If you’re like some small-business owners, you may experience anxiety, dread, or even downright aversion when you think of sales. Fear of rejection, low confidence in your offerings, and negative perceptions of salespeople may hinder your ability to make sales that generate cash flow.
But the ability to sell effectively is often essential to your small-business success. Overcoming your sales fears can be a game changer for your business, taking it from surviving to thriving.
To help you overcome your selling fears, I spoke to three business coaches who conquered their fear of sales to become experts. Today, they support other small-business owners in their journey to sales success and help them generate six-figure revenues. They offer strategies and mindset shifts that can empower you to overcome your sales-related fears and comfortably and confidently approach sales with a focus on profitability and client service.
Reframe Your Selling Mindset
Effectively tackling your fear of selling can involve examining your mindset and rethinking your selling perspective. Your thoughts about sales can influence how you approach potential buyers with your offerings and how you react to their rejections or other sales obstacles.
Knowing your most common obstacles can be crucial. Dr. Tar'kesa Colvin, CEO and strategist at TColvin Consulting, says money and sales are two different mindset issues.
"Your money mindset affects your sales mindset," says Colvin. "Sales mindset is fear of sales, but money mindset determines whether you believe you're worthy of selling and making money."
Zach Swinehart, co-owner and head of student success at Double Your Freelancing notes this type of discomfort can be common amongst small-business owners.
"Some may feel bad, like they're taking advantage of a customer, or they're only out for themselves,” he says. "That can be because of how they’ve seen salespeople make money in the past, especially in selling to them."
You might be connecting your experiences with salespeople to "good" and "bad" ways of making money, making sales a "bad" income-generating activity.
Unlocking your money mindset can be key to transforming your sales mindset and generating higher revenue.
Know the Value of Your Offering
Leah Neaderthal, founder of sales coaching and business mentoring program Smart Gets Paid, says focusing on your product or service's value can be crucial.
"Start by developing a painkiller statement where you describe your work or product as the solution to your client’s number one problem," she says. "You should first know your target audience and their needs. Then try to develop a strong value proposition with the unique selling points for your products or services."
All three experts encourage business owners to believe their business exists to provide the answers to your customers' top challenges, needs, or desires. If you believe that, you can feel more confident about offering your product or service.
Explore New Tools
It’s one thing to believe your product is life-altering and that you have an obligation to offer what you have to the world. But that alone may not change your selling habits.
Swinehart says he used books and other training tools, along with a practice of using them consistently, to change his thinking about sales. For one sales strategy, he'd take a sheet of paper and create three columns.
“I created really obvious reminders of what I was trying to change,” Swinehart says. "In the left column I'd write a stimulus, in the middle column, I'd write my old response, and in the right column, I'd write the desired new response. Sometimes it’s imposter syndrome I’m dealing with, and I must work through that."
Expose yourself to the new belief system about sales [...] especially if your experiences with sales have been pushy and uncomfortable.” —Zach Swinehart, co-owner and head of student success, Double Your Freelancing
Coaches and mentors may be another option for helping you shift your sales beliefs.
Whatever methods you choose to change your sales beliefs, you can determine first what your sales style is and what sales methods make you most comfortable. Not every sales method or belief system will work for you.
How to Build Your Confidence From Sales Experiences
Overcoming your sales fears can extend beyond changing beliefs. It can mean learning by trial and error to build confidence in your sales abilities. Here are some strategies to help.
1. Embrace rejection as a learning opportunity.
Rejection can be an inevitable part of a sale. Rather than letting it discourage you from selling again, you can view it as an opportunity for growth. When you experience rejection, you might reflect on what you could have done differently to improve your sales process for next time. You can look for feedback patterns in responses from customers and use it to refine your approach.
One way to help prevent rejection is to put a solid sales process in place to make sure the right customers are coming to your business. The more you learn from rejection, the more secure you can be in your ability to manage and overcome it in the future.
2. Focus on building customer relationships with strong customer service.
Establishing solid, long-term relationships with your buyers can help speed up your sales success. Aim to focus on providing them with exceptional customer service and building personal relationships with them.
Creating this loyal customer base that supports your business, even in economic downturns, can lead to more confidence in your ability to sell to new clients.
3. Set realistic sales goals and track your progress.
Developing reasonable sales goals can help you stay excited about your sales activities. Consider using S.M.A.R.T goals and divide your revenue goals into attainable steps. As you accomplish your goals, your faith in your ability to make successful sales and expand your business may grow.
4. Celebrate your successes and milestones.
Realizing sales objectives, like reaching a revenue target or winning a major contract, can help you build faith in your sales abilities and momentum in your sales efforts. You can reward yourself for every success. Recognizing your efforts and encouraging yourself to stay on track can lead to ongoing sales success.
You can try to create specific celebratory activities, give larger sales bonuses to your sales team, or set up a recognition program. Even solopreneurs can consider creating a rewards system that encourages future success.
The Takeaway
Building confidence in your sales abilities can start with establishing new beliefs about sales, your product, and yourself. By applying the strategies above, you can help overcome your sales-related fears and achieve profitable growth for your small business.
Photo: Getty Images
