| The organisation with the ability to overcome the | | | | "According to whom?" |
| variety of mental models living in the minds of their | | | | "What prevents you from being good at cold calling?" |
| workforce will be the organisation that wins in the | | | | "What would happen if you were good?" |
| future. Emphasis has to be placed on creating an | | | | Statement |
| environment in which the 'can do - will do' mentality | | | | "My sales target is too high this month, I'll never |
| thrives and becomes the norm, success and | | | | achieve it" |
| achievement are expected and as a consequence are | | | | Response |
| much more likely to happen. We call this fulfilled | | | | "What do you need to do so that you can?" |
| expectation. | | | | While challenging questions may not instantly create a |
| Expect Beliefs To Change: | | | | belief change, over time, they can enable salespeople |
| Throughout a person's lifetime, beliefs change | | | | to shift their perceptions of their beliefs, recognising |
| continually. Beliefs that they once thought to be | | | | that there are other possibilities and options available |
| immutable cease to be true. Take the example of | | | | to them. Developing Self Worth: |
| Roger Bannister who, in 1957, became the first | | | | Organisations that recognise the importance of |
| athlete to break the four-minute barrier for running a | | | | helping their salespeople develop a strong sense of |
| mile. Prior to Bannister's achievement, most athletes | | | | self worth are many times more likely to produce |
| considered a sub-four-minute mile impossible. But that | | | | high performers. Self worth is vital to everyone but |
| same year, sixteen other athletes also ran a mile in | | | | especially to salespeople who hear "no" more often |
| less than four minutes. Did they become superhuman | | | | than they hear "yes, I'll buy". A salesperson's |
| overnight? Or, more simply, did their beliefs change? | | | | self-esteem can sometimes take a hammering, but |
| Our Colleagues Can Exert Positive Pressure: | | | | organisations that find ways to build their |
| Like those milers, salespeople have their own unique | | | | salespeople's self-esteem reap an invaluable dividend. |
| sets of beliefs, some of which limit their potential in | | | | Self-worth translates into attitude, that small thing |
| sales. For instance, during a recession, the members | | | | that makes such a big difference. |
| of a sales force may all believe that strong sales are | | | | In Summary – The most successful |
| impossible. But if just one person increases their | | | | salespeople take care of their attitude and they |
| sales, what seemed an inevitable fact will suddenly | | | | understand that: |
| appear more like a thin excuse for poor performance. | | | | Great Attitude = Great Results, |
| We Must Challenge Negative Beliefs: | | | | Average Attitude = Average Results, |
| Sales Captains who challenge negative beliefs with | | | | Poor Attitude = Poor Results. |
| good questions can help create shifts in mindset. | | | | The second commonality with successful salespeople |
| Take a look at these examples of negative beliefs | | | | is that they expect to be successful and they want |
| and examples of questions that challenge them. | | | | it badly enough that they bring about its happening i.e. |
| Statement | | | | fulfilled expectation. |
| "Our solutions are too expensive." | | | | The moral right of the author, Jonathan Farrington, |
| Response | | | | has been asserted. All rights reserved. This publication |
| "Compared with whom?" | | | | or any part thereof may not be reproduced or |
| "Compared to what?" | | | | transmitted in any form or by any means electronic |
| "How do you know?" | | | | or mechanical including photocopying, recording, |
| Statement | | | | storage in an information retrieval system or |
| "I'm hopeless at cold calling" | | | | otherwise, unless this notification of copyright is |
| Response | | | | retained. |