Today, we're diving into a topic in this Ninja Pocket series that I know every single entrepreneur deserves regardless of experience. If you have a ton of experience or if you're just starting out, you have dealt with this some time - it is fear and doubt, the dream stealers in sales and in business. There's no secret that fear and doubt can cripple your ability to succeed in sales and to succeed in your business because you have this fear of rejection or a fear of failure.

There are studies from the Harvard Business Review that show that there's a staggering 85% of sales professionals experience some level of fear or anxiety when it comes to selling. I do know that to be a fact. I have a friend who is in the insurance business, and she tells me that sales professionals are the number one group of folks who are on some sort of anti-anxiety type of drug. I'm sure entrepreneurs fall into that same exact boat, but here's the thing - if you conquer your sales, it can lead to the next level of success. 

Research from Sales Hacker has shown that entrepreneurs who can overcome their fear and their doubt in sales show a 47% increase in their success rate. Imagine if you were able to increase your business and your success by 47% that would make it so different for you. (probably the attitude that you have about what you're doing, the enjoyment that you're having, and of course the revenue that you are generating.) 

So how can you conquer this fear and doubt when it comes to sales?

I'm going to talk about three key strategies that, if you implement these very simple strategies, will make a big difference for you. 

Number one is something that I call an about-face. I want you to do an about-face.

I want you to stop focusing on yourself and start focusing on the customer. I want you to stop worrying about what you do is perceived or whether or not you're going to actually have a sale. When you genuinely focus on your customer and solve their problems, I'm going to promise you the fear will dissipate. All of a sudden, you will just be more settled, you'll be able to think clearly, you'll be able to listen, which is so important when it comes to sales, and you're going to become more confident in your abilities. 

If you want help with anything simple or if you want to discuss strategies at all, go to my website at theprofessionalrulebreaker.com/strategy-session. You can get a free 20-minute session with me, and I will work with you wherever you need help. 

Strategy number two is to focus on the goal of being in service, helping your customer, and completely detaching yourself from the outcome. I know revenue is really important, but if you go in there with only the intention that you have to close the client, that you need money, that you have to get the sale, your head is not going to be in the right place. If you focus solely on your goal of being service to your customers and helping them go from pain over to what it is that they need, the pleasure that they need, and the outcome that they need, everything will change for you. When you work on the progress. towards the goal, the fear of rejection and the fear of failure will be gone. You free yourself to perform your best. Remember every NO leads to a YES. Every NO gives you experience. Every NO makes you more comfortable. Every NO that you let roll off your shoulders will help you get to your next level.

Strategy number three is to take action despite your fear. Don't let not knowing everything or waiting to have it all perfect stop you. It doesn't stop you. You just have to take action. It's one of the most important things for you to do, even if you have this big fear or doubt. It's natural to feel afraid. Encouragement isn't the absence of fear. It's taking action in spite of it. 

I'll give you a little bit of a story about one of the times I was still really new in sales, and I had set an appointment with a very big fish. I remember sitting in the car thinking to myself, I can't go in. I'm scared to death. My hands were on the steering wheel, and I was thinking of canceling the meeting. I literally made myself take a deep breath and then pulled my hands off the steering wheel, made myself march in there, and met with a customer. I didn't know what on earth I was doing, but guess what? This customer ended up being one of the largest customers I've ever had because I was willing first off to go in there, no matter how petrified I was. Secondly, I was willing to go in there and listen. And thirdly, I was willing to go in there and ask him questions and dig a little bit. He realized that I had the best intentions and that I was coming from the heart. I was coming from a place of service and not only did we form a great partnership, but he helped tremendously grow my sales and the sales of the company that I worked for, and eventually because of this went public. Because I worked with him and we became such great partners, that company also was able to grow so much, that they were able to become public as well. 

You don't know what effect having courage will have. You could make a big difference in your life and someone else's life. 

I want you to remember that fear and doubt may always be part of the journey, but you don't have to let them dictate the outcome. You can achieve unparalleled success by focusing on the customer, embracing progress, and taking action despite your fear and doubt. 

Remember that uncomfortable feeling of fear and doubt? If you keep on going and you take action, your next level of success is right there for you. Take the great skills that you have, go out there, and make a difference. It's like throwing a stone in the stream and making a big difference in the world. 

Episode resources:

• Pocket Ninja Episode 1 - Focus, Clarity, Success: The Impact of Intention Setting

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