How to conquer your sales anxiety

Does your heart beat faster and your hands get sweaty at the thought of making sales calls? Do you imagine the worst case scenario and think it has already happened before you dialled the number? Sales anxiety is real, but you can conquer it. Here are seven steps to conquering your sales anxiety.

Get out of your head

Have you ever heard the phrase “making a mountain out of a mole hill”? This is what often happens when we dwell in your mind for too long and think about all the worst-case scenarios. We do need to consider worst-case scenarios and then take action. We can’t remain stagnant in the thought stage without moving to the doing. It is through inaction that anxiety is increased.

Make a plan

Now that you have thought of the worst-case scenarios we need to make a plan. What if the prospect doesn’t answer, then make sure you have an excellent voice message scripted which you can leave after the beep. What if they don’t want your product, find out why and see if you can offer a different solution or ask them if you can keep their details on record should your business make a solution for their needs.

Practice your lines

Some salespeople will say scripts are not good and you will sound like a telemarketer which is never a good thing. But it is important to know your lines so well that they don’t sound like a script. Practice with other salespeople or business people what you can say in different situations and practice until it becomes natural. Practice leading questions which will help you to get the most out of your discussion with your clients.

Know your product and industry

You need to be a guru. Make sure that you have applied to one or two renowned newsletters from key players in your industry. Know what products you sell and the benefits of each product. You could also write a list of problems which your products are solution to.

Don’t take things personally

You should be aware that some clients won’t be interested in your offering and that’s ok. Do not take rejection personally. Rather view it as the offering was not what the customer required. You can review your call to see what you did and if there is anything you could improve on, otherwise forget about it and move on to the next customer.

Take deep breaths

This has two benefits for you. The first is that it will calm your nerves down and the second is that it will help your voice tonality. When making sales calls, your voice is your sales instrument and if the tone is not right you could lose the sale. So take a few deep breaths and get selling.

Focus on one thing at a time

Sometimes our anxiety increases when we focus on everything we need to do to get the sale. But it is important to break down the challenge into bite-size tasks. By completing each task successfully, you will build positive momentum and before you know it your challenge will be done and dusted. So focus on what you can do now to make your sales more successful and focus on that one thing.

By following these seven tips you will be well on your way to mastering your sales anxiety.

Proudly brought to you by the NSBC.