In this blog, Anthony Dohrmann addresses the fear that salespeople face and the secret to overcoming it.
What is fear for salespeople?
Fear is a shaky voice. It’s the shape of an eye and a fix of the pupil that shows a person when we’re not confident. There are all kinds of different forms of communication, and over 90% of it is nonverbal. So what I’m doing with my hands, what I am not doing with my hands, how I move freely, or how I get too stiff. Believe it or not, there are body odors that are given off when we’re in different emotional states. And consciously, you don’t perceive it, but subconsciously these things get picked up by all of us. There are so many subtle nuances that the computer in the brain is picking up. There is a real fear for salespeople, but there is a secret to overcoming it, and it’s probably not what you think!
The secret to overcoming sales fear is… practice?
Absolutely! It’s easy and comes down to this simple technique not talked about in some sales circles. Practice is the secret key to overcoming your fear of sales. And, if we haven’t practiced well, we might not perform well, and then we have reason to be afraid, right? Because fear is the thing that stops people from picking up the phone. Fear of failure and rejection is the big one, like a fear of not being accepted, approved of, and loved. And that’s the biggest fear in the world, worse than dying. It’s worse than falling backward, which was one of the big human fears.
“I felt like throwing up!”
So fear is controlling people’s lives out there. And all of the people influenced by fear are not experiencing success in their lives, right? Know that I’m not saying you can get rid of all fear. You must be able to move while you’ve got a little fear. Everybody is going to have a little anxiousness inside. And you hear celebrities say, “Oh, I felt like throwing up before I did my performance on stage.” These big beyond-level performers say this, but they say, “then I turn that anxiety into the energy and the passion of the performance.”
Passionate Practice
Sometimes people will say, “I don’t know what the heck they are talking about. I could never do that. I’d be throwing up on stage.” But they can turn it into a passionate, energetic performance that can transform their fear.
The secret then to overcoming fear for salespeople translates into passionate practice! These people are working with choreographers, and these people are working with voice coaches. And they are practicing over and over and over and over and over again. Accordingly, you’ve got to get your phone out or something that records. You’ve got to write it down.
Make a Note of it
I’ll write down what I’m going to say when I walk through the door of that company. And then, I consider the words when I call up my friends. I know ahead of time what to ask to get them on my scout team to scout for opportunities and referrals. Also, I will make a note of the potential conversation when I walk into their homes and ask them to be a scout again and ask them for referrals and transfer over some of my materials.
You’ve got to think about it first, true; however, perfect is the other side of doing. At some point, you got to get going, right? Just pick a few little vignettes, what you’ll say on the phone or in the home, and what you’ll say when you walk through that door. What will I say when I pitch to company X?
No fear script is ready
Once you have that little script mapped out, just the bullets, you say it and replay it. You say it and replay it. You say it and replay it. Do I do this for weeks or months? No, you do it for a day. You do it for half a day. I mean, once you’ve done this for two or 3 hours, when you play it back, you’ll know it’s wrong. All the while, you are attacking the very fear that salespeople face!
You’ll know where it should have sounded stronger. You want to get good. Now listen, next is a tip that I’m going to regret probably at some point. Do you want to get good? You’ve heard the way I present and the way I pitch. Pretend that I’m going to sit in the audience, you’re going to come up on stage, and we’re going to give an award out for the person that can do the best Tony Dohrmann imitation and roast. Right? You’re going to roast me. Here’s a link to a short video for you to practice along with if you need one: https://vimeo.com/737688663
Do it again
I mean, you’re going to make a humorous, and you’re going to use your hands, and you’re going to move your eyebrows and do all the silly things that I do when I’m communicating and then keep practicing that on your phone. Let yourself be somebody else. Be me.
Say it 25 to 50 times, and then play it back. Repeat it and improve it. Listen to it again. Then do it all over again and improve it. If you do this one thing, I promise you, you will now have a level of mastery. Know the words so you can say the comments, and you can think and observe the audience, the person who’s listening simultaneously. Remember, salespeople’s fear is normal, and the secret to overcoming it is practice!
Be You
You have to deal with your fear. You can only deal with your anxiety through practice and repetition. And it is the number one most important priority next to building your list to succeed and build a great business.
And when you feel it, that fear that salespeople face, remember you can listen to yourself and think outside of yourself; you can monitor what you’re saying. When you know your content so well, you know when you need to add a sentence or a word, and you can think about what you’re forgetting and where you want to place it. You’re a salesperson; you have fear, and practicing by facing it makes you stronger and stronger each time.
And that’s the mastery to overcome the common sales fear; practice. Once you have that, and it doesn’t take long, it’s half a day for some of these little scripts. You can go out there all day long when you overcome your fear and your reluctance to get out there and engage people. You got this! If I could get it, you can get it. So, go get it. And congrats on that next sale!
Anthony Dohrmann Links
Learn more about the dynamic entrepreneur Anthony Dohrmann, who is the founder and CEO of Electronic Caregiver:
► Facebook: Anthony Dohrmann | Facebook
► Twitter: Anthony Dohrmann (@AnthonyDohrman) / Twitter
► LinkedIn: (1) Anthony Dohrmann | LinkedIn
► Instagram: @anthonydohrmann_575 • Instagram photos and videos
Anthony Dohrmann spoke about other characteristics of successful entrepreneurs recently; Entrepreneur Anthony Dohrmann Interview – Anthony Dohrmann
Electronic Caregiver
Electronic Caregiver (ECG) provides quality home health protection and emergency coverage for the ill, aging, and disabled. And having Electronic Caregiver also offers the safety for users to be anywhere and stay protected. So, with the support of ECG’s modern technology, family caregivers and their loved ones can live better lives.
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Find more about Electronic Caregiver online:
► Website: Electronic Caregiver – The Electronic Health Support System
► Facebook: Electronic Caregiver | Facebook
► Instagram Electronic Caregiver Inc. (@electroniccaregiver) • Instagram photos and videos
►Twitter: Electronic Caregiver #DigitalHealth #Healthtech (@ElectronicCare) / Twitter