them to our specific product, prospect, and market.
So what are you waiting for?
Start overcoming your limiting beliefs today and unleashing your inner sales superstar!
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