It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. You’re calling a customer to wrap up a sale you’ve been working on for weeks. You’re confident that all your time and work will pay off. Then comes the rude awakening: your customer has already gone with another company. You struggle to find words to salvage the sale, but it’s too late. The sale is gone.
We all know how devastating this can be. Salespeople are emotional creatures by nature, which makes us so good at dealing with people. Unfortunately, this makes it very tempting to become negative and take it personally when you lose a sale you think should have won. Allowing that one lost sale to defeat your attitude will cost you much more than just that one sale. Your poor attitude will damage your future sales presentations and, therefore, future sales, sending you into a down cycle.
The difference between being an average salesperson and a great salesperson depends on how quickly you recover from a lost sale. In sales, success depends largely on your attitude, which affects every aspect of your selling cycle. It determines the words that come out of your mouth and the actions that you take. After a lost sale, it is human nature to temporarily have a bad attitude, but a professional salesperson will quickly shake that attitude and replace it with the confidence necessary to get back on top.
You have that ability to push through your lost sale and quickly return to sales glory. It just takes some discipline and the support from those around you. If you’re not sure how to pick yourself up again, try these steps:
Step One: Turn to Your Personal Foundation
Your personal foundation is made up of those people that believe in you and inspire you to be your best. This includes networking associates, family, or colleagues. These people play an important role in your personal and professional life and it is important to use them when you need them most. Turn to these people as you begin recovering from a confidence-shaking lost sale. They’ll know exactly how to get you feeling like yourself again.
Step Two: Walk Away
Dwelling on your negative feelings will only make it worse. Until your attitude (and ego) is repaired, you’re in no shape to be talking to customers. So if you’re rattled from losing a sale, walk away and get your mind off of it for a while! Something as simple as doing a crossword puzzle, working on a hobby, or playing with your kids will give you that needed break to get over your lost sale.
Step Three: Talk to the Customers Who Love You
Pick up the phone and call those who love to do business with you. Make sure everything is going well for them or just chat. They’ll remind you of why it is great doing business with you.
Step Four: Read Something Inspirational
Having an inspirational book or audio program nearby is always beneficial, especially when trying to recover from a lost sale. Read a few pages or chapters of your book to rebuild your confidence and maintain a positive attitude. The motivation and inspiration you gain will help you get back into doing what you do best.
Step Five: Revise Your Plans
If the lost sale changes your monthly sales plan, be sure to revise that plan accordingly. Try not to make up the lost sale with just one big sale. It is more effective and realistic to spread the lost sales volume over several smaller sales. By having your revised plan and a fresh, positive attitude, you can hit the road again and get back on task to hit your monthly sales goal.
Use these steps to remind yourself how great it is doing business with you. When you believe it, so will your customers!
Tom Richard conducts seminars on sales and customer service topics nationwide. Tom is also the author of Smart Salespeople Don't Advertise: 10 Ways to Outsmart Your Competition With Guerilla Marketing, and publishes a free weekly ezine on selling skills titled Sales Muscle. To subscribe to this free weekly ezine go to http://www.tomrichard.com/subscribe. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Richard |  |
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