As much as selling is a skill-based profession, it requires keeping your own mind at bay. Otherwise, you risk talking yourself out of succeeding in this business.

In short, mastering your mental health is vital if you want to achieve long-term success in any sales industry. 

Don’t let self-doubt hinder your success. Check out our tips and strategies below that will help you master the sales process!

Today’s article will explain how I’ve kept my mental health in check while I continue to learn how to master the art of sales. Let’s begin!

Rejection

Do you worry about getting rejected? Well, you’re not alone. More often than not, agents everywhere hear a hell of a lot more “No’s” than “Yeses.”

Of course, just telling you to deal with this is not a good enough solution. No one wants to deal with that sort of negativity all the time. So, what should you do?

First, understanding that the client isn’t rejecting the seller helps significantly. In sales, clients reject the idea or concept behind the product you’re selling – NOT you. 

Uninterested clients tend to act rudely without thinking. Just know it’s not about you. They’re just mad at the concept of feeling pushed into a product they don’t believe they need, especially when it’s over the phone. I’m sure you would get an entirely different response if you were to meet customers face to face in a professional environment. 

So try not to take rejection too personally. 

Focus On Your Final Goal 

In this industry, there’s a ton of groundwork to sort out first—opportunity doesn’t appear out of thin air. A surprising amount of work goes into qualifying our prospects to see if they’re a good fit. And that’s before you’re anywhere near closing the deal. 

From start to finish, there are too many chances to feel discouraged or disheartened. To tackle this, try to remember that all of this activity is meaningful – it matters. 

In other words, every action you make is worth something. 

Every phone call, every conversation, every rejection brings you that bit closer to creating your own business. And at the end of the day, your business and the service you provide will make your client’s lives better.  

Remember the Law Of Large Numbers

Don’t make the mistake of looking at each individual sales pitch as an influencer to the next one. You have to understand, in sales, each presentation, each phone call, each meeting is an independent, exclusive event. 

That means what happens in one pitch doesn’t impact the other. And you need to bring your best game to every presentation, no matter how the last one panned out. 

Once you have that mindset, you can start looking at the big picture, at every possible deal you’ve ever negotiated as a whole. That will help us arrive at our numbers, percentages, closing rates, presentation rates, conversion rates, and average deal sizes.

We can trust those numbers tremendously more because the law of large numbers suggests that random outcomes begin to show trends, and begin to deliver a level of consistency that you can rely on. 

Process Over Results

It’s easy to get caught up in making sales and closing deals. But depending on your product, you might need to make repeated calls to close a deal successfully. 

This presents a problem if you’re the type of person that needs to see sales results fast. Some deals will take a substantial amount of time to close. For instance, some people in insurance sales write five or six-figure annuities that take months, if not years, to manifest. 

It’s easy to get discouraged by the amount of work involved when you can’t see the results straight away. That’s why it’s crucial, as a sales rep, to think about the process over the results. 

We cannot control the results, but we can control the process. We can control our sales calls, presentations, activity, demeanor, skillset, and more. However, we can’t control how the client will respond. 

So, let go of what’s beyond your control and prioritize what you can do NOW. In my experience, I’ve found that a process-oriented approach has led to positive results. 

Monetize Your Activity

After a long, hard day of repeated calls and sales pitches with no success, it’s understandable that many agents start to feel defeated. 

“What’s the point of making another call? It’ll just be a waste of time…”

This logic is flawed. You can’t be 100% certain that your next call or presentation will fail. Stop talking yourself out of making that next call. You never know the last home or business you approach could be the biggest deal of the year. 

And the easiest way to see this is to monetize your activity. Here’s what I mean.

Let’s say it takes ten door knocks to close a deal that’s worth $1000 in commission. And it takes nine “NO’s” to hear that one “Yes.” 

Well, that means that every door is worth $100. And when self-doubt starts creeping in, ask yourself, “Is knocking on this door or picking up the phone worth $100 to me?” 

It’s only 30 seconds of your time, so why not answer, “Yes!” Pick up the phone and see what’s on the other side of that door. 

Your Job Has Meaning

Knowing that our actions mean something and that every door and phone call brings us closer to our goals helps us stay motivated. Holding on to a positive mindset and staying focused can be challenging, especially when many common sales practices feel manipulative. 

Remember, at the end of the day, your service and your products help people. So, even if you feel like you’re pushing your product too hard, keep in mind that people honestly need your support (whether they know it or not). 

I vowed only to help people when they truly needed my help. Even if I don’t secure a sale, I still tried to help somebody. And to me, that’s what matters most. 

If you do the right thing, even if it doesn’t always lead to clear results, your life will improve for the better. 

Build Tension, But Don’t Pressure

Again, this relates to our previous point. A lot of new salespeople feel like they’re pressuring somebody to make a purchase. 

Were you taught to sell fast during a high-pressure pitch that guilt trips the client into committing when neither you nor they feel that great about the deal? 

Then, the solution is simple. You don’t need to force a high-pressure sales pitch on your client. Instead, you need to build tension in a non-manipulate, honest way that helps show your client the reality of their situation. 

For instance, in the insurance world, we want our clients to buy life insurance on day one. 

The reason for this is not deceptive or dishonest. Simply put, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. And, no one can predict with 100% certainty that nothing bad will happen. Sure your client may not be financially ready to commit, but it doesn’t hurt to determine whether they’re eligible. 

As we get older, people start to realize that life is finite. Our days are not guaranteed. And I wholeheartedly believe that the time to buy insurance is NOW – not tomorrow or the next day!

That’s why I have no issue asking a client to commit today because deep down, I believe it’s in their best interest to do so. 

Summary

I hope these tips and strategies have helped you understand that you should never feel disheartened while working in sales. Selling is a great profession that you should feel proud of. 

Yes, you’ll run into difficulties, but you have the skills and the know-how to overcome them. Don’t let self-doubt crush your career. Shift your mindset and stay positive. 

It’s vital for your success as a new sales rep.

Thanks for reading!

By David Duford