Take pretty much anything and you can see that the world is divided into two types of people. Those who like horror movies and those who prefer something less nightmare-inducing. Those who spread Marmite thick and those who consider it to be devil slime. Those who get the ick from selling and those who do it with such a big smile you wonder if they’ve joined a cult.

For me, I’m really interested in that group of happy sellers because it seems that they’ve unlocked one of the key secrets of business. They’ve embraced the idea that everyone is a salesperson and know that there is nothing wrong with it.

Sales is one of the topics that comes up with all my clients, whether they expect it to or not. It’s to be expected during a discussion around pricing. Often it rears its head quite naturally as we look at where a business is and what challenges it is facing. Sometimes it pops up during an examination of brand DNA.

In many cases, its appearance is about as welcome as a spider crawling across the desk. It’s treated as a necessary evil that’s a distraction from what the business is trying to achieve. Grumbling about it is fine, but you engage at your own risk.

It’s an interesting contrast to the people who are comfortable with selling. They definitely have other things they hate doing, but they’ve got the sales mindset sorted.

Why you hate selling

If you hate sales, then you probably think the following:

• No one wants to hear your sales pitch
• You’re forcing your product or service on an unwilling audience
• They’re only still here to be polite
• They’re currently looking for an excuse to leave
• They will avoid you in future
• They’ll tell everyone that you are really boring, pushy and obsessed with money.

For me, that sounds a lot like a lack of confidence, both in yourself and what your business offers. 

Let’s compare that with what I’m calling the smiley sales mindset.

• They know the value of what they offer
• They understand the features and benefits and how they appeal to different audiences
• They get that if you don’t talk about what you do, then no one will know
• They aren’t pushy but are confident that there is a market for what they offer
• They accept that one of the purposes of a business is to make money and that sales are a part of that
• They’ve realised that everyone in the company is responsible for selling
• They don’t take ‘no’ personally

The main change is that they’ve overcome the fear that the idea of selling causes. The fear of being judged and rejected. The more you face that fear, the easier it will be. Now, it’s not quite like using a silver bullet on a werewolf. Think of it more akin to opening the curtain when there is a vampire present. They’ll shriek and escape as a cloud of bats. However, they will be back.

So how do you get over the fear? There are many small things you can start working on to overcome your terror of selling. 

•  Understand the benefits of what you’re offering
• Listen to other people talking about their businesses – how do they do it?
• Pay attention to the person you are talking to – understand their needs and you’ll find it easier to see your offer can help
• Read your reviews and talk to your clients and customers about why they appreciate you
• Work with a coach to build your confidence – this might be in a more general way or for something specific like pitching

Finally, ask yourself what you expect to happen if you do tell someone what you offer in a confident manner. Expelled from your networking group? Chased out of town by angry villagers with pitchforks? Doomed to move your office to a drafty and isolated castle?

The outcome is likely to be much more boring. They’ll ask for more information. They’ll offer to think about it. Then they’ll try to sell their thing to you.

Looking for a coach to help you battle your fear of sales? Wishing you were more confident about your offer? Book a discovery call.