Is it time to admit you are only as strong as your weakest link?

Salespeople are fascinating humans! Why? Because they are motivated, goal-oriented, love to achieve, driven, adaptable, risk-takers, capable of growing self and others, inner-directed, and self-starters.

AND

We are only as strong as our weakest link. We are good at covering up insecurities. We hide, deny and suppress our Call Reluctance until we are in serious trouble, not knowing that Call Reluctance is learned and can become unlearned with proven techniques.

This might come across as direct, it might even make you uncomfortable, and you might think I am scolding you. It’s time salespeople Wake Up to the fact that the sales world has drastically changed. Grow Up and become aware of your impact on prospects. Own Up to unhelpful habits and behavior. Show Up to serve your prospects and clients.

According to research, Salespeople talk too much because we need to control the conversation – ha-ha, the jokes on us! Remember, the average prospect has an attention span of 11 seconds.

What if, starting today, you ask yourself: "Why am I talking?"

Is it time to re-wire your brain to listen?

Below are facts that are neuroscientifically proven so that your first conversation opens the door for a second conversation and a new client:

Curiosity is vital to your discovery process.

Curiosity is a strong desire to know or learn something. Go into a sales conversation assuming that you have something to learn is critical. We must stop going into the conversation with a preconceived idea that we know what is important to our prospects. When it comes out of our mouths, they doubt it. When it comes out of their mouth, it’s true. Our job is to influence the prospect to discover and disclose so we can help solve their problem.

”Dopamine is one of the brain reward chemicals. Brain researchers found that dopamine is linked to the brain’s curiosity state, and you are naturally happier when you explore with curiosity. If you are happier, you’ll show up better; you’ll have a clear mind, and you will listen for meaning,” according to Troy Smith, trainer for the Black Swan Group.

Be Judgment Free: Being judgmental in a sales conversation restricts your ability to listen and learn. Super smart people are usually not good at sales because they think they know everything and have heard everything. They have nothing left to learn. All they want to do is talk, pitch, and fix. This is when salespeople get the counterfeit “yes”, and your first conversation was your last.

If you are going into a presentation pitching, talking about yourself, and your company, telling stories, attempting to find commonalities between you and the prospect, and showing logos of your current customers. Please stop it.

$100,000 TIP:

If a prospect seeks you out or is referred to you, the best way to start the conversation is “It seems like you have an idea of how we can help you.” PAUSE and don’t talk. Let the prospect lead the conversation.

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I facilitate a Positive Intelligence? mental fitness program that provides Sales Call Reluctance solutions.

~ One salesperson recently said, "I have never smiled so much in my life.”

~ An insurance salesman shared, "Mindfulness works for me! I am selling more policies.”

~ A third commented, "When I breathe, it truly feels like I have re-set my brain. I am calmer.”