How To Achieve A Healthy Sales Mindset

 
We often ask salespeople on our Selling Skills Training to discuss the most important aspect of sales, and many consider the sales processes that they follow as the most important aspect that will keep the sales and commissions rolling in.

However, we always point out that you could have the best processes in the industry, the most valuable product in the marketplace, or the cheapest price in your area. But if you’re missing one key component, it will all count for nothing, and that one thing is a healthy sales mindset.

What Is A Sales Mindset?

We may think we know, but could you define it if asked?

Here is one definition: A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretations of situations.

Here’s another: A collection of thoughts and beliefs that shape your destiny

And one more: A set of assumptions, methods, or notations held by one or more people or groups of people, arising out of a person’s world view or philosophy of life.

By analysing your mindset, you have a clear picture of your philosophy, beliefs and thinking about life in general and your input into that life.

When it comes to the qualities of a good salesperson, having a healthy sales mindset is paramount to achieving your goals. Without it, you are at the mercy of situations that occur around you, most of which are outside your control. Having control of your mindset will determine your future thoughts, the processing of those thoughts, the actions you will take based on them and the results you will get from those thoughts.

Developing A Sales Mindset

Here are four components that will assist you in maintaining a healthy outlook and developing more control over your future.

1) Get the NEED for the sale off your mind.

Feeling ‘needy’ is not a good sales mindset to cultivate. As soon as you feel you ‘need’ something, you start experiencing pain and focus in on what is currently wrong. This focus attracts negativity and doesn’t allow you to concentrate on what you could do to create more sales.

Instead of thinking ‘I need sales’, start thinking ‘How can I attract more sales? What can I do to make my products more attractive to prospects?’

Do you see the difference? Being needy puts more pressure on yourself and the prospects you talk to. By changing the mindset to become more attractive to prospective customers, you relieve the pressure and become someone who creates reasons for people to approach you instead of you having to sound like you are desperate.

It also enables you to ask for the sale without coming across that you are desperate or worst still that you are going to put the thumbscrews on all of your potential buyers.

2) Don’t assume anything.

Making assumptions means believing something that you accept as true without question or proof. This could be right in some cases but can lead to challenges if the mindset that created them is erroneous.

Instead, adopt the mindset of curiosity and do your research before coming to conclusions.

For example, if one of your products is selling well in one market, don’t automatically assume it will in others. Look at the logical and emotional reasons why it is doing well in one area, and see what needs to be repeated for it to sell as well in other markets. If it doesn’t, explore the reasons and rationale behind it and also analyse the sales objections your overcoming to give you clues as to the reasons why.

3) Focus on HELPING your prospect

We have said many times that people don’t buy your products or services. They buy the results they will achieve if they make that choice.

Companies will make a choice to buy from you if they see you ‘helping’ them in some way. By helping, we are referring to taking away some pain, or instigating some gain.

By having a helping mindset, you take the pressure away from the person having to decide, and instead showing them the overall results of what your product or services will achieve for them. Ask some probing sales questions so you can get beneath the surface.

Help them to get better at something or ease their burden in some way. Or help them achieve greater things, simply by using you and your products.

4) Remember, you and your prospect are on the same side

Too many times, we see different selling styles that are confrontational or overtly aggressive in their approach. We have something they should want, and if they don’t then we need to be more forceful with them and constantly pestering their prospects in the post sales follow up.

Instead, adopt the mindset of being on the same side as the prospect.

What is it they want from their business? What issues are they experiencing at present that you could help them with? How will they measure success in the future?

By working from this angle, you have a different approach and can analyse the results they want to achieve without putting on pressure. This creates a mindset of partnership and collaboration, with your products acting as the catalyst for improvements.

Having a healthy sales mindset means putting your own self-interests on the back burner as you build longer-term relationships with prospects and customers alike. This mindset will also stave away any potential sales slump that you may face in the future.

You can maintain those partnerships for longer because companies recognise, they are better off working with you than without you.

Identify how you can put these ideas into practice and see the effects they have on all other aspects of your sales techniques.

Are you looking to start or progress your sales career? Check out our useful blog post on the Sales Funnel Stages and how to work through them.

Plus, our Sales Training Courses can help you to develop your skills if you prefer learning in a formal setting.

As a Sales Training Provider, we can help you develop further check out our wider range of Sales Courses that can help you.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Sales Training