The reason most people fail in selling is simply because they don’t believe in what they’re selling – or who they represent.Remember: No customer is ever sold until the salesperson is sold.
This week I was talking on the phone with one of my blog readers (yes, I do that sometimes) and we were talking about some of the things that are going on in his company.Long story short, there are some serious operational problems that derail his sales efforts when it comes time for fulfillment and delivery. I have had a couple discussions with this particular person and from what I can tell, he’s tried in every way to help solve the problem – going above and beyond the scope of his sales position to offer his ideas, time, and labor to help the company.At the end of the day, the suggestions have fallen on deaf ears and nothing seems to be changing.From time to time in our professional lives, we have all found ourselves in the position of not being sold on either our company, our product, or ourselves.While a person may be able to sell a product, service, or idea that they aren’t 100% bought into – they usually don’t do it very well or for very long. Long-term success in business requires that you believe in the value of your offer – and in the benefits that your offer provides your customer.When you find yourself in this not sold situation, one of two things is to blame:
- You.
- Someone or something else.
If It’s You
We all go through this at times. Call it a mood, a funk, a slump, a “sucks to be me” phase – whatever. So if you notice that you aren’t feeling as gung-ho about what you do, check the mirror.Sometimes the answer is as simple as, “this too shall pass” and all you need to do is keep your chin up, work hard, and go make something positive happen. Other times this feeling could be an indication that you have for whatever reason developed a negative attitude.Only you can make this determination – and you have to be 100% honest in evaluating yourself. If you go through life convinced that everyone else is responsible for all the bad things that happen to you, you will experience these feelings and situations over and over again. When someone’s work or personal life starts to drift in a negative direction, my first advice is always to begin by checking the mirror.
When Someone Or Something Else is To Blame
If you’re self-employed, maybe you can fix the situation yourself. Perhaps it’s time to hire a consultant or to ask for outside advice. If you work for someone else, pointing out problems can be a more sensitive situation. Just be aware that constructive comments and bitches are received very, very differently by management. Make sure your comment is well thought out and phrased in such a way that demonstrates that you are someone who wants to help.In the case of the reader who I mentioned earlier in this post – it seems as if the real problem is management. Regardless of our efforts to affect positive change, for whatever reason, sometimes the powers that be don’t seem to want to make changes that would improve the bottom line . Baffling, I know, but true. If that’s the case, and you have tried repeatedly to call attention to the problem – it may be time to start looking into other options.
Do You Just Need To Be Reminded Of How You Help The World?
In addition to making money, we all want to feel as if we make a difference in the lives of others. We want to know that what we spend our time and efforts on makes others’ lives better in some small way. Stop and think about what it is that you or your company does for the world. You impact the world in some way – no matter how tiny it may seem to you.We all hear people talking about changing the world through grand, well-promoted acts. The truth is that most change and influence comes from modest acts and internal changes.
Everybody talks about wanting to change things and help and fix, but ultimately all you can do is fix yourself. And that’s a lot. Because if you can fix yourself, it has a ripple effect. –Rob Reiner
If you find yourself not sold on what you do for a living, as usual, take a look in the mirror first to determine if it’s time for a career change or an attitude adjustment.What about you?Are you “sold” on what you do?(photo credits: freedigitalphotos.net)