How To Overcome Selling Fears

Are you working in sales, but too scared to sell? Are you too scared to pick up the phone and call someone? Are you too scared to ask for the sale? Are you scared about the upcoming presentation in front of group of customers?

With jobs such as cold calling, overcoming objections, fierce competing and heavy targets, it's not a surprise that a lot of sales people are too scared to sell. But this is worrying, considering the key to success will come from their ability to sell!

So what can you do to overcome those fears?

1) Avoid Distractions

Distractions will only help fuel your fear, or give you an opportunity to escape the job your too scared to do! Avoid those distractions and do the jobs you don't like.

2) Don't Take It Personally

You will get a lot of rejection in sales, fact. But don't take it personally. Yes there will be times when you mess up the pitch, or you forget to say something important. But most of the time the customer will say no because they don't want what you are selling right now. And that's not a bad thing, just keep going until you find a customer that does want what you're selling. I'm sure you say no to sales people all the time, and it's not that you don't like the person selling, you don't know them. Half the time it's not because you don't want the product either! It's because at that exact time, you don't want to talk. It's not personal. But out there are customers who are willing to talk, some who are even waiting to talk.

3) Knowledge

Some sales people are too scared to sell because they don't feel they know what they are selling. If you are in a sales position and have something to sell, then learn it inside and out! Read, Research and Remember. There will be a lot you will learn through the sales process, questions you weren't expecting that will prompt you to learn more about your product. So prepare as much as you can, but at the end of the day just start speaking to customers, and if you get asked something you don't know, be honest, find out for them, and they'll appreciate it a whole lot more. Knowledge is a powerful tool and the best sales people are those that can assure and re assure customers confidently.

4) Planning

Having a well structured day will help overcome those sales fears. Don't come in and have nothing pre planned or booked in for that day. If you're sitting at your desk with a blank diary entry, you're opening yourself up to a lot of challenges and fear already. Plan the times you are going to prospect, have meetings booked in if you can. Plan time to go through your emails, plan time to call back prospect, plan time to do new sales calls etc. If you have a plan and can follow it, it will take the fear away as you'll be busy getting on with your plan.

5) Breaks

When you are selling, it is important to keep a momentum, to keep in the zone. So when you are calling for an hour or 2, stay focused during that time. But make sure you have breaks planned into your day. If you've got an hours worth of prospecting to do, it will be motivating knowing that there is a cup of tea or chance to stretch your legs coming up. It will help you focus and not be distracted by the worries.

6) Have Fun

When you are selling something, there is a pressure on you to persuade someone to buy your product. That pressure is what fuels a lot of sales fear, as it makes conversations forced and uncomfortable and set by an agenda to try and sell them something. Throw that all away and just have fun. Believe in the value of your product and know deep down that there are people out there who could benefit from what you're selling. If someone really doesn't like or need it, move on. Enjoy getting to know new people, getting to know new businesses, making new contacts and hopefully through all of that, being able to help someone by providing a product or service that benefits them.

7) Buzz

Have a buzz, an energy, be motivated, excited, pumped up! You want to sound excited about what you're selling, you want people to listen to you and think "wow, this product sounds amazing"! Whether you have some music in the background, have some good old fashion banter in the office, or just mentally psych yourself up. Have a buzz when you sell and it will become more fun and less scary.

8) Just Get On With It!

Most of the time that sales people are too scared to sell, the best cure is to just get on with it. Just pick up the phone and make the call, go to the meeting, go out and knock some doors. As soon as you start and start to pick up momentum, that fear will wash away. If you're sat for too long thinking about it, just stop, breath, and crack on.

If you're in sales, it's because you can sell. Remember that. It's the moment you stop selling, that it becomes scary. Don't doubt yourself, believe in yourself. You are selling something awesome, and out there are customers that are going to love it! Your job now is to go out and find them.