The 4-letter word that holds us all back...

In today’s edition, we explore why FEAR is the greatest barrier to us achieving anything in sales and how if you don’t conquer those fears (which are often irrational), you are unlikely to achieve the goals you have. How can you overcome them though? Let’s get to it

Hello Reader,

A few weeks ago, I went down to South Africa to visit my team at Growth Resourcing. I always enjoy my visits there but each time I go, there is always a little bit of nerves. Let me explain why.

I have a fear of Monkeys.

I have no idea why. I wasn’t bitten by one when I was younger but it's either the speed at which they run or the unpredictable nature of how they will act which makes me very scared.

I have only ever had one panic attack in my life and that happened in the Lemur Wood in a Wildlife Park. Lemurs and Monkeys are similar, right? 😉

'So what', you say?

Because in South Africa, monkeys do exist as part of daily life. Like we might see dogs and cats, people in SA get used to monkeys wandering around.

And they wander around outside my hotel and outside my office (see the video below) which means that every day when I am there, I have to brave a FEAR!

I could stay in my room or not venture out but I would get nothing done and there would be no point in going if I did.

To achieve what I want, I have to face my fear.

This simple 4 letter word is what gets in the way for most people in sales.

If you are honest with yourself, you will be nodding your head right now.

The FEAR of picking up the phone to someone you don’t know
The FEAR of someone rejecting you when you do speak with them
The FEAR of someone being rude to you if you interrupt their day
The FEAR of someone thinking you are a pushy salesperson for calling them
The FEAR that your quote will be too expensive and so you opt to discount it

There are so many different Sales Fears, each very irrational and without cause but which all too often get in the way of us achieving what we want.

And if we let those fears win then it becomes much harder to win.

All too often, when I speak to business owners, they want success but won’t challenge themselves to face the fears they need to, in order to achieve it.

So how do you overcome these fears?

Ask yourself, what’s the worst that can happen?

Invariably, we get ourselves worked up over something which is unlikely to happen. We over-catastrophise and think the worst when in reality it's not nearly as bad as we expect.

Write down what will be the worst thing about someone telling you no thanks if you call them? You put the phone down and try someone else? Is it going to kill you? No. And guess what, they may even be interested and want to speak with you and help you achieve what you want.

Breathing.

Taking regular deep breaths is not just a method to overcome fears, but is something that all of us should do more of. Active Breathing, where we really take a few moments to breathe in deeply, has lots of health benefits. When faced with fearful situations, it is a brilliant method to calm our brains and feelings.

If you are feeling nervous about speaking to someone new, give yourself a few minutes, do some deep breathing exercises and watch how you start to feel better. Try it on the next fearful moment you have.

Write down the options on paper and face them.

When faced with a fear, you are likely to have different options. Not doing the one thing you are fearful of will have some implications. In sales that would be:

Not calling > No Leads > No New business > No income > Not hitting targets > Not bringing money in > Not having a business/job > Not having a home > Not having money for your family.

When you consider the potential implications of a fear versus what could be the implications of you doing it, Calling > Someone saying no > Calling and Trying Someone different (especially in the above scenario), then it makes you realise the Fear doesn’t have any sense to it!

Work out where the FEAR is coming from.

Very often, fear comes from the unknown and not knowing HOW to do something. Face the sales fears you have by educating yourself on how to do something. Watch videos, attend webinars, buy training.

Conquer your fears by working out how to do something more effectively and then putting it into practice.

Get some help.

With my fear of monkeys, I went to a Hypnotherapist who has helped me deal with the issue. He gave me a technique to handle the fear. I invested to solve the problem, and whilst I don’t go up to monkeys and try and cuddle them, I can deal with it and get on with what I need to do.

Give yourself the same chance. If you have a fear of sales, then invest in some mentoring or support (I'm happy to help) to give you the confidence to overcome these worries.

I have worked with so many people over the last 20 years who, after having had some support to face their fears, are in a better place and can now live the life they want.

Sure it was tough initially, but nothing worth having comes easily, and with a commitment to dealing with their FEARs, they have Faced Everything And Risen to the challenge which has made them stronger.

We all have choices in life. Do we eat and take control of the situation? Or do we get eaten up by our thoughts and fears and face hardships as a result?

I know what I had to do. I urge you to do the same.

Have a brilliant week ahead.

James