There is one main difference that sales has over all other business disciplines, and it is the one thing that people who are new to sales struggle with the most. The thing that accounting, marketing, administration, technical support have in common is that the focus is about being balanced, having a finished product, finding a solution, getting things completed.
In sales, you are constantly in a state of flux.
You cannot wait for everything to be perfect, to have all the knowledge you need or know everything about the potential client. At the end of the day, you hone your skills in front of the client and learn how to think on your feet. The theories are only worth something when you take action! Sales people know this… and it is this ‘stepping off the cliff’ that scares non-sales the most. So here are three words that I have found that STOP people from selling… and what to do about it. Shoulda ~ “I shoulda talked to them about the payment options….” Shoulda is a reflection on things past. When I find a shoulda, I:
- Share it with the person / client / colleague with what I shoulda done differently.
- Use this lesson when I encounter the same question / problem again.
- Use this lesson as a story to share with new potential clients about what I have learned.
Coulda ~ “I coulda tried to talk to the decision maker.” Coulda is stalled action, it is an untested theory. When I find a coulda hanging around, I:
- Remind myself that sales is about action… and only progresses when the coulda’s become reality.
- Get on the phone or in front of my client to talk about the coulda.
The only person who will solve the coulda is the client. They will be the ones that can help you sift through the couldas to find what they will do. Woulda ~ “I woulda approached that differently had I known they were talking to….:” Woulda is often something that others suggest to you. The wouldas live in the past, on actions that have already been taken and may have had a different outcome if you woulda done something differently. The land of woulda doesn’t exist. The anti-dote to woulda’s is to think about the best steps to take now… and take them.
Your job as the sales person for your business is to turn the couldas, shouldas and wouldas and apply these to your current client’s.
So get out there and talk to people. Take action and do the best with what you know and what you have now!
