How to use effective stress-reducing techniques to lift your spirits and increase
sales.
What are the leading causes of stress in your life?
a) Trying to balance a personal and professional life.
b) Dealing with mountains of paperwork - after putting in a 12-hour day of selling.
c) Handling difficult customers.
d) Accounting for cancelled sales.
e) There are too many to list in this article.
If you're like most salespeople, there is only one possible answer: e.
Nevertheless, the next question is even more important: How do you deal with that
kind of stress?
The Keds Corporation inside sales representative Mary Kay Remley in Richmond, IN
describes three types of sales stress she experiences. First on the list are the
unhappy clients who call her to complain, complain, and complain - about everything
from the company's service or products to something she has done. Then there are
the deadlines during busy season that require retailers to get orders in by certain
dates, and her customers aren't always cooperative. Finally, frequent travel makes
it difficult for her to balance work and home demands.
Remley believes stress is inevitable, often requiring her to work harder, faster
and smarter. How does she cope? "I don't take customer complaints personally," she
says. "I listen to their concerns and show them I am on their side and will work
with them to attack the problem. If they decide not to buy, I accept it and go on.
If I took everything personally, I wouldn't last a week."
Another effective stress buster is to be prepared for possible outcomes. Don't be
caught unaware, Remley advises. "I have an alternative plan ready whenever customers
don't like my original proposal," she says. Also, know what you have to offer to
counter possible customer complaints. Advance preparation and thorough knowledge
of her company's products and policies, including knowing how flexible she can be
in addressing customers' concerns, helps Remley find ways to solve client problems.
"We may have certain discounts available to meet cost objections," she explains.
"Sometimes the problem isn't money. There may simply not be enough shelf space in
the retailer's shoe store. I may be able to divide the shipment or reduce the order."
Not all stress comes from customers with problems. In fact, it can be a lot closer
to home. Some stress comes from management, while other types of stress are self-induced,
according to Liz Halley, sales manager for Capps Broadcast Group in La Grande, OR.
Handling stress may call for changing the way work is done. For example, Halley
recalls how management used to focus on established promotion cycles. Consequently,
she would pressure her sales reps to find clients to buy advertising during the
12 campaigns. The stress and pressure never let up; as soon as one cycle ended a
new one would begin.
To avoid complete burnout, Halley shifted the emphasis from selling based on the
station's needs to providing clients opportunities and professional help to find
the best way to advertise their products or service. She worked to reduce the number
of promotions from 12 to four, and shortened the length of each sales cycle from
four weeks to one and one-half weeks. The result? "Now our focus is on customer
relationships and satisfying each client's needs, rather than concentrating on promotions
and pressuring clients to participate," says Halley. At the start of each cycle
Halley gives her reps a list of their present and potential clients. The rep’s goal
is to work cooperatively with their clients to determine which ones can benefit
from the upcoming promotion.
To avoid complete burnout, Halley shifted the emphasis from selling based on the
station's needs to providing clients opportunities and professional help to find
the best way to advertise their products or service. She worked to reduce the number
of promotions from 12 to four, and shortened the length of each sales cycle from
four weeks to one and one-half weeks. The result? "Now our focus is on customer
relationships and satisfying each client's needs, rather than concentrating on promotions
and pressuring clients to participate," says Halley. At the start of each cycle
Halley gives her reps a list of their present and potential clients. The rep’s goal
is to work cooperatively with their clients to determine which ones can benefit
from the upcoming promotion.
Many problems with sales stress are self-induced, and most are the result of poor
or no organization. To avoid this, Keds' Remley prioritizes tasks and focuses on
those with top priority, to avoid trying to do everything at once. Unfortunately,
many sales professionals aren't as organized and don't have a planner or system
for scheduling appointments or other tasks. Halley has a to-do list on her desk
at the end of each day. Then, when she leaves the office to go home, she already
knows what she will do and whom she will see the next day.
Procrastination is another big stress inducer. Too often salespeople postpone unpleasant
tasks that make them uncomfortable. They start with the assignments that are easy
and then tell themselves that they'll get around to the others later. Unfortunately,
"later" sometimes becomes "never," and having those tasks hanging over their heads
causes stress.
"Instead," suggests Halley, "how about starting with the uncomfortable stuff and
getting that out of the way? If you are calling five clients, start with the two
you are afraid to call. Usually it's never as bad as we fear. If you succeed, your
attitude improves dramatically. If not, it gets easier later when you call the others."
Even on really bad days some good things happen. Halley tells her reps to write
down three things that went really well each day. They can be such small things
as finally reaching a client or closing an annual contract. At the same time, she
tells them to write down three things that went wrong. Most likely, the good things
far outweighed the bad things.
"I tell my reps, 'Nobody will die here,'" says Halley. "Facing our fears and doing
the job anyway builds confidence and eliminates stress and the fear of the unknown."