Handling the Fear of Rejection

 Fear. It can make us hesitant to take chances, take risks, and live life to the fullest. It's as if a giant barrier had been built around us and we can no longer reach out and grab the things that we truly want and desire. Fear of rejection is a natural feeling that we all experience from time to time, but when it starts to negatively affect our lives, we need to take action to help conquer it.

Let's begin by looking at what rejection actually is, where it comes from, and how it affects our lives.

 

Why do we fear rejection?

Fear of rejection can be traced back to the thinking of two philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. These two great thinkers set the foundation for a lot of the thinking that is still used today. They both believed that the worst thing that could happen to a person is to be ridiculed and rejected by one's peers.

What we are afraid of depends on who we are and our own unique history. It also depends on what's happening in the present. A real or perceived threat in the present may trigger the same underlying mechanism. On top of that, each person will have a unique set of fears based on their individual past, personality, and experiences.

Did you know there are 5 core fears that are hardwired into the psyche of humans? They are:

1. Abandonment, or loss of love

2. Loss of identity

3. Loss of meaning

4. Loss of purpose, or of the chance to express oneself

5. Loss of life, or fear of death, including fear of sickness or pain

Rejection in selling is usually attributed to the first core fear because we are emotionally connected to, and passionate about, what we do.

 

How do we overcome the fear of rejection?

There are three simple steps you can use to manage your fears.

1. Identify what you're actually afraid of. In selling, it's rarely a case of being afraid of rejection, but rather what that rejection represents and the lack of control you have in the outcome. You all know this familiar thought spiral: a customer rejects your offering and you lose the sale. Not getting the sale might mean not hitting your targets this month. Missing your targets means losing commission, missing out on bonuses, and falling short on quarterly and yearly targets. It also means having to work harder to make up for the missing revenue. Ask yourself a few clarifying questions to help identify the core of your fear:

• Why is that upsetting to you?

• What are you afraid will happen next?

• What are you afraid you will miss or lose?

2. Action. What was the original goal that drove you to this point? Do you have it up on your wall or somewhere you can see it when you need to?  Take a moment to remind yourself why you're going through this bullshit in the first place and what the end game looks like. Now that you have refocused, it's time for an action plan that will mitigate the 3 questions you answered in the last step. Need more in the pipeline to offset a lower closing ratio? Get it done. Need to refine your lead list with a more accurate Ideal Customer Profile? Make it happen. Whatever you do, don't fall into the trap of avoiding the pain. Face it head on like a warrior should. 

3. Remember that fear is 100% normal. Fear is a primal reaction to threats against our physical, emotional, and psychological well being. It's not about stopping fear, it's about knowing how to work with it, reframe it, and turn it into a powerful catalyst for action.

Now, practice these steps and tell those fears to pound sand.

Telephone Fear: The Mental Preparedness Required When Making Outbound Cold Calls

Outbound cold calling is one of the most difficult, and therefore potentially rewarding, sales skills. Why? Because it requires conquering two major obstacles: fear and rejection. In this blog post, we'll discuss how to mentally prepare yourself for making outbound cold calls so that you can overcome these obstacles and increase your chances of success.

Outbound cold calling is difficult because it requires overcoming two major obstacles: telephone fear and rejection

Outbound cold calling is one of the most effective ways to reach new customers and grow your business, once you get past fear and rejection. No matter how many calls you make, there will always be some people who hang up on you... and that's a GOOD thing because the person you called just self-selected. Time saved. Move on. Remember to maintain a positive attitude, be confident in your ability to sell, and know what you're going to say before you pick up the phone.

In order to overcome these obstacles, you need to mentally prepare yourself before making a call

If you're making outbound cold calls as part of your job, there's no doubt that you'll face some challenges. Perhaps you get nervous when speaking to strangers, or find it difficult to keep a conversation going. Maybe you have a hard time hearing "no" or feel like you're always getting rejected. To overcome these obstacles, you need to mentally prepare yourself before making a call. Know what you want to say and how you want to say it - your tone and vocal inflections can communicate much more than your words during a call. Lastly, be confident and build rapport with the person on the other end of the line. They are a living, breathing human being just like you.

Mental preparation includes things like knowing your script and understanding your product

How do you visualize your call going? Are you expecting the person on the other end to be angry or upset? You shouldn't. Statistics show that a whopping 82% of buyers accept meetings with sellers who cold call.

Start off with knowing your script inside and out, and have a clear understanding of your product. Lastly, practice the call with someone on your team, or even with yourself, before you pick up the phone. If you can do these things, you'll be in a much better position to make a successful connection.

You should also be prepared to handle objections from customers

Objections are a normal part of the sales process, and they can happen for a variety of reasons. Believe it or not, objections are a good thing because they mean the client is paying attention and has a genuine interest in your product or service.

There are a few things you can do to prepare for objections: 

1. First, identify the most common objections you receive from customers. This will help you anticipate them when they come up in conversation. 
   
   
2. Next, develop talking points for each objection. 
   
   
3. Lastly, PDR. That is, Practice, Drill, and Rehearse your objection handling until it becomes second nature.

With a little practice and perseverance, you can overcome your fear of cold calling and start generating new leads in no time.

The Power Of Sales Mentorship And Coaching: Why You Need Both To Succeed In Sales

Investing in sales mentorship and coaching are two of the most important things you can do to improve the sales skills of your team. They enable reps to get feedback and learn from other successful salespeople, add new techniques and skill sets, and brainstorm on new strategies for building out top-of-funnel leads.

Sales mentorship and coaching are two important things that can help improve sales skills

Sales mentorship and coaching are two important things that can help improve sales skills. By having a mentor or coach, salespeople can learn the ropes of selling and how to be successful in this career field. Additionally, they can also get guidance on dealing with specific challenges they may face while selling. Mentors and coaches can provide invaluable support and wisdom that can make all the difference in whether or not a salesperson succeeds or fails.

Mentors can provide feedback and guidance on specific selling techniques

Sales mentorship can be extremely beneficial for salespeople who are looking to improve their skills. A mentor can provide feedback and guidance on specific selling techniques, helping the salesperson to identify areas where they need improvement. By working with a mentor, salespeople can significantly improve their chances of success in achieving their sales goals.

Coaches can help develop a plan for success

Sales coaching is a process where the coach helps create a plan for success and provides feedback to improve sales performance. A good coach will help identify skill gaps and work with the salesperson to close those gaps. Coaches can also help with time management, goal setting, and staying motivated throughout the sales process.

Having both a mentor and coach will give you the best chance of achieving your sales goals

It's no secret that having a mentor can provide invaluable guidance and support throughout your career. And, when it comes to sales, having a coach can give you the extra push needed to close more deals and reach your quotas. But what if you could have both? Having a mentor AND coach will give you the best chance of achieving your sales goals. Your mentor will be there to help you navigate the challenges that come with selling, while your coach will help keep you accountable and motivated to reach your targets.


For more information on how you can get the combined value of a coach and mentor, send us an email at hello@sellassist.net.

Authentic Client Communication in 2022

    When you're making regular prospecting outreach, you already know you're up against companies in the same space. What about everything and everyone else in the world? Does the world stop just so you can make your calls? The below infographic is the 2020 version of what happens in an internet minute. Each one of these represents another element you have to contend with on a daily basis. Call it noise, call it traffic, call it the everyday… It represents the din of the business battlefield. The competition is stiff and you need to stand out by overcoming the noise of:

• 59 million messages sent using IM services like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp
• 190 million emails being sent
• 194,444 Tweets going out
• 4.7 million videos viewed
• 19 million texts sent
• 3.8 million searches made on Google
• 380 websites are created
• Users upload 100 hours of new video material on YouTube

    What's the lesson? Be creative and genuine in your outreach. Be memorable. When your prospects are getting bombarded with communication it gets harder to get noticed, so make your message count.

    A word of caution in your outreach efforts: don't miss the forest for the trees.

    You're sending an email, making a call or sending a text away and thinking "that's one down, 12,972 to go." Not only is that a total mindset killer, but it's also hurting your ability to build relationships. Look at your outreach like building relationships and each one is you building a deeper connection with the prospect you're talking to.

Talk is Cheap, Voicemails are Expensive

“A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. That's why there are so few good conversations: due to scarcity, two intelligent talkers seldom meet.” 

- Truman Capote, American writer 1942-1984

Talk is cheap, voicemails are expensive. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to try and figure out how many cold calls I’ve made in my career, so I grabbed a calculator and began pounding out numbers. It’s difficult to get an exact total, but based on an average of 75 calls per week my total was around 40,000 calls. 

If part of your daily role involves outbound calling in an effort to solicit new business, I would strongly encourage a study of the most effective voicemail techniques to ensure the best possible result. Industry leader XANT published a great article on this. 

My two cents: voicemails are a waste of time. It occurred to me that after making roughly 40,000 calls I could count on two hands the number of times I have received a call back from a truly interested prospect. The fact is, most future customers are not going to return your call, especially if you’re calling into VP-level or C-Suite. 

If we look at the stats, eight years ago the average voicemail return rate was 5%, and it continues to fall. Even worse, 15% of the time sales reps spent at work was on leaving voicemails, and that number increases depending on the call volume. 

The hard reality: voicemails will more likely be a waste of your precious time than a useful sales endeavor. What really matters in the number of actual conversations you have. Even emails can be far more effective in the long run, and can be used strategically to prepare future customers for your call. 

Walk Your Way to Self-Confidence and Personal Trust

 “As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”

 - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, German writer and poet 1749-1832

I went for a walk yesterday because my doctor has been bugging me to get out of the office and inhale some air that hasn’t been recycled by an HVAC system. I must admit, it was one of the best things I’ve done all week (and it’s only Tuesday). 

Not only did I see some of my fellow neighbors doing the same, but the weather was beautiful, skies were clear, and the sun was shining. I had a clear view of the Rocky Mountains and the natural air travelled right to my brain. It was like candy for the soul. 

Even though I don’t always agree with her, I trust my doctor and she has proven time and again that she has my best interests in mind. While I was on my walk it occurred to me that I trust my doctor more than I trust myself with certain aspects of my life. Strange. 

It turns out that one of the ways to develop self-trust is to spend time with your own thoughts. A little self-love and quiet contemplation and gentle introspection. You know, let the knowledge of the universe seep in. I guess that walk was just as much a medical necessity as it was a spiritual and emotional requirement.

Arriving back at my desk I felt refreshed, calm, and nearly stress-free. Might be some value in this walking thing after all. 

Push yourself, because no one else will do it for you. 

Immerse Yourself In Your Craft, or Risk Drowning

“… In song and in dance man expresses himself as a member of a higher community; he has forgotten how to walk and speak and is on the way toward flying into the air, dancing. His very gestures express enchantment. Just as the animals now talk, and the earth yields milk and honey, supernatural sounds emanate from him, too: he feels himself a god, he himself now walks about enchanted, in ecstasy, like the gods he saw walking in his dreams. He is no longer an artist, he has become a work of art: in these paroxysms of intoxication the artistic power of all nature reveals itself to the highest gratification of the primordial unity…”

 - Friedrich Nietzsche

Sales is an art form. Ever heard that said before? Actually, one of the sales greats, Tom Hopkins, published one of the greatest books the industry has ever seen when he wrote “How to Master the Art of Selling”. 

The great artists of the last six-hundred years - Picasso, Renoir, Degas, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, to name a select few - produced their works with an untamed passion for creation, expression, and story. The nascent inspiration of art comes from a place within the deep recesses of the soul, presenting itself to those who sincerely experience it as a reflection of the most vulnerable parts of human quintessence. It is something of wonder that is truly unique to us. 

The instruction for today’s post is simple: immerse yourself in your craft, whatever it may be. Commit to all aspects of your creation and leave no soul-stone unturned. Those around you - clients, friends, family - crave the invariable and authentic connection of that part of us which makes us human. By revealing that part of you and adding it to your daily interactions you will begin to attract the same. 

From a purely business standpoint, clients will be grateful for authenticity and most likely will respond in kind, however this requires a commitment to transparency and full engagement of craft. 

Push yourself, because no one else is going to do it for you.