Nugget #15 - Sales is a performing art.
Picture this. You find yourself on stage for a comedy night. You wrote down a few jokes, things you think will be funny. You’re mildly prepared, as the heart thumping through your chest.
Next thing you know there you are, middle of the stage. Spotlight on. Everyone watching. Waiting for you to speak. Judging.
You start get nervous. You’re aware of how nervous you are. Now you’re convinced everyone can tell how nervous you are and is ready for you to stop. That’s all you want to do now.
You are miraculously able to speak. The tiniest of weights is lifted. You remember some of your jokes (or you shamefully look down at the notepad sitting on the chair in front of you).
As you speak your nerves start to settle. You realize the jokes you wrote are meant to be a starting point. The beginnings of a flow state happen when you let go of what you wrote down and adopt a more improvisational mindset.
Now let’s quickly replace the stage & spotlight for a phone & a script. Does the same sequence of thoughts sound familiar now?
You find yourself in an outbound sales job. You wrote down a few lines in your call script, things you think sound good in business speak. Heart also thumping.
You make a dial. You’ve researched this person, you believe they fit into the scope of folks you can help. The ringtone triggers anxiety. Any second the other person can answer the phone and you feel the immediate blinding spotlight.
“Hello?”
Your worst nightmare comes true. The phone is answered. You’re on stage now. The pressure is on.
You manage to speak. Perhaps you’re glancing at the script in front of you.
You get the permission to ask a few questions and your nerves settle. The pre-written questions become more or less a guide. They get you started. How you listen and respond to what the person is saying keeps you going.
In both scenarios prior to “being on stage” you’re anticipating the possibility of complete rejection. There is a biological mechanism that is trying to protect you from that awful experience - yet we somehow voluntarily throw ourselves into the abyss.
Both on stage and on a cold call you learn a few immediate lessons of how to survive in this arena:
It’s good to prepare. Spending time to anticipate what may happen gives you confidence.
It’s not good to only stay on script. Very rarely will things go exactly like you think. Being too reliant on your script/expectations will make you fragile.
Listen and respond. You need to create a flow with the other people. Listen to what they are expressing and respond by progressing that conversation.
Embrace a “yes, and” mindset. Your goal is keep the state of interconnectedness going for as long as you need. To build the flow you need to respond positively to what they’re saying. You need to keep avenues of exploration open.
Follow your first instinct. If you are creating a flow state your instincts will guide you. Don’t overthink. Tap into the cliche: “Go with the flow”.
Be honest. You will create connection when people can feel you. If something doesn’t make sense, ask about it. If something feels important, bring it up.
Detach from the outcome. Flow is like water, it goes where ever it needs to go. Water doesn’t have a preconcieved notion of where it’s going. It just follows the path. Don’t worry so much about where you want to go, just let yourself go where the flow leads you and you’ll more likely end up exactly where you wanted to be.
Be ready to be wrong. You’re not perfect. You don’t know it all. Be vulnerable if you’re mistaken. The flow will continue.
Relax and have fun. Just be present. Trust yourself. Enjoy the flow state.
Practice dulls the fear. The pre-performance anxiety is irrational. It has no bearing on what will actually happen in the moment. The more you expose yourself, the more you practice, the more you realize how okay everything is.