There are so many people today struggling as they work to become successful in sales. Many do not want to sell at all. They see selling as selfish and gross. Some are fighting to hit their quota to achieve their financial goals but fall short no matter how hard they try. Some think they are good at sales but are shocked when a prospect tells them that they "went in another direction" after months of pursuit. A select few attempt to sell around the stigma of selling by doing the opposite of what they think salespeople should do yet still get blown off or even sharply criticized by prospects.
What is the difference between struggling and someone who is not? If we look at the elite salesperson, the answer starts to show.
The elite salesperson loves their job because it is both easy and fun. Why wouldn't they? Their prospects don't resist them, throw objections, delay decisions, or ghost them. Their prospects become clients that think highly of them and buy from them whenever they have the opportunity.
What makes someone elite at sales?
- They know what it takes to succeed, and they do all of those things. They adapt habits of behavior that make them immune to distractions and the emotional roller coaster that comes from the job.
- They think correctly. The elite has a belief system in place that supports their success. Their beliefs drive their attitudes and the actions they take.
- They have a robust sales skill set. They know what to do and have a complete understanding of why they should do those things. Then they use their skills!
- They understand human behavior and conflict and apply their skillset to have the maximum positive impact on each person they encounter.
- They have intellectual humility (not believing their own BS), take responsibility for their success and failures equally, and are highly coachable (they will do the uncomfortable things even when they don't want to).
Looking at the list above, it isn't hard to tell why salespeople struggle at selling. The truth is that people WANT to be elite but rarely will do the things that elite salespeople do.
If you wanted to fly an airplane, you could. But if you went to the airport and sat in the cockpit and attempted to fly, everything would be hard! It wouldn't matter if you had read books, watched videos, or played flight simulator on your computer. You wouldn't learn how to apply all that knowledge without actually doing it and being coached and taught along the way how to fly a real airplane.
Imagine that you seriously wanted to be an elite pilot. First, you would find out what it took to become one. Then you would make the choice of becoming one. Next, you would do the things to become one. The only things stopping you would be learning what it took, making a choice, and successfully doing the things it took. Simple, but not easy.
Becoming an elite salesperson, or even a strong one, is the same path to becoming great at anything.
Sales doesn't have to be hard. The recipe to becoming elite is right in front of you. But you have to make the choice.
