Are you mystified or terrified by the whole idea of sales? Many small business owners start their businesses with great passion, but little experience in how to sell their product or service. Yet, developing powerful selling skills and feeling empowered to succeed at the sales process can make the difference between success and failure.

I’ve worked with many small business owners who considered selling just a necessary evil. Let’s face it, to some the word salesperson conjures up images of some pushy guy at the used car dealership in a mismatched polyester suit who only wants to make a buck at your expense. Out of this negative image comes a fear of selling and a fear of being perceived that way. This outdated image is a perception that can be changed. No small  business can exist unless it sells something!. And what about the old fear of rejection. Are you choosing not to approach a prospect because they might say no; they might reject you? Having been brought up to be well mannered and polite, I struggled with this one for a quite a while. The truth is, it’s not about you or me, it’s about the customer and What’s In It For Them. If you focus on helping your prospect to get what they really want or need, you’ve served them well and your business will prosper.

When we feel fear or lack of confidence about the sales process, we need to listen to the negative self talk that whispers in our head each time we approach a prospect, meet a potential client, or make a sales presentation. That little Inner Critic is often sending us messages like:

"You know you’re not good at this."

"You’re probably not saying the right things."

"They’re just going to say no."

"They’ll think I’m wasting their time."

"They just don’t see how valuable this is."

The list is endless, but I’m sure you get the point. We’re rarely aware of these messages but, like water running endlessly over rock, they eventually wear you down until you believe you’ll just never be that great at selling and procrastination sets in. And, they make you feel just plain lousy

Changing this negative self talk is as essential as learning sales presentation skills. You can take all the sales skills training in the world, and if you fear the process you’ll continue to struggle with it. If you’re passionate about what you do and your focus becomes conveying that deep belief and enthusiasm for your product or service, you’ve taken the first step toward overcoming those fears.

Next, if we do a good job of building trust over time with our prospect and we position ourselves as experts in our field, the conversion from prospect to customer will not involve "sales" at all. Small business sales are 90% marketing.

1. Form the relationships through an introduction, networking or by getting a website visitor to sign up for your mailing list

2. Build the relationship and trust by offering valuable information, help and being a "connector" for the prospect. Connect them with valuable people and resources.

3. Convert them to paying clients by enticing them with your expertise, your knowledge or what they want, and an offer they can't refuse.

If you have a Big Vision for your small business,  

• take the time to work on breaking the limiting patterns that sabotage you and building a mind set that supports your sales efforts

• maximize your sales by learning the specific sales skills , like writing good sales copy and communicating what pain or problem you can solve. 

• streamline your marketing strategy to include many regular contacts with a prospect where you're providing them with some valuable information that shows them you're successful and an expert. 

The sales process in your small business will begin to flow smoothly. and you will find yourself heading toward sales performance excellence and dramatically increased revenue.