We are always honing our skills and adding new ones so talking to more people each day wonderfully compliments those skills. It is important to remember that while we want to say less to more people, we need to master the art of listening to them rather than vomiting on the them all that we know and what they need to know about our wares. Listening cannot be underestimated under this principle of making up in numbers what you lack in skills.

You must always learn from the past, but you cannot live in it. There are new horizons to cross. There are new clients to find and expose to what you have. There is no time to stew over what might have been or what so and so did. The rearview mirror must give way to the front window where going somewhere is far more important then, where you have been. It is not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish that allows you to finish the month on top and with a big fat smile.

This too shall pass” is always a great encouragement to the weary traveler. Life is hard. Business building is not for the fainthearted. Prospecting clients on a daily basis is back breaking and thankless and sometimes we wish we could go home late morning and go back to bed. We often ask the question, why do I do what I do. On most days, the answer seems to be convoluted.

There are two types of people in this world. Those who see the glass half empty and those who see the glass half full. In sales, it is important that we stay optimistic and focused and not get off into the forest of Defeat and Pessimism. If we are honest, we must remind ourselves often that much of what we do in life has to do with our attitude and belief system.

We must remember that SYSTEMS are duplicatable and PEOPLE are not. I cannot hope to build an army of followers if they must be like me. On the other hand, if they have a simple method to follow or a third-party tool to wield, then the chances of duplication and growth in your organization goes up exponentially.

Sales and selling, does not have to mimic an episode from the latest MMA event. It is not a wrestling match that we are engaged in. It is a soft but firm persuasion match based on people learning to like us and to feel comfortable with us not just with the product we have. And remember this, our clients want to buy but they do not want to be sold. But they need to be sold on us, that is for certain.

We may think that our product or service alone will win people over daily. Not true. The customer must see the need for it, or they will pass on it. If we do our part, the willing will come to us with a desire to see their need met. I learned a long time ago that you can’t say the wrong thing to the right person. Look for Mr. and Mrs. Right every day you are in the field. They are all around you. You simply must be aggressive in looking for the lookers.

Continue to build your resolve to continue in the fight even if the whole world is against you. Remember, people buy YOU far before they buy what you are offering. Give people the benefit of the doubt. They can see if someone is desperate or carrying a chip on their shoulder. Let it be the last salesperson and – not you. They can measure whether they want to buy you and from you without you.

Remember, the best salespeople on the planet are those who regularly provide an answer to a need that someone has. Listen more and talk less. Remember, God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Don’t spend precious extended time with those who you will have to spoon feed for a very long time. That will not get you where you want to go.

Do not shut down when those you are prospecting have objections that almost seem like they come from another planet. An objection at the end of the day is just another way to fulfill the information and the service your client needs. More information in a more explainable manner will often push the prospect in the direction of what you are offering. And never forget that 90 percent of selling is conviction and 10 percent is persuasion. Boom!