Developing The Right Attitude To Sell in Tough Times

Do I have any specific thoughts about selling when
times are tough? Well, if you are to achieve high levels
of success in selling, you must be able to get positive
results even while circumstances are negative. In just
about every area of selling, the field will over
populate in boom times and thin out in tough times.

The real estate industry is a classic example of this.
Yet some people stay in the industry year after year,
regardless of peaks and troughs.

The consistently high performer will get results no
matter the circumstances. Most of the time it comes
down to attitude. Some people look for circumstances
in a victimized kind of way. They need to justify their
poor results. They celebrate their good days, but in
the down times, they have their 'safety net' of excuses
ready. What they are doing, is giving negative thinking
a lot of power. They spend precious energy and time
dreaming up and focusing on their reasons why something
won't or didn't work.

Any time you offer your subconscious a choice between
two goals; one negative and one positive, you risk it
taking on the negative one. Which one do you give the
most focus to?

The exceptional achiever deliberately ignores talk
about recessions, wars, the miserable state of affairs
in the world. They play down difficulties in their own
lives. They try not to focus on doom and gloom or any
other subject that they feel may detract from their
ultimate success.

These high achievers steer clear of the melodramas of
life and concentrate their efforts instead, on matters
far more worthy of their precious time and energy.
Their 'batting average' matters more and it's here where
their focus lies.

I believe the biggest obstacle to successful selling,
occurs in your own mind.

This is why some salespeople take it personally when
a customer won't buy. They see the refusal to buy as
being a personal 'rejection'. Quite simply, in selling,
if you constantly feel rejected you cannot achieve
exceptional results.

It is also my belief that the number one reason for
mediocrity in selling, is that three letter word - EGO!
A falsely inflated ego is a vulnerable, fragile thing.

If you are the type of person who takes "No" as a
personal affront to your very worth, selling will be
an exquisitely painful process for you. The fact is
most people, sensitive or not, will avoid pain at all
costs. It's easy to become a master avoider and
procrastinator.

If you cannot confront and take steps to resolve the
emotional issues that keep you prisoner and sabotage
your success, then no amount of sales training will
change your results for the better. Many people have
wonderful people skills and are natural persuaders,
but as long as they continue to equate their self-worth
with whether or not anybody wants to buy their products,
they will set themselves up for a fall.

When someone does not accept an offer I make to them,
I know it has nothing to do with me as a person.
I therefore don't become emotional about it...
and neither should you.