I successfully finished one of the most challenging sailing events in the Netherlands, the so-called Singlehanded 2021 race. A 96 hours solo sailing trip on the largest Dutch lake and seas.
Such an event requires confidence in yourself, your plan, your preparation and your equipment and has as such analogies with commercial activities.
More...
How confident are you that you will achieve your sales objectives? That your customer really wants to do business with you, rather than with your competitor? That you will create maximum value from your negotiations? That you are seen as a true partner to your customers?
These questions will have a much higher chance of becoming reality, once you are prepared, follow a process and practice, practice, practice. It helped me with the Singlehanded 2021.
Preparation
It starts with your MINDSET and the question you should ask yourself is: ”Would you do business with yourself?”
How customer and growth-minded are you? Are you offering the best design or a product or service that fits the user experience? How innovative are you in your thinking? Are you a change agent who dares to challenge the status quo?
“Why should anyone be doing business with you?”, or in other words, what insights do you bring to the table that will optimise value for both your customer and you? Are you a consultant to your customer or purely a messenger of your own interests? What benefit does your proposition offer, and have you valued it?
Can you truly answer all these questions positively?
Process
Do you follow a structured selling and negotiation process that makes your and your customer’s time well spent? Does it drive effectiveness and efficiency? And most importantly: does it drive results?
We strongly believe that if you fall in love with the process, the results will follow!
Practice
Amazingly we still use our customer visits to practice our sales skills and behaviours. Whereas we have ample opportunities to practice with our colleagues, managers, coaches, trainers etc.
Sales people hate roleplaying, but we are convinced it is the best way to try out and practice our amended selling approach. It is risk free and can be tailored to any specific situation. The most successful sales forces amongst our customers, have embraced roleplaying as a fixed element of their sales and negotiation preparation. And that made them more confident and successful in front of the customer.
I used Preparation, Process and Practice for my singlehanded event and it helped me big time. I also use it in business and it makes me more successful here too.
What do you do to optimize your confidence?