Fear. It is a word that everyone experiences in different ways. Most of us have things that we are afraid of and some of us have things that date all the way back to childhood. Many of these things even date back to childhood, i.e. the dark, bugs, even clowns. Although fear is a natural emotion, it is very important we don’t let fear stop us when it comes to building over businesses.
Most of us have had to battle with the fear of rejection, the fear of objections, and the fear of failure when it comes to building our businesses. Are afraid that people won’t like our product or service, or are we really afraid they won’t like us? Some of us have even read books about overcoming objections and have adopted the philosophy that, “For every No, we are that much closer to a Yes” to help us cope with this feeling of rejection. What about the fear of failure? Maybe this business you thought was so great won’t grow to the level you thought it would? Maybe it was just a bad idea in the first place? Maybe all those people who didn’t think the best of you were right?
I like others have my own set of fears. One of them is the fear of rejection. This fear is not so much as it relates to me personally, but definitely as it relates to my profession and business. This fear of rejection is something I am constantly working to overcome because continuing to operate in it will negatively impact the very thing that keeps my business viable…sales!
The fear of sales is just another fear that allows you to talk yourself out of building your business to the level of success that it could be and that it should be. The fear of sales is a fear that even some of the most successful entrepreneurs have dealt with, but they had to overcome to be the success they are today.
The fear of sales and objections is real and there are several reasons people fear sales. Below are 5 reasons people fear sales along with some tips you can use to beat those fears down!
1. Keep a great appearance so people will be open to hearing what you have to say.
Let’s face it. We live in a visual world and people judge you first by how you look, then by what you present. If you look nice, people are more likely to want to listen to you. If you look threatening, unkempt, disheveled, or unprofessional, you will have lost your audience before you even have an opportunity to present your product/service. When I talk to teens, I dress differently than when I speak with business men/women at a Fortune 500 company. People listen to those that look like them. Having a great appearance is not just the clothing, shoes, or watches you wear; it’s also having a smile on your face and a pleasant demeanor. People can tell when you are smiling even over the phone.
2. Know that rejection is coming
When you know this you can accept it and even embrace it. Rejection is a part of the game of sales and once you know stop trying to fight it, you will learn how to make it work in your favor. Understand the rejection is not a rejection of you, personally, but a rejection of what you are offering. It could even be a rejection of your product because they don’t have enough information about it to make an informed decision. Remember, the more you get rejected when selling your product/service, the easier it will be to handle rejection, and ultimately the more successful you will become at overcoming rejection.
3. You don’t want to seem desperate
You might as well get over this one because it’s not about being desperate. It’s about closing the deal and at the end of the day, if you don’t close, it doesn’t count. If you are in a for profit business, then you are in business to make money. You don’t have to be pushy or over-the-top, but you do have to ask for the sale. Just like when you go into a nice department store and they ask, “Would you like to put that on your ________ card today?” Most of the time, they know you may not have the store card, but they are trying to make a sale and most of us don’t even see it! So in your business be prepared. There are things available now like the Square where you can close a sale right on the spot. You don’t have to refer them to your website to pay; you get their business right then, but be sure to make them feel comfortable. Talk to them about their hobbies, family, or things that are of importance to them. Then they feel less intimidated parting with their hard-earned mullah!
4. Fear you won’t cut the mustard
This fear comes up especially when budding businesses have their first larger than expected order or are asked to provide a service to another major company. We tend to think, “Oh, my gosh. What if I mess this up?” Overcome this fear by learning to say, “Yes” even if you don’t know how you will fulfill the obligation. This will make you rise to the occasion. For example, if you have a cup cake store and you’ve only done small order of 100 or less and you are asked to do cupcakes for an Awards Show that needs 500, are you going to turn down this opportunity? Of course not! Say, “Yes.” Hire additional staff. Sit down and effectively plan out what it will take to complete this order in an excellent and timely manner, then do it!
5. What if you’re not doing it right
How do you overcome the, “What if I’m doing it wrong” question? By getting trained. Attend sales conferences. Read books. Two I recommend for starters are, “The World’s Greatest Salesman” and “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Look up great sales speakers on YouTube like Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, and JohnMaxwell. Talk to other entrepreneurs and business owners about sales strategies they are using and their levels of success. Get outside of your comfort zone. Remember, comfort is for the average. If you want to be excellent, you have to push yourself into doing what is uncomfortable and maybe unpopular, i.e. sales.
I challenge us all to look at ourselves, evaluate our fears, and face them head on. When you win, I promise this will be a feeling that is well worth every “No” you got and every “Yes” you worked hard to receive!
