Did you ever notice on an automobile dashboard that some of the lights are green, orange or red? And sometimes multiple lights come on?
A couple of weeks ago my brand new car broke down on the interstate. In returning home from visiting family, it was my angels looking out for me as things came to a halt within 15 minutes of where some other family members lived. There were yellow, orange and red lights overshadowing the economy mode green lights.
As I waited for the dealer to report findings to me it was more comfortable at my family’s house. I recounted the process to them.
Red lights and any number of simultaneous lights scream, “Call your auto repair of choice immediately.” That is actually what the dashboard of my car flashed before me!
The following three sales action indicators for a salesperson can point to a self-confidence issue – lack of follow-up, feeling like an imposter or somehow fearful of giving presentations, networking, or even asking for an order.
3 Useful Sales Indicators Calling on Your Self-confidence
In the process of rebuilding my confidence in my car, I was thinking about both building and maintaining our personal self-confidence.
Thoughts such as, “I’m bothering them,” or “It’s too much pressure,” may be a warning similar to your oil gauge light flashing that your sales follow up needs adjusting.
Follow up is where almost 80% of a salesperson’s sales come from and yet, for many reasons, 80% of salespeople don’t do it after the first or second contact! When your car’s oil light comes on, you take immediate action. Regardless of your reason, or excuse, for lack of follow up, immediately put a follow-up plan in place.
I believe introverts who sell have an advantage in follow-up. Why? Because it’s easier to continue to build on something we started in a relationship that to
Because it’s easier to continue to build on something we began in a relationship than to start all over again. Regardless of introvert or extrovert in sales, lack of follow up is a red light indicator!
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Determine your sales cycle and plan a systematic follow-up for personal and business reasons to talk with your prospect.
If you often suffer from the ‘imposter syndrome,’ consider a lesson from the battery charge light.
You know your product or service better than your prospect. If you don’t, then get charged up and get elevated to that higher level. Get more training and more practice from talking with your prospects. Get a coach to help you learn the areas of selling where you need more skills. Get yourself charged up in every area that is critical to the selling process. Then ask yourself, how can you be an imposter when it’s clear you are proficient in the product, people and sales knowledge? Imposter syndrome is another red light kind of indicator. If you feel like an imposter, it’s highly likely your prospect will feel it too.
Get yourself charged up in every area that is critical to the selling process. Then ask yourself, how can you be an imposter when it’s clear you are proficient in the product, people and sales knowledge? Imposter syndrome is another red light kind of indicator. If you feel like an imposter, it’s highly likely your prospect will feel it too.
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Fears of any kind like being queasy about giving a presentation, fear of asking for a decision, fear of networking; all fears are flashing double indicators. 
In my car, if two lights come on at the same time, I stop and call the dealer before getting back on the road again. On this particular road trip, my car didn’t give me any choice.
Identify what your fear is and decide what action to take. Maybe you clam up when you get to the end of a presentation and know it’s now your time to ask for a decision. What’s the worst that can happen? Maybe they say no. But aren’t you already at a no standstill if you don’t ask?
And besides, a no may mean you may not have explained the benefits of your offer in a way the prospect understands.
Whatever your fear is, focus on what benefits clients get from your offer and then put that pedal to the metal to conquer whatever fear is blocking you.
These three self-confidence indicators: lack of follow-up, feeling like an imposter, or being somewhat fearful, are like an automobile’s red and double light indicators. Try all mental, emotional and behavioral strategies until you find your effective personal formula for resetting them.
Try all mental, emotional and behavioral strategies until you find your effective personal formula for resetting them.
There is no one right process to help build and maintain your personal self-confidence. Just pay attention to the lights!
What kind of fears are Useful Sales indicators Calling on Your Self-confidence?
Originally posted October 2008, titled Sales Training – Salespeople Need Both Building and Maintaining Self-Confidence.
You’re analogy is a good one. In the book The Impostor Syndrome, John Graden says that people with the IS have a hard time validating or acknowledging their own success, despite evidence to the contrary.
Thank you. I think it’s partially because people aren’t looking at the success they DO have; instead they tend to focus on their most recent failure. Thank you for that reference. I will check it out.
Pat
The imposter syndrome is real — and more prevalent in women, I believe, because we’ve been raised to strive for perfection, which makes us risk averse. What, take that new job? I don’t have ALL the qualifications. When the new President of the U.S. first enters the Oval office don’t you think he says to himself, “How the heck did I get here? I don’t know how to do this job!”
Great post, Patricia! Reading this, I think that people tend to focus on their flaws than what success they have. I agree with Jeannette that this is prevalent in women because the society dictates us to tribe for perfection.
Brooke Harper
http://www.tenfold.com