HOW TO STAY STRONG in difficult situations?

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Log into www.corporatecoachacademy.com and www. corporate-coach.com or call 03-62054488 for information. Being a ‘new kid on the block’ in selling sends chills down my spine, each time when I am with a group of seasoned sales professionals in the same territory, either competing for the same client or meeting them in social setting. I can’t help feeling so small with the fearsome thoughts that I am behind them in age, experience, confidence, product knowledge and familiarity with the market. How do I overcome them? I want to feel strong and confident with or without them around. — Not only you but this is a natural feeling for anyone to feel this way. Everyone has to start somewhere, including those you fear. It is part of the learning curve and the sooner you get over it, the better you will be. The most important thing is not to allow yourself be defeated even before the show begins. Once you have learned to strengthen yourself in this, come what may, you will be ready to face th career commitment is the greatest source of dissatisfaction with one’s profession. So, get committed and learn to say “No” to anything that doesn’t support your career purpose. Finally, never be intimidated by someone’s success. Most success is more perceived than real. It does no good to envy the possessions of others. There is a teaching in Buddhism: “People are not their stuff” which means that if you take all your elements, such as your pride, body, friends, money, status, position, job and anything else you can think of that you normally use to define yourself and remove them from yourself, then the real you is left. You are, therefore, as important as anyone else on the planet! I get very disappointed when I lose the sales opportunity after been told I stand no chance following a presentation. I feel even worse when I am the last few presenters to appear before the selection committee and get rejected. Without sounding arrogant, I often feel that I am much better than others but something must not be right about what I am doing. How can I achieve greater success? — It is a myth that getting to do a sales presentation is an automatic guarantee that we are close to sales success. Appearing before a committee is not easy as there are so many people to please, each probably looking for certain things they want to be convinced that you are the best among the rest.

The Bottom Line: Doing a ‘cut and paste’ presentation based on what you think is best for them is a sure sign of failure. Always remember it is not what you think they need but you got to know what they really need. One good way of increasing your chance of success is to ask at the onset on what they are looking for, and then start getting some answers to this very important question. This will give you the best guidance on how you should deliver your message to them. Doing this well as to what they want will surely impress them for they will feel that you care about their needs and that you are doing your best to meet them. An additional bonus for this is you will also increase your likability, taking you even closer to success. One other thing that you shouldn’t forget doing is to have a slot allocated for dialogue with them. This is the finishing touch of your presentation where you will get a chance to get personal with them.

Powerful Questions:

• How can I show that I care to

meet their needs?

• How can I show I am positively different from the rest?

• How can I excite them with

what I have?

• How can I be my natural self,

calm and friendly?