The source of sales success

When examining a salesperson's bookshelf, car back seat, or filing cabinet, you're sure to find tapes, books, brochures, or other paraphernalia that all share a common theme - how to be successful . Salespeople are known for collecting motivational materials known as "Ammunition Depots" due to their abundance and variety. A mediocre salesperson is still mediocre, despite the many success stories to learn from.

Why do many sales professionals stagnate at their current performance levels before reaching the peak of their dream career? Part of the reason, experts say, is because their success is often only measured by financial metrics, ignoring other important factors that influence success. Dr. Jan Gault, a psychologist and author of The Mighty Power of Your Beliefs, believes that when setbacks arise, those who use only financial metrics to measure success tend to will be helpless.

She said: "Suppose a salesperson suffers a string of rejections, loses a big business, or has to file for bankruptcy, and he feels like a failure if his only goal in life is to succeed in his career. If he thinks about these unpleasant things and ignores the other important parts of life - family, health and friends, etc., he will be down."

Gault believes that although we can't always control the results and the economy situation, but we can control our perception and attitude towards the outcome. "So, for our mental health and success, it's important to have the right definition of success," she said.

Noah St. John is a motivational speaker and former motivational speaker. Author of Permission To Succeed: Unlocking The Mystery of Success Anorexia. He argues that many people are misguided and that the traditional success creed gives an overly simple answer to a complex question.

He said: "I'm trying to figure out some clichés and their hidden meanings. There's a line in it that says 'Persistence is victory', what does that mean? Where does perseverance come from? What is perseverance? It's 'set goals before you do anything', why? When I stand in front of people and tell them this, they all nod, 'Yeah, that's what I think too.'

"Relying on these clichés To motivate yourself is like relying on chocolate to provide nutrition, although it can give you a lot of energy but it is too monolithic. That's why people usually get excited after a motivational workshop, but then quickly let up because there's nothing to keep them going. "

Guide Action with Life Purpose

Few doubt the role of perseverance and pre-set goals in achieving success, especially in sales. But Galt believes that success really comes from a sense of meaning in life. Knowing, not just emphasizing that setting goals and perseverance is the most important factor leading to success.

She says, "People should have a clear idea of their purpose in life, which is what they feel compelled to do and accomplish. , and it is this goal that supports them in persevering, makes their lives meaningful, and guides their lives. So the first step is not to come up with a long list of goals, but to figure out what your life goals are and refine them. Everyone should have their own mission. The various goals they set, including life and work, should be consistent with the big goals in life, otherwise there will be no enthusiasm and passion to pursue and achieve the goals they set for themselves. "

For the past 25 years, Dr. Kenneth Christian has been studying the problem of people of all ages, races and educational backgrounds not being as successful as they should be. He admits that often There are many obstacles that prevent people from achieving success, but one factor is the most common, "We've found time and time again that the most fundamental reason is people's fear of failure. People who aren't as successful as they should be thinking 'I'm going to get to the next level, and if I don't do as well as others expect, I'm going to lose face and embarrass myself. '"

Galt agrees, and she cites some of the factors she often encounters that affect the desired level of success, including procrastination, fear of success, and pessimism." Another important factor in success The reason is that unresolved issues and conflicts are always considered, rather than determined to act. And it takes up your time and energy, leaving you paralyzed and unable to act effectively until the problem is really resolved. "

Mark Monro provides a more succinct look at the factors that influence success. He used to own a telecommunications company and now runs FreshSuccess, a company specializing in gift wrapping for fresh produce. Doors Luo is well aware of the challenges that come with selling.

He says, "There are only two primary factors that stand in the way of success: others and yourself. I don't know how many people have asked me 'Why are you working so hard? Is it really worth it? ' I have questions like this every day, and then I start to doubt myself and ask myself 'what the hell are you doing? '"

Selling with Living Beliefs

There is no doubt that almost all successful people have something in common, whether they are in business, politics, entertainment, or sports. To be successful in sales, a salesperson Some of the most fundamental attributes have to be present. Cliff Galyen, who runs one of State Farm Insurance's best-performing offices in the Southeast. He thinks he found his way very early in his career. Success was entirely dependent on his ability to help others.

He recalled, "The first week I was selling insurance, a woman I knew called to tell me she was going through a painful divorce. I was her child's coach in high school. She said: 'Cliff, you are my child's coach and I need your help right now. Can you help me? 'She needs car insurance, property insurance, health insurance and pension insurance. That's when I realized I had a big order. It made me feel like I was helping others, and selling wasn't just about selling products and making money. No matter what business you're in, sales are on purpose, and in insurance it's about protecting people -- protecting their health, property, and family.

"But when salespeople focus only on making money, they lose their job. They should focus on what sales is really about, which is to help people overcome difficulties. When they do that, business It just rolls in. I figured it out very early on, but many people aren't so lucky."

Galt believes that over the years of her research, she's met a lot of people she thinks have the potential to be the best sellers members, but ultimately no success. She believes these people fail because they lack an important core belief that underlies any success.

She said: "For a salesperson, the first or most important thing is to believe in himself and his own strength, and believe in his ability to influence the development of things. If he thinks that life It's terrifying, most of the time it's just a chance, his efforts won't make any real change to the whole, he won't have the motivation to do things, or can't persevere when he encounters difficulties."

G Rischen believes that those who have experienced ups and downs are most likely to lose faith. "Those who think they can't control their destiny don't take advantage of all the opportunities. They may have a momentary success and then a slump because they can't see what led them to go wrong. Instead, they blame failure on walking away. Bad luck, it turns out to give up quickly, and people who think 'I've been through this before and I know what to do to make things better' don't give up so easily."

Mentioned by Galt Another belief is the belief that your actions and decisions are meaningful, regardless of the outcome or the number of rejections you receive. "Maybe they can't always get a promotion or a big deal; maybe their product demos are clunky; their sales are terrible; but that's life." But success isn't about how many failures we have to survive, and It’s how quickly we can pick ourselves up from failure, learn from it, and move on toward our goal. The difference is how we view and treat failure. You should always have the courage to take risks, no matter what the outcome may be.

Ultimately, you need to decide which strategies will help your salespeople build the confidence to work toward their own definition of success. One of the biggest stumbling blocks in sales is being rejected. FreshSuccess's Munro says he has developed a "mental gymnastics" for self-motivation in order to cope with the inevitable "no".

He explained: "When someone says to me, 'I'm not interested,' I just tell myself, 'Well, if you don't install our program, your business won't be very successful.' I'll continue Energized to go to the next customer or company, they know the true value of what I'm doing, and they'll say, 'Yes, this will help us succeed.'"

Get help from mentors

Eric Anderson, National Sales Manager at Power Merchandising, noticed that salespeople tend to be successful when they meet someone who can positively influence him.

He said, "I always made it a goal to associate with people who were better than me, and in high school I didn't play with the smarter kids. I felt like I could influence the people around me. People. When I go to work, I no longer associate with people who are on the same level as myself, but try to associate with those who are a level above me. I hope to learn from them."

Out In the same way, Anderson believes that mentors and friends have played an important role in his success: being able to get help when needed and being given the opportunity to prove his abilities. He feels that in today's society, when individuals are determined to study hard and grow, they need to find some good teachers and friends. "It's not the same as it was 15 years ago," he said. "People now have more awareness of self-protection." But a good mentor will help you a lot. He is like a resonance board, which can provide you with things you can't think of. point of view, or different ideas on the same issue.

For many salespeople who are stuck in pessimism, or who want to break new ground once they have reached a plateau, these helpful thoughts will feed them into making positive changes. But the point is, as Galt pointed out, it's not enough to just listen to the tapes, read the books, and figure out what to do in your head. The most important thing is to take action.

She says, "When we act on the direction things are going, we end up finding out that it is. Of course, you're going to encounter resistance, like when you start a new exercise program, your muscles are Tight, rigid, movement against you. At first, if all you've been thinking about is self-giving up, no new idea will ever come to fruition. So you have to keep reshaping beliefs in your head and then implementing them. Belief and empowerment is an iterative process. You can't just think about success, there can be failure."

Originally reprinted with permission from Malcolm Fleschner in Selling Power Magazine's Destined for Success, Copyright Selling Power .

Translated by Xiao Dongyan.