Here are seven secrets to developing the resilience you need to staying positive, no matter how tough it may be to strike up new sales in your business.
No. 1: Learn from your failures. Rather than feeling depressed that you made 100 calls without hearing back from a single prospect, take a long hard look at your approach. Maybe you called the wrong people or called them at the wrong time or perhaps you should stress something different about your business.
No. 2: Touch base with your ‘friendlies.’ If you’ve made 10 sales calls and all have gone poorly, it’s easy to feel that you’ll never get your business off the ground. If you have a day like that, consider reaching out to your ‘friendlies,’ customers that like you and appreciate your product, to fuel you for the hard work ahead. By talking to these positive contacts you’ll reanchor yourself to why you’re doing the work you’re doing and it will help you become more ready for the next deal.
No. 3: Face your fears. Every single entrepreneur has faced fear, especially when a sales call goes awry. At other times it might be letting go of a team member who has not been performing. Irrespective of the fear, the secret lies in being able to look your fear in the face and go forward despite the fear.
No. 4: Check in with colleagues for a reality check. While many of us have been taught to keep our feelings to ourselves when times are tough, it’s actually better to share our struggles with a trusted colleague or friend. An empathic conversation with someone you trust, will assist in letting go of a lot of negative feelings. The process of speaking about your concerns and, even your sales struggles, will help you get ready to go out there again.
No. 5: Reach out beyond your network. Instead of relying on your usual go-to people, seek out a broader network. Talk to others about their business and your business, find out who they know and share your contacts. Entrepreneurs tend to retreat and that’s mostly because you’re wearing so many hats, from doing business development, working with clients, paying taxes and so much more. But, despite how busy you are, it’s key to leverage your connections. You never know where you might find new customers or invaluable support.
No. 6: Borrow someone else’s brain. Seek out sales strategies from another entrepreneur whose business is a bit further along in its sales growth. You can’t look at Virgin Airlines or Donald Trump and ask how each would approach sales, but you can look at someone who is just a little ahead of you. By walking a mile in his or her shoes, you’ll open up a whole new way of looking at things.
No. 7: Take a break. If you’ve tried all these tips and still feel defeated, consider taking a time-out. Most people think they should keep their nose to the grindstone, but that’s not the best way to win your next customer as prospective clients may be turned off if they sense that you’re desperate. Instead, take a mental health break that lasts a couple of hours or even a day. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.
Reference: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220739#ixzz2eCIShgJI