I recently had a call with, let's say, Mark.
I've had several calls like this over the years.
Entrepreneurs, like Mark, who shoulder or step into the role of sales for their company.
But there's a hold up...
Mark doesn't like sales, he doesn't want to do sales, and he doesn't enjoy sales.
I've heard this theme over and over. It's time to put an end to it.
If you don't enjoy sales or avoid sales, one reason can be the meaning you give to sales.
In the case of my call with Mark, when he thought of sales, he thought of a car salesman pushing the buying of a car onto him.
This experience he had with someone who was "doing sales" was his anchor for sales.
When he thought of sales, he thought of the car salesman (who he had a dislike for), and thus he avoided sales.
Many entrepreneurs can spend years in this trap...
Avoiding certain behaviors due to the visual, or the meaning, or the anchor, they associate with certain parts of business.
Sales, accounting, leadership, CEO, leader, pitching, etc.
The answer is to slow down and create your own definition.
Said differently, change your anchor.
Set your anchor in your truth, in a way that is true for you, in alignment with who you are and what you value.
In the case of Mark, his way for doing sales, rooted in his values, was to host a talk where he can share his knowledge. He can mention how to get in touch with him at the end and those who are interested can approach him.
This may change over time. The difference is now he's evolving how he does sales, as opposed to avoiding them in the first place.
Sure, there are many dynamics of this thing called sales and there are ways to obsess over what experts say "are the proper way." And then there is your way.
I'm not discrediting the sales experts, there is value in experimenting with what works for you and you may find that changing your habits can serve you in closing more sales.
What I want to highlight is the anchor for sales does not exist outside of you, it exists in you. You are executing the action.
Define your own anchor in a way that is true for how you do what you do.
This is self-awareness in action.
