We have all been there before. There are only a few days left in the month, and you are hanging by a thread to earn a tier payout or hit a sales quota. That sinking feeling, a sense of foreboding, starts to creep in. The pressure is on and you begin to think, “What if I miss out? Look at all of the money I will lose. I can’t afford to miss that incentive payout.” You think it over and over as you exert more and more self-pressure. You begin to realize and feel failure, and often your fears become reality…a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Next time, when the pressure is on, stay positive and remember the following:

1. You cannot control what the customer is going to do, you can only influence their decision.

Every salesperson can recall what they believed was a perfectly delivered pitch, only to be rebuffed by their prospect. Conversely, think of how frequently you can blow your sales pitch and still get the sale. Always remember you are unable to control how well you sell – only how well you offer. The good news is in the majority of situations, if you consistently offer well, you will sell well. When you are under the gun, focus on the following sales fundamentals:

• Greet and build rapport
• Identify wants and needs
• Offer the product that best meets the customer’s needs
• Answer all questions positively
• Offer ancillary products after the primary product is secure
• No matter what happens, close positively

2. Visualize your desired outcome, not your potential failure.

World-class athletes spend years training their minds to “see” and “claim” victory before they achieve it. What does success look like for you? Visualize yourself achieving the highest level of performance and you will engage the power of your subconscious mind to make it happen. The best time to create these “success imprints” is right before you go to sleep and as soon as you wake up in the morning. Research suggests this is when your subconscious mind is most impressionable.

3. Replace worry with work.

Worry is wasteful and destructive. Instead, spend your time practicing and preparing. Remember, you may be unable to control the results of your sales efforts, but you can control the behaviors that lead to these results. Ready yourself for the day by giving yourself an encouraging pep talk. Keep telling yourself that you are confident, that you will overcome this challenge, and that the results you seek are a given. Arrive early to work and prepare your workstation. Disorganization and arriving late increase your stress levels and make your customers feel uncomfortable. Most of all focus on how your products and/or services help the customers you encounter. Selling for your customer instead of to or at them will put you and your clients at ease, and position you for success.

Chris Brown - Senior Vice President, Frontline Performance Group

Harnessing the power of visualization and belief to topple a Goliath: 88-0 suddenly turns to 88-1!

Sometimes in the world of college sports all it takes to beat a champion is to believe that you are a champion and to play like a champion. Any loyal Notre Dame fan understands this important message.

On January 14, 1974 the University of Notre Dame demonstrated this belief when they stunned the college basketball world by toppling reigning National Champion UCLA. What made this one point victory special for the Fighting Irish was that the loss marked UCLA’s first loss in 88 consecutive games, and it came at the expense of legendary coach John Wooden.

How were they able to do this? Prior to the game Notre Dame’s coach, Digger Phelps, implemented the following coaching techniques:

1. Make it Visual: He had the team practice cutting down the nets and celebrate the momentous win four days prior to the start of the game.

2. Make it Behavioral: Throughout the practice week he drilled all of his players to hit shots at unique angles stressing that this was to be the “game winner!” The extra jumpers, runners off the glass, three pointers and two foot lay-ups helped create the right muscle memory for when it really mattered!

3. Make it Emotional: According to John Shumate, an Irish player, “Digger told us at practice the week before the game if you win this game, it will be part of your life for the rest of your life…” Phelps was famous for drawing upon duty to the University and the team’s faith to believe.

So how do these techniques translate into success in today’s competitive business environment? Whether it is a well coached round of role plays, situational exercises, or a candid discussion with your employees about the importance of moving your customers through an emotional connection, these same types of coaching techniques can generate tremendous results for your frontline team — just as they did for the Fighting Irish.

Ken Stellon - Senior Vice President, Frontline Performance Group