I've never considered myself good at sales. In fact, I used to believe I was absolutely horrible at it. The reason? Because I'm nowhere near your stereotypical salesman type.
I don't wear a suit... although I do own one now for special occasions (grr @ social conventions).
I'm not a smooth talker... I often flub my words and used to have a lot of trouble explaining exactly what I do (I much prefer writing).
But I realised something when I arrived back in NZ and decided to take on some clients. I had a 100% success rate when meeting with prospects. Every business owner I've ever met with has done business with me... most creating relationships that are still continuing to this day.
Which made me wonder what I was doing right. Mainly so I could keep doing it and not screw it up!
The answer I came up with was when someone sat down with me they quickly realised 3 things:
- I obviously know what I'm talking about even if I can't explain it perfectly to them (jargon is bad).
- My passion for marketing and business is undeniable (there are 8 business/marketing books sitting next to my bed and they'll be replaced with another 8 in 2 weeks time).
- What I do makes business owners money (which is always a great selling point - give me money and I'll give you more in return
So how does this affect you?
Well to begin with I never wanted to consider myself a salesperson. I had this awful image of some hard-up door-to-door salesperson trying to unload their product on me that I didn't really want. I had a mental block that sales was all about tricking or forcing people into doing something.
It might sound stupid but that's the way I viewed it deep down in my subconscious. But once I discovered the truth I realised that I was proud to be a salesperson. Because my definition of sales now is:
"Providing something of value that enriches a clients life."
Helping people improve their lives? Now that's something I can get behind and support!
Next, I realised that I had this weird fear of rejection hanging around my neck. A kind of incessant need for everyone to like me. I couldn't actually go out and offer my services to people... what if they didn't want them! *shock* *horror*
It seems absurd when I write it down and I'm happy to say now I don't care if you like me or not 
There are plenty of people who do and we're not just talking about my mother. We're talking about people who actually want to give me money.
No, but seriously... how does this affect me?
The point is you need to ask yourself what might be holding back your success in sales and marketing? Do you have any subconscious fears or blocks that may be holding you back?
One of the books I've just finished talks about how guilt holds some people back. They feel like they're taking some poor person's hard-earned money away from them. The truth is money is not a zero-sum game.
You don't get money because someone else lost theirs. They're going to spend it somehow and if you have something that you believe positively impacts their life... it's your responsibility to get them to buy from you.
In fact, in every transaction you should be able to offer the other person more value than the monetary price they pay. And I'm not saying lower your prices, I'm saying deliver more value. Every sale you make should be a win for the buyer and a win for you.
Ok... this post has gone on long enough. You may find it a bit airy-fairy or you might relate with it... you can share in the comments.
But the big takeaway is:
Are you selling your business' products and services to the best of your abilities? Or is something holding you back from taking your business to the next level?
