The Destructive Force of Fear

Fear can be a very destructive force when it comes to sales.  We are all aware of the more popular fears: rejection and failure.  Recently, I had a “fear” conversation with one of my clients.  They had a great business model with a wonderful value proposition.  As it was a start-up, it was their role to generate and create sales.  And, they were frozen with fear.  Their concern?  What if they don’t like my concept?

I would call this “fear that your baby is ugly syndrome“.  Sometimes a person can become so attached to their product offering that the fear of rejection is greater than not being interested.  With “fear that your baby is ugly syndrome” their disinterest is a rejection of a business concept or idea the business owner is painfully, emotionally attached to.

Overcoming all fears, including “fear that your baby is ugly syndrome“, are essential to successful sales outcomes.  The trick is to remember that none of the negative outcomes are personal.  They are the result of a sales story that did not contain a message that resonated with value; or, the customer really was not interested at this time.  Get past your fears, work on your message, learn how to minimize taking rejections personally because they are not personal.

photo credit: alshepmcr

Dave Cooke is CEO of Strategic Resource Group, llc an organization specializing in helping businesses increase their revenues through effective growth initiatives and employee development programs. His contributions and insights can be found on his blog posts, SalesCooke and Sustainable Revenues.  He has also developed a new program for sustainable revenues in a down economy, known as SuRF.  To download this case study go to: SurfWhitePaper.com.