There’s one obstacle to prospecting I don’t hear from people— I see it. Low self-esteem.
I can relate, because if you knew my early path in sales, I was anything but The Sales Hunter. I had to raise my own self-esteem to become a great salesperson.
Let me walk you through five things that you can do to help you deal with low self-esteem.
**This blog is the FINAL part of the 15 Reasons Holding Salespeople Back series**
1. Set low goals you can achieve.
Don’t set the goal of making the President’s Club this year, set the goal to simply not finish last, or finish in the middle of the pack, or 10% better than last year.
Set a series of goals you can achieve. If I can set goals and achieve them, it motivates me.
You might have a low self-esteem where you just can’t pick up the phone. So the goal might be to make two phone calls. Start somewhere!
I was dealing with a salesperson who had a problem with just making one phone call. She didn’t believe in herself. But over the course of about six months working with this person, she was then making about 30 to 40 calls a day.
2. Control your attitude.
You control your attitude by believing in yourself and believing in how you can help others.
Now, some people say, “Well, I have low self-esteem.” It’s not really a low self-esteem, you just don’t believe in what you sell. Remember, it’s not the product you sell, it’s the outcome you create.
I work with a lot of different companies all over the spectrum, many different industries, and sometimes they have a really good product and sometimes not.
Sometimes when the product is not that good, those salespeople, boy, they have a great self-esteem. They’re confident because they know they’re creating an outcome to help the customer.
One of the easiest ways is to write down the names of five or ten people you’ve been able to come in contact with and you’ve been able to influence. Next to each name, write down how you influenced them, what you did. Now look at that and think, wow, that’s cool. Look at the success you’ve created.
Who are the people you’re influencing today?
3. Get a mentor.
You may need to hire a coach. Or it may be just a mentor. It may be somebody who you respect and you say, “Hey, can I buy you breakfast once a month? Can I call you up?”
I was talking to an individual the other day who has had a mentor for a number of years and it’s had a huge, powerful impact all because he said, “Would you come into my life?” And I asked this person, “Do you pay them?” He said, “No, actually, I don’t pay them. But boy, I treat them well. I take care of them at Christmas. I send them gift cards. Whenever we’re in town together, we go out to dinner. I take care of them.”
I know a lot of other people who have mentors that they pay as a coach. I’ve had a number of coaches over my career, and every time it’s worked out great.
4. Spend 30 minutes a day learning.
I can’t stress this enough. Regardless of your profession, you need to spend 30 minutes a day learning.
If you spend 30 minutes a day learning about your profession, or about your skill set for just a couple months, you’ll become better, and smarter than the vast majority of other people out there. And you know what? That just gives you more confidence.
So turn off Netflix, turn off Hulu. Pick up a book and read. Go get a learning course. But spend 30 minutes a day learning.
5. Join or create a mastermind.
There may be three or four people like you and you say, “You know what? Let’s get together every Friday morning.”
I have several groups where we get together on a monthly basis. For some, we get together to compare ideas, others are more informal and we get lunch every other month.
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve heard me talk about my mastermind group—we’ve been together for about five years. We’re very tight. We do a lot of business things together.
Are you in a mastermind yet? Meridith Elliott Powell and I saw a real need in this area and started the Sales Logic Mastermind for those that follow our podcast. We have a mastermind group that you can join, and I invite you to come grow with us!
Sales is not a solo activity. Sales is a team sport. Life is not a solo activity. Life is a team sport, and it’s amazing at how more successful you’ll be.
When Are Your Expectations When Prospecting?
+ Learn how to set expectations around an activity and play the long game.
Find Ep. 141 on The Sales Hunter Podcast now.
A Must-Listen for Sales Managers!!
w/ Mike Weinberg
+ How sales managers are failing their sales force and why
+ The importance of mentorship and coaching
Episode drops Thursday 10/12 anywhere you listen to podcasts.
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Copyright 2023, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.
