What Do You See?
Sales is a mindset. I have spoken before about the importance of focusing on serving people rather than meeting your quota or getting a sale. This was my biggest mindset shift when I went into sales - sales is more about service than selling. Help people get what they want and need. Realising this completely transformed my mindset and approach to the role of sales and sales people.
Today I want to share another powerful mindset perspective that is captured in many philosophical and faith based teachings. It is presented as a fundamental principle that applies to the whole of life: “Seek and you will find.”
Last week I shared about the economic pressures bearing down on the construction industry. The facts are sobering. Reading the news only adds to the perspective of the tidal wave of pressure coming to bear down on businesses. If you are like me, you will find yourself balancing wanting to stay connected and understand what is happening, against avoiding doom & gloom reporting. Bad news sells. That is why there is a proliferation of it. Reality check: Just because most of the news is bad, does not mean it is all bad news. Just because there is little good news, does not mean there is not a lot of good out there.
Watch what you feed yourself. There is an old IT term from the last century - GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out). What are you feeding your brain? Your brain is a pattern seeking and recognition machine. If you keep feeding yourself a negative narrative, then your brain will look for information and evidence to affirm your internal story and bias. This can destroy your sales.
If you see a collapsing economy, a cautious market, increasing prices and interest rates, then you will believe that is the state of affairs. You tend to project what you innermost believe. I often hear this dejection projected in throwaway lines reps use, “ You don’t want more stock do you?”, “I’m guessing I have caught you at a busy time”, “I know it is probably too expensive”. These statements, and many like them kill sales. They plant seeds of doubt and encourage clients to be cautious and say “No”. One ‘no’ leads to the next and the next and becomes a self fulfilling reality loop.
There is work out there. People are still spending money. Projects are being finished and started. Companies are looking for staff and wanting to grow. When you see all the positive activity that is happening you will see all the opportunities. When you see all the people and companies that need products and services to succeed you will realise that there is work to be done. Look for what needs doing. Look for who needs your help and assistance. Look for what you can do. As times toughen up, look for more ways to add value, be of service and seek to understand how you can help your clients succeed. When you seek the work that is out there and aim to bring your best, you will find the people and opportunities that match your offer and/or ways to present your offer that helps people succeed. .
