What causes stress for you when you are selling?
I'm working with sales team for the past years, I would like to know the other sales persons stress & overcomes. So it will help me to learn more about sales & also to overcome the stress.
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May 31, 2014
I don't stress over sales, because I see sales as service, go into the sales conversation looking for a fit, not a sale, and detach from the outcome. I also go into it with the goal of giving my very best.
I love getting "no" because for every "no" I am one step closer to a "yes." I'm currently closing 1 in 3 sales conversations.
May 24, 2014
Hi Madhan, for me stress is caused by me selling a product I don't believe in, or one that is not what it says on the box. These days I stay well clear of these products, its easy to sell a product that you have confidence in.
May 16, 2014
I love my job.... but I do get stressed.
I am stressed when:
a potential client asks for a proposal, wants to work with me and then goes MIA
not meeting quota
talking to the wrong person or the non-decision maker
when the process takes too long
It also stresses me out when:
my team members drop the ball
deadlines are not met
its time to take my business to the next level
Tips for overcoming stress:
Pray
Declined sales proposal is not personal rejection
Ask better questions...qualifying questions
Evaluate your stress triggers and expectations
Manage the things that cause stress
Accountability for team projects and check ins for updates
plan plan plan plan
Hire a mentor or coach to help with blind spots or stress triggers
Have more people to talk to than you have time to talk
Hope that is helpful!!
May 16, 2014
Though I question the individuals that say they "never" get stressed in sales jobs, you can certainly mitigate most of it by constantly building your funnel. The ups and down start to flatten out by keeping your pipeline full. If you do a large amount of prospecting, you need to be thick skinned. Most people won't respond favorably to a cold call, however they are not attacking you personally and it's important not to take the generic negative feedback personally as well.
May 16, 2014
Sales can be rough, because you hear 'no' a lot. The stress seems to come when the 'no' sounds like they are saying no to the person rather than the product or service. If we can separate ourselves from the job of selling, we can reduce the pressure to be accepted. I hope this helps.
Jun 2, 2014
Completely agree . we have to differentiate ourselves from the product when the customer is saying no he is responding to the product not you so with out getting hurt we should keep trying.
May 14, 2014
I never get stress. If you like what you're doing and always ready and prepared you should not have stress
May 14, 2014
I work with many sales teams in many different types of industries. I find that sales professionals have stress in many areas and the thing that causes stress is unique to the individual. The top areas that I see that create stress are making cold calls, difficulty fielding a particular objection, concern about not having the right answer, fear of rejection and worries about making sales quotas. The areas that stress one person may not be an issue for someone else.
Madhan, the first step to overcoming stress is being aware that it exists, which you have already done. Next, try to identify what creates stress for you, personally. This is important because we all have a natural tendency to avoid doing the things we don't like. When something is uncomfortable, we tend to do it last. Once you know what is creating stress, you can break it down even further.
For example, if you don't like making outreach calls to prospects, ask yourself why. Is it fear of having someone hang up to phone (rejection)? Is it because you are not sure what to say? Do you feel that by calling them you may be interrupting them with something that is less important? Drilling down to what is creating the stress is critical.
Finally, look for the best solution. Here are five techniques that might help.
1. Always take a prospect centered approach. Sales is not about pushing a product or service, it is about finding solutions.
2. Practice how you will begin your calls.
3. Ask questions so you know what your prospect needs and what he or she is feeling.
4. Understand that objections are a critical part of the sales process. You need them so you can learn what concerns the prospect has. I always thank a prospect for sharing their concerns because that gives me an opportunity to address them.
5. Have a solid sales process in place. When you do this, you don't need to worry about meeting quotas. Instead, you concentrate on taking each prospect to the next step in your process. If you have set up your process correctly, you will eventually lead them to a close.
The best sales people that I know are always on the lookout for ways to do a better job. They read books, watch videos and talk to other sales people. Consider hiring a sales coach who might be able to frame an issue differently so that it doesn't seem as stressful.
Hope this helps. Thanks for posting such a great question. A lot of people have the question but are afraid to ask. Kudos to you for doing so.
May 13, 2014
Stress comes from you allowing things to get to you. Remember that you will get turned down door slammed in your face, phones hung up, someone else will sell someone their service and you wont change the client you will get to the end where you think you got them hooked and out of nowhere the deal s off. In a nutshell, not ever sale will go your way.
Now that this is out of the way understanding there is bad with the good. Focus on your strengths as a sales person what makes you better than the next. Push the cold calls or approaches. The more contacts you make, the better your chances of getting that one sale. When it snows or rains most use the weather not to go out and hit the streets. that's when things are at their best.
A great person to listen to is Jim Rohn. He is n an area of sales but was very successful. He has spoken all over the world for over 40 years until his death a few years ago. I stumbled upon him 2 years ago. I wish I would have found him earlier in life.
Never give up. Once one you make your mind up to sell, go into it like it is the last thing you have to do in life. The best sales people, leaders have stress at some point of their lives. Make it temporary and move on. I hope this helps a bit. Best of luck!
May 13, 2014
Another person to listen to is Eric Thompson, ET the hip hop preacher. People laugh at me when I tell them about Eric, but he is one that has had some tough times and stress in his life but rose to the top recently. There is so much on him on YouTube. PM me if you need any specific information. Gil
May 13, 2014
I was a boots on the ground salesperson for many years and the most stressful aspect of my job was not the rejection but the fear that I would not have enough new prospects to sell to.
I remember having a conversation with management about how we were marketing and advertising the business and the concerns I had about the way we were going about it.
The response I got was "it is, what it is and there is nothing we can do to improve it".
It was at that precise moment I began making plans to leave that job.
There were many things that could have been done to improve but management was too lazy or too scared to try.
My advice is to really listen to your salespeople and realize that many times all they need is a little reassurance that the business is strong and improving all the time.
May 13, 2014
Congratulations of asking the asking! So many people coaching sales people don't ask enough questions.
Sales is something we all do, it may be yourself, and idea of where to go for dinner or for your company as a product or service. Different types of sales bring out stronger attributes or challenges depending on the person.
My first question is: Is your team telling you they are stressed or do you think/observe they are stressed? You state you have been working with them for the past years. I am sensing that could be part of the issue. You have been working with them and you don't know what is causing them challenges.
What type of product or service are you selling? I have found this can make a difference in how people respond to stress. It also depends on your sales team.
How to overcome challenges? Instead of spending time on things that may not be the problem which will frustrate the most hard core sales person, it may be better to find out from the sales team what the challenges or issues are with them. Each situation can be unique.
May 13, 2014
Sales is a job that't very difficult for a lot of people. The two biggest things about sales is rejection and not getting results. It takes the right type of person to be told no a hundred times and yes once and still enjoy what he does. More than liking you have a few on your team that aren't ready to face the difficulty of the job and its simply not for them. Nothing wrong with that. finding the right people who can take the one yes and the positive side of the job and ignore the rest is the right person for the job. Motivate them every day, no matter what though.
I found that a "no" or stall technique is a knee jerk reaction to most people. We grow up with the NO mindset. Knowing this helps me stay in the conscious mind and avoids my own knee jerk response (subconscious)of frustration, stress, low self confidence, lack of skills. I found Toastmasters to be an excellent resource to improve self confidence, speaking and interviewing skills and reducing stress. Most objections fall into 2 basic categories. What are they really saying and what I am thinking.