How Fear Impacts Sales Strategies

By Barbara K. Mednick, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Last update: November 17, 2005 - 10:00 PM

Being fearful or anxious about selling their product or service is a feeling that many salespeople share. Common fears include not being liked or being perceived as too pushy. Some salespeople struggle with rejection or worry that their product or service might not perform as expected. Others are afraid of change.

Understanding your fear, learning more about your product or service, and being open to new ideas can help you to overcome your fear, according to local sales experts.

Reasons For Fear

"Fear is an obstacle in the sales process because it prevents you from asking clarifying questions, setting appointments, inquiring about budgets, time frames, and competition, and asking for the sale," says Carla Anderson, president, C. Anderson and Associates, LLC, a sales executive search firm in St. Paul.

If you are fearful, you may not be adequately prepared to make a successful sales call. "While you may have been a successful salesperson for many years, you have to keep in mind that products change, people change and markets change," says Marlys Tamte, The Prosper Group, Inc., Minneapolis, who consults with creative service companies on their selling and management needs.

Change And Challenge

Markets are shifting, technology is changing and several forces have Necessitated new business practices.

"We're moving from a postindustrial information age economy to a global, creative economy that is causing business and economic change. If you're doing more and more of the same thing and not making progress, it may be time to change your approach," Tamte says. "You can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome. If you fear change too much, it can prevent you from evolving."

These forces of change are described in Thomas L. Friedman's groundbreaking 2005 book "The World Is Flat." Friedman contends that "the convergence of certain forces – the opening of the Berlin Wall, Netscape, work flow, outsourcing, offshoring, etc. – has created a global, web-enabled playing field that allows for multiple forms of collaboration, including the sharing of knowledge and work in real time, without regard to geography, distance or language."

New Sales Game

"The old way of selling was a numbers game, but not anymore. Today more people are involved in a large purchasing decision than in the past, which requires a different sales approach," says Tamte. "Also, there aren't a lot of differentiators in products and services, so what customers buy on today is the relationship they have with the salesperson. You're judged on your knowledge of a particular industry and your ability to ask relevant questions and listen carefully."

Anderson agrees. "Learn more about what you are selling and the market to which you are selling. Knowledge is power, and it will naturally provide confidence to overcome the fear," she says.

Success Strategies

Tamte recommends the following strategies for reducing fear during the sales process:

• Discover what may have changed in your industry.

• Let go of preconceived ideas, and be open to new ideas.

• Analyze what you could do differently.

• Consider adjusting your market positioning.

Barbara K. Mednick is a Twin Cities marketing communications consultant and freelance writer.

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