Is your sales follow-up imposing on your prospects?

Because the online survey revealed that 80% of salespeople, independent professionals and small business owners who sell say they either find their follow-up a hit or miss process, or, feel like they bother people, here's something the sales reluctance coach would say: What is that all about?

Let's say you get a golden referral to your most perfect client.

You have the first meeting and the conversation goes seamlessly. Your prospect says they are interested, they think your product or service will do what they need and they want time to think it over.

You leave with knowing your follow-up is critical.

Darn!

You forgot to ask, "When would be a good time to talk next?"

You regret that and then you don't follow-up. You feel like you are bothering this - most perfect client.

There's some kind of belief you might have about follow-up that keeps you from following up. It's something to explore.

First, your prospect wants you to get back with them. Have you considered a nice handwritten, "thank you for meeting with me," kind of note?

Second, were you listening for more than buying signs? Were you listening to build your relationship by staying in touch with a phone call or email about something of interest?

Sales follow-up is not an imposition when your product or service does what your prospect wants or needs. You have an obligation to follow-up.

Patricia Weber
The Sales Reluctance Coach
What is the area of sales of your greatest reluctance?
Take this survey. Read more!

Selling Yourself Your Way Gets the Best Sales Results

If you have been on any of my teleclasses, you know I'm a big proponent that there is no one method, no one right process and no one and only way to sell.

Salespeople's best bet is to be sure how they sell fits them and their customer.

Take a look at this article which purports a "CDC process to selling: collect, discard and create."

Patricia Weber
The Sales Reluctance Coach
What is the area of sales of your greatest reluctance?
Take this survey. Read more!

Self-Talk to Sales Success for Introverts

As introverts we spend a good deal of time in our own heads. Do you listen to your self-talk? What is your self-talk saying? How is your self-talk serving you? If your self-talk is more negative, and sounds like a snake’s rattle, it will scare you off from moving forward. This is poisonous thinking for people who are salespeople.

Most of us have reoccurring thought patterns which we repeat over and over again. Research shows that these repetitive thoughts create a neural pathway in our brain. If you have heard the term ‘limiting beliefs’, then you know it is negative self-talk over time that does this to your brain. The good news is that you can change the pathway.

Having a positive outlook and self-talk is a must have for salespeople. Yet, how is this possible if you are in a slump, just lost a customer or find yourself reluctant to even follow-up? How do you move away from the snake’s rattle?

Negative self-talk affects your emotions, which in turn affects your actions, and in the end can limit your sales performance.

Listen to yourself. Have you ever said something like “I don’t have what it takes”, “I didn’t deserve that sale anyway”, or “Why can’t I succeed?” The first part to change that neural pathway and shake off the snakes rattle is to recognize what you are saying to yourself, in particular what you say repeatedly.

Change your focus. Have an opposite and positive affirmation to replace the negative. Replace the thought “I don’t have what it takes,” with “I’m learning what works.” Instead of saying “I didn’t deserve that sale,” rephrase it to “I can learn from that experience.” The key is to say something to yourself that moves you in a more positive direction.

Challenge your thinking. You might want to ask yourself, “Is this thought beneficial to me now? What is underlying this negativity? How is it helping me? Or is it?” You want to be easy with yourself yet challenge the relevancy and benefit of such thinking.

James Lane Allen (1849 –1925), an American novelist, is credited with saying, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” You could reframe Allen’s quotation with “Your sales results today, are where your thoughts today have brought you. Your sales results will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” Where do you want your sales results to be?

Put It Into Action:
- What one thought, one self-talk phrase, can you identify right now which you believe is the most negative one for you?

- What one thing can you plan do to when you next hear this negative self-talk? (Hint: Decide on an action that moves you to the total opposite thought.)

- Once you have a more positive thought in place of this working in your self-talk, what will that mean for you? Stay focused on this benefit for you.

Want more ideas for being the best introvert in business you can be?

Sign up to receive a FREE Report, FREE ezine and FREE Teleclasses from Pat Weber - America’s #1 Coach for Introverts, Shy and Reluctant People Who Sell at http://www.prostrategies.com.

Uncover your personality and #1 selling strategy with quick assessment tools at http://www.prostrategies.com/free/Type_Assess. Read more!