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5 Mindset Shifts To Overcome Your Sales Anxiety

Discover the key strategies that can shift your sales mindset, so you can drop the anxiety and pick up some excitement.


Ben Buckwalter | Courtesy Photo
Ben Buckwalter | Courtesy Photo

You love your business. You’re passionate about helping people. And above all, you believe in your vision. Yet, there’s just one pesky problem.

Every time you think about jumping on a sales call, you break out in hives and consider crawling under the nearest rock. It’s not that you don’t want to make a sale, but the sales process is one of the least favorite parts of the business.

Here’s the deal. Business is about sales, and without sales, you can’t make a difference (or have the Instagram-worthy life that you want).

So, it’s time to make peace with selling, so you can do the things you set out to do and accomplish the goals that got you excited about starting a business in the first place.

Keep reading to discover the key strategies that can shift your sales mindset, so you can drop the anxiety and pick up some excitement.

 

1. Stay open

Even though you haven’t loved sales in the past, it doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love with sales now. The truth is, there are two main reasons people don’t like sales:

  • They don’t think their offer is good enough, and therefore they don’t feel good about accepting money for it.
  • They don’t think they’re good enough and don’t want to face the rejection.

There are more than enough sales strategies and tactics that are in alignment with your values. However, all of the proven techniques in the world will not help you if you have a closed mind.

Here are some telltale signs that indicate your “belief” about sales is a problem:

  • You find yourself saying things like, “I don’t want to do that. It doesn’t feel authentic to me.”
  • You stress over what the other person will think if you make them an offer.
  • You’re in front of the right people, but you want them to come to you and ask about an offer instead of making one.
  • You talk yourself out of using sales strategies and tactics by saying, “I already tried that, and it didn’t work.”

If this is you, it’s time to do some tough mindset work around self-belief and belief in your offer. Otherwise, your sales will continue to suffer.

 

2. Learn from every ‘No’

Hearing “No” is hard when you view it as someone saying “No” to you—the individual. But something powerful happens when you stop fearing the word “No.” You get to see that it can be a great opportunity to find the perfect “Yes.”

Keep in mind that it’s statistically impossible for everyone to tell you no, which means it’s also statistically unlikely for you to always get a yes.

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© nagaets, YFS Magazine

What you want to pay attention to is the context and why someone is telling you no. Are they not a fit for the offer, or have they not seen the true value?

When someone tells you no, you can learn how to handle objections and build more value at the beginning of your pitch (in a way your prospects will understand). This gives you even greater insight into what (and how) people think about their problem and your solution, so you can speak to them in a way that converts.

 

3. Stay clear

It’s easy to create a narrative as to why someone else does or says something.

For example:

  • That person you went on a date with the other night still hasn’t texted you back so they must not be interested. Meanwhile, that lady who was looking at you in the grocery store was judging you for wearing pajama pants out of the house.

When in reality:

  • The person you went on a date with saw your text and thought they messaged you back–and they’ve been dealing with a family emergency. While the lady who was staring at you couldn’t tear her eyes away because you look just like the sister she lost five years ago and misses terribly.

The stories or intentions you impose on the actions and words of others will drive you batty if you let it. That’s why you need to focus on the truth as you know it, and keep your perspective clear.

 

4. Obsess over your niche

When it comes to your niche market, you need to know it inside and out. What are the industry averages? How does your company compare to the others in the marketplace? What problem are you solving?

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By studying your industry as if you were Hermione Granger at Hogwarts (and your Valedictorian status was in danger), you set yourself up for success. Confidence in sales is everything. You have to know the industry better than your prospect. Knowledge is power.

The last thing you want to do is appear like the mechanic who talks to a customer about an engine type that has never been made for that car. Don’t be that person.

It’s not about competition, it’s about competence, and you owe your best to your prospect (and yourself).

 

5. Practice

You don’t become better at sales by running away from customers or refusing to engage in the sales process. That’s a great way to cripple your business and stay in the stressful income feast-or-famine cycle.

The best way to get better at sales is to devote yourself to its practice and principles. You’ll find your communication skills will strengthen when you understand your prospect deeper. You’ll be able to support others more efficiently because you’ve made mastering sales a priority.

 

Put in the work. Stay vigilant and honest about how you can get better. Practice the stronger mindset shifts with each conversation and watch your sales skills blossom.

 

Ben Buckwalter is an award-winning sales strategist and serial entrepreneur who works with business owners, companies, and corporations to master their selling process so they can consistently magnetize ideal prospects and scale exponentially using the Infinity Sales Method™. Ben’s consulting and genius is trusted by global brands such as Bayer and Amway. He uses over 8 years of experience in leadership, communication, and digital marketing to discover and leverage the untapped sales potential within each company to create endless leads and increase the lifetime value of each client. His genius has also been featured in publications such as Entrepreneur, Future Sharks, and more. To learn more about unlocking your sales potential so you can scale your business quickly or get your sales team on point, click here to get your complimentary Essential Sales Prospecting Checklist.

 

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