Selling is Stressful!

Is stress affecting your selling ability and sabotaging your productivity? If so, then it’s time to take the necessary steps to keep stressful situations to a minimum. Successful salespeople manage stress so that they have more time to work on positive opportunities which make them money. They also try to minimize the negative ones that cause selling fatigue and ill health.

Stress is difficult to avoid because it is created by everyday life experiences. If you’re involved in a car wreck or your child is sick or a loved one passes away, you have little control over the stress associated with such events. All of us must deal with them and hopefully not too often. However, we each have the day-to-day challenges of living that cause varying amounts of stress in our lives. The key to managing the stressful feelings that we can control is by making conscious, smart choices.

Let’s look at some common stress inducers and ways to handle them:

1. I never get caught up.

PROBLEM: Many people run from one problem or project to another, never able to able to resolve any of them. If the truth be known, people who experience high levels of stress often do so because they take on too many tasks.

SOLUTION: Successful people know to manage their affairs efficiently and resist the urge to take on more than they can handle.You, too, must realize there is not enough time to do everything you could possibly do. There are simply too many choices today; so you must carefully choose exactly which endeavors are the most promising and focus on them. Don’t take on other projects until you’ve finished what you’re currently working on.

2. I can’t say “NO!”

PROBLEM: Everyone must establish boundaries and then be able to maintain them. Some people have a hard time setting limits because they so desire to please others. When they cannot say “no,” they often end up to taking on too many projects and not successfully completing any or all of them. Instead of pleasing people, they end up disappointing others.

SOLUTION: Even if you hurt someone’s feelings by declining a request, you need to do so frequently. To keep from feeling guilty when you turn down others, explain up front why you are doing so. Be honest and tell them that you don’t have the time right now to take on new projects. It’s far better to be honest with people up front than disappoint them later.

3. The industry is too competitive

PROBLEM: Competition is a reality in every industy, but some people find it to be too fierce in the promotional products industry. After only a few months, some people don’t realize until it’s too late that price cutting is not the answer to beating the competition. Stress overtakes them and their failures ruin everything for the rest of us.

In an attempt to stay afloat, they try to sell orders based on unrealistic expectations and end up with nothing to show for their efforts except unbearable stress.

SOLUTION: By obtaining the right knowledge, you will find that this industry is not really that competitive. Even though thousands of people sell promotional products, not all of them do so successfully. Set yourself apart by being unique and always conducting yourself in a professional manner. You’ll drive away the competition in no time.

4. Rejection brings me down.

PROBLEM: Rejection is hard for anyone to take for any length of time. It’s inevitable in sales and it makes everyone feel bad. For those who don’t manage rejection correctly, they certainly won’t be able to handle the high levels of stress that come along with every turndown.

SOLUTION: In reality, a little bit of rejection is a good thing. You know that a certain number of calls must be make in order to close sales. Some calls will be good and some will not. On those occasions when you are rejected, you know that you’ve gotten the negative sales call out of the way and that you’re on your way to completing a sale. It’s all about positive mental attitude.

5. I fly by the seat of my pants!

PROBLEM: Many people begin selling promotional products without having a thorough understanding about what it takes to get established. They have little money and few contacts, both of which are stressful situations. They begin their careers stressed out, because they have no financing and limited knowledge when it comes to attracting clients.

SOLUTION: Remember the Boy Scouts’ motto and be prepared! If you have been trying to sell with insufficient financing in place or with no idea on how to prospect for new customers, make the necessary changes. Solve your money problems by joining a larger distributor who can handle that aspect of the business for you. If you need to do a better job of obtaining customers, attend industry seminars or get online training on effective prospecting.

You may think that because I’m the author of this article, I’m an expert at handling stress. There could be nothing farther from the truth. During my twenty-five years in this industry, I’ve learned the hard way about stress. I’ve spent many a sleepless night worrying about orders not being delivered on time, or factories short of inventory, or customers who don’t pay on time. But to keep my stress levels from driving me crazy, I decided somewhere along the line to implement the above solutions and they’ve worked!

You, too, can conquer stress. By realizing that it primarily comes from your reaction to situations, you can better manage your response without letting others control you. Keeping a cool head will make you much happier and more profitable in the long run.