What’s your belief around sales right now? When I say sales, what comes up for you? Maybe you’re worried about being too salesy or too pushy. If so, what’s the belief there? Is it that you’ve got to be pushy to get sales? It’s a common belief. It’s an understandable belief. But guess what? It’s totally untrue, as are many of the sales beliefs we hold. So, what are yours?
It’s time to eliminate those beliefs, the ones holding you back. In my years of coaching clients on sales, I’ve noticed a key set of limiting beliefs that show up again and again. I want to go through that list now.
You may even find that some of the beliefs resonate with you. If you find yourself suddenly shouting, “Me too!” and alarming the people around you, don’t worry. It happens. It’s freeing to realise you’re not alone, right? Like I said, a lot of people struggle with sales mindset, and many of their limiting beliefs are exactly the same. Let’s take a look at the top six false sales beliefs I regularly encounter in the wild.
1. “The market is flooded.“
Do you have a lot of similar businesses to yours constantly trying to connect with and harass you? It’s a complaint I hear from clients all the time: “The market is flooded”. But is it? Or does it just seem that way?
Let me explain. Online, those sneaky algorithms are designed to work a certain way, right? Generally, they push you towards people with whom you might want to connect. That could mean people who share the same interests or work in the same industry as you. If you’re a coach, like me, as an example, you might find yourself being recommended to a whole lot of other coaches, and vice versa. But your ideal clients – unless, of course, they’re coaches – aren’t going to be bombarded with the same recommendations as you. It’s all about perspective. Instead of saying the market is flooded, I want you to think about what makes you stand out in a flooded market. What makes you an individual?
2. “I’m not a salesperson.“
This is my favourite false belief. I love it. Do you know why? Because it’s so totally wrong. We’re all salespeople. In fact, we’re selling every single day. Think about it. If you’re talking to a friend trying to get a point across, you’re selling an opinion, right? If you’re convincing your kids that veggies are good for them, you’re selling. Whenever you’re trying to persuade someone, you’re selling. Perhaps you’re trying to persuade someone you like to go on a date. In which case, you’re selling yourself. So, if you do well on the dating scene, you should be fine when it comes to talking to clients. Hey, if dating isn’t your strong point, don’t stress. I’m sure you’re good at selling your knowledge, your opinion, yourself in some way, shape, or form. Like it or not, you are a salesperson. You always have been. Sometimes, we just need someone to point it out.
3. “People won’t like me.“
Please eliminate this belief immediately. I’ve heard it too many times before. You’ve got to stop asking yourself that question. Period. I get where it comes from. I understand what it is. When I first started out, a fear of not being liked was something I struggled with constantly. ‘If I try too hard during a sales call, people won’t like me because I’m too pushy. If I put my prices up, people won’t like me because I’m too expensive. If I do something wrong in a coaching session, my client won’t like me. They might even tell other people!’ Do you know what? It’s true. Sometimes, people won’t like you. It’s a fact of life. You can’t please everyone, right? But as long as you’re being your true, authentic, vulnerable self, it doesn’t matter. Why? Because you’ll find plenty of people who do like you. They’re the ones you need to focus on.
4. “I feel too pushy and salesy.“
Right here, right now, I’m going to give you the secret to eliminating this feeling altogether. The key is to look at how you’re approaching your sales calls. Are you having the right conversations? What mindset do you have going in? Is your intention to be there for the potential client and serve them or are you just focused on making bank? For example, if you believe that sales is pushy, you’re going to come across as a pushy salesperson. If you’re trying to push a product onto people, naturally, you’re going to come across as pushy. If your main goal isn’t to serve but to sell, you’re going to come across as salesy. Do you get my point? It’s all about mindset. You’re not pushing; you’re guiding. You’re not selling; you’re serving. You’re not convincing; you’re coaching. Shift your mindset, and you’ll stop feeling pushy or salesy. You’ll just feel like you’re having a conversation.
5. “They’ll just buy if I’m nice.“
As a coach, I hate flattery. People who have worked with me for a while know that I don’t pat people on the back and say “good job” when they haven’t done a good job. You’ve got to earn it. I do this from a place of love. I want my clients to succeed. It’s tough love but love nonetheless. I want you to think about your ideal client coming to you for a transformation. Do they want you to keep telling them that what they’re doing is really great? Or do they want you to be direct and honest with them? If they truly want to get results, they’d prefer the direct and honest approach, yeah? Now ask yourself this – do you act the same way towards prospective clients as you do towards current clients? Be honest now.
The great thing about a sales call is that people start to get an idea of what it’s like to work with you. If you’re all nice and fluffy in the beginning, then become direct later, they’re not going to enjoy working with you.
6. “I need to be extroverted.“
Do you feel like you need to be extroverted to make sales? Do you feel like only extroverts can jump on camera and do livestreams? Do you feel like you need to be extroverted to attract clients? None of these things is true. In fact, being introverted or extroverted will work in your favour either way. Why? Because like attracts like. You’re going to attract people who connect with your energy. So, be your true, authentic self. When you’re being your authentic self, you not only attract clients, you attract the right clients. That’s what we want, right?
Do any of the sales beliefs mentioned resonate with you? Has your mindset shifted? If not, what will you do to reframe any beliefs that are holding you back? Remember, we’re not selling; we’re serving. Approach every opportunity with this mindset, and I guarantee all of your conversations will go so much smoother.
This article first appeared in issue 45 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine.
