For skyrocketing sales, SNAP out of your paralyzing mindset and wake up to negative sales habits.
To be a star performer and become successful in sales, leadership or management you must SNAP out of thinking it’s all about product knowledge or possessing certain skill sets. Product knowledge is important but star performers in every category of sales and leadership share a common secret. They understand how to SNAP out of bad habits and transform the behaviors keeping them from achieving ultimate success.
Knowledge does not equal performance. Every sales person knows that follow up is the key to success in sales but business research shows that 50% of all sales opportunities are never followed up on! That means that for every person hired that possesses incredible sales knowledge but not equally incredible performance habits are negatively affecting the bottom line by 50%.category of sales and leadership share a common secret. They understand how to SNAP out of bad habits and transform the behaviors keeping them from achieving ultimate success.
So the question is why would competent and talented sales professionals fail to follow up on potential business 50% of the time? My research and my experience of over 25 years in sales provide the obvious answer. We hate to feel uncomfortable! We will do anything to keep from feeling uncomfortable even if that means losing potential business or sabotaging a successful career.
Feelings and emotions can be the power source or the kill switch to how you behave and perform. How you feel more than what you know determines your success or failure. If you feel confident and secure you move forward, if you fear rejection or criticism you tend to retreat, spin in circles or become paralyzed.
Smart people, talented people and educated people all feel uncomfortable feelings. Star performers however have trained themselves to do one thing 50% more of the time and increasing sales and performance standards 10 fold!
They have learned to feel what they feel instead of distracting from what they feel. The typical response to anxiety or fear is to distract from it. Those distractions can be in the form mental obsessing or physical distractions such as Internet surfing, compulsive eating, exercise, gambling, drinking, texting, tweeting or Facebook.
Performance is the ability to take the knowledge you have and create a powerful vision that ignites incredible enthusiasm and energy to move tenaciously towards your goal. Distractions rob vital energy and drown out the ability to feel authentic passion and raw excitement needed to reach your full potential in both your personal and professional life.
To keep moving toward your goal without procrastinating, getting stuck or sabotaging a great career remember the 4-step SNAP process and Ignite your sales in a S.N.A.P
Step 1. S = Stop distracting and feel!
Don’t try to change it, analyze it, medicate it or sedate it. Feel your feelings! Notice where the feeling is in the body, neck, shoulders, back, stomach or throat. Feel and breathe. Notice how the feeling tingles, grips or ripples. Does it increase in intensity or lessen as you breathe?
Keep feeling what you feel for as long as you can without trying to distract yourself by calling a friend, eating a cookie or calling it a day!
Step 2. N = Notice what you are telling yourself!
Have you ever noticed that as soon as you start to feel anxious, nervous or confused you start making up all sorts of stories that are never in your best interest? Thoughts like “They will never pay the price I’m asking” or “I can’t ask for the sale that’s too pushy” or worse “I’m not smart enough or good enough to make it in this career!”
These stories aren’t truth they are just stories! But you react to them as if they were signed, sealed and delivered truth! You are the thinker of your thoughts, thoughts that are derailing your performance and success!
Snap Out of It! Stop distracting from what you feel and start thinking about what you think!
Step 3. A = Ask Questions
Once you start noticing the stories you are telling yourself interrupt the limiting mindset by asking a question, “Is this really true?” “Who said?” “Is it possible I am wrong?” “Is there another possibility or explanation?” “Did I mis-interpret something or someone?” Regain your confidence and courage to stand up to the fears and anxiety being produced by un-questioned beliefs and thoughts!
Step4. P = Put Yourself Out there!
You can’t become a star performer with successful sales numbers without putting yourself out there and feeling a little uncomfortable. You can’t become a star performer if every time you feel uncomfortable you spend valuable time and energy trying to find something, anything to make you feel better. You can’t become a star performer if you don’t get your head in the game and notice the negative and limiting ways you are using your mind!
Put yourself out there and put these 4 steps into practice to ignite your passion, courage and confidence and watch your sales begin to soar in a SNAP!