Overcoming Adversity in Sales

Do you wish you could close sales faster? Are there times when you dream of landing a huge multimillion-dollar account? After you lose a client do you ever think, “I wish I could keep my clients forever?” And at the beginning of every month when your commission feels like zero, do you wonder, “How in the heck will I ever prosper?"

I've been working with sales professionals for years in a training capacity. If you answered ‘ yes' to any of the previous questions, you're not alone.

The majority of sales professionals struggle with the same thoughts.

Would you like a simple solution that will take care of all your problems in a blink of an eye? Well, I've got the answer it is going to take a little longer than a single eye blink, but if you'll invest some time into this article, I'll show you the light.

Pondering Those Questions

In the past years, I've pondered the same questions I asked at the beginning of the article. The whys and why nots have always gotten me. I've heard all the excuses; have probably said a good portion of them in my time. You know the traditional pity statements:

• How come I work so hard and still can't seem to make quota?
• Why do I seem to be here everyday and my co-worker seems to never be here yet he always hits quota?
• Why doesn't the prospect just say yes?
• Why doesn't this buyer ever call me back?
• Why can't I seem to land a huge account?
• This time last year, why were times so good and now they are so bad?
• Why is the market so flat?
• Why doesn't this company do more marketing to help make sales easier?
• Why, why, why…

Why…

It is an ongoing dilemma. After toiling with the idea for years, I have finally come up with the answer. Are you ready?

Here goes…

Because!

You can say it... "Dennis, why in the heck would you have me waste three minutes of my time reading only to come to the point 'Because'.” The reason is fairly simple.

Because

Probably just like your parents, when I was younger, I would ask my mom if I could I do something; she would reply, “Yes or No” and I would ask “Why?” Often she would say, “Because I said so.” Now I am not an advocate of unclear communication so I don't agree with lack of answers; however; a simple principle prevails. Sales are built on whys, why nots, ifs, and who knows how many others. The clear-cut thing you have to understand is Because. All right let me explain.

Challenges

The sales profession is a perfect paradigm for life. In life, you are met with challenges. Some of your challenges are extremely large and others quite insignificant. Nonetheless you face challenges everyday. You have to understand that challenges are God's way of helping you to set goals, as well as realign your inner being.

Life threatening diseases can be the most difficult challenges for people to face. Yet people live through disease every day.

My mom had breast cancer several years ago. I asked if she ever felt like she was treated unfairly or had negative feelings towards God because she contracted such a life threatening disease. I also asked her what the greatest lesson she learned from the experience was.

The answers she gave floored me and changed my life. She said, “You see, Dennis, God doesn't pick any certain day and say, ‘Well today I think I will create and earthquake in San Francisco and kill 10,000 people, cause a war to breakout in the Middle East, and give Nancy cancer.' When I got cancer, I first asked ‘Why' and then I realized it didn't matter, so I realized the answer was ‘Because.' Everyone faces difficulties in their life. This is just mine and I need to learn from it."

My mom was so right. God blesses us with an opportunity to live. Through living and its pure nature we face challenges.

Those challenges are won and lost in our mind. When we are faced with a challenge, we either look at the challenge with intensity creating a plan to overcome the adversity, or we become a victim to the unfair dealings of life. Adversity is just a fact of life. Life just isn't fair. However, you have to take the unfair dealings of life and create a plan to conquer them.

Making The Decision

As to my second question, about the lesson she learned, Mom replied, “I have one that sticks around. We have to decide what we want then make it happen."

Evaluate and make-up your mind, set your goal, create your plan of action, put a date on it, and make it happen.

Commit to never uttering pity statements again!

Evaluate

You have to evaluate your present circumstances. Evaluate your issue in-depth but don't spend a lifetime going mentally crazy trying to figure out why everything in life happens. Sometimes we just have to understand sh*% happens. Make-up your mind that you will not be a victim to the situation and you will change your perspective for the positive.

Set A Goal

Set a goal for yourself. Make a clear-cut vision of what you want the future outcome to be. You need to make it razor thin. I mean focus on it and make it as clear and realistic as possible.

Create a plan of action by writing down your goal and all the tasks, which it will take to accomplish the goal.

Set A Date

Put a date on the goal . Ask yourself “When do I want this goal to be realized?” Goals without a finish line are meaningless and tiring. Imagine you were ready to run a race. You ask the official race starter “Where is the finish line?” She points out in the distance and says just down the road. Off in the distance you see a faint sign of what looks like a finish line. The gun is fired and you begin the race. Running with vigor and excitement you're propelled to reach the finish line to enjoy the accomplishment. However, you soon realize that the line never seems to get closer. It just stays as a mere vision in the distance. Unbeknown to you the whole time you have been running there has been a person at the other end continuing to move the finish line forward at the same pace you run. How rewarding would that be? To be quite frank it is down right exhausting. At some point, it will cause you stop the race. How many times in life do you stop the race because you never get to the finish line? That's probably because there's a moving finish line. You have to be the finisher. Do it by setting a final goal date or something that tells you when the goal is complete.

Make It Happen

Finally, make it happen . Life isn't about waiting for the next opportunity to be a millionaire, getting in shape, or saying “I love you” to that special person. It is about learning how to make it happen. We are empowered creatures who are often put down by society.

We are not taught how to grab life by the hand and jerk strongly in the direction we want it to go. Most people just get jerked around. You have to take control of your life. Once you decide what you want in life, go get it. And don't let anyone tell you different. Make it happen – finish the race.

My mother was stricken with cancer when I was 10 years old. I feared that I would be without my most important female role model. But she stood strong to face the fear and adversity. She conquered the disease with ease and brilliance. She taught me that anything and everything in life is possible, if you believe.

Through her teachings I began to apply these principles to business. I look close at my clients and to see each person for whom they are, not what they offered to me. I've learned it is important to help other people solve their problems and through this I am able to attain anything in life.

Caring About People

I recently created a full training system called the CAP Selling System® . CAP is the acronym for Caring About People . The fundamentals of the training program teach professionals how to put the client first and commissions second. It is my firm belief that commission, revenue and profit are limitless when you put the clients' best interest first. Sales professionals and organizations not doing the right thing often compromise integrity.

So Do You Still Want Better Sales?

Do you remember earlier when I asked if you would like to close sales quicker and generate larger accounts? Here is my guarantee! Care About People more and you'll increase your sales by 10% in the next three months.