As I travel, I meet with people all over the world and something has become apparent to me recently. Our view of ourselves is often disconnected from the way others view us. This might seem obvious to you. Other people view us differently than we see ourselves simply because they have a different point-of-view. In sales, though, we need to keep in mind that the way we dress, the way we speak, the way we gesture and use body language are all constantly being evaluated by our customers and prospects.

If you’re like most salespeople, you hold yourself in pretty high regard. No, I’m not calling you conceited! I mean that in order to do your job (selling) you need to have a well developed sense-of-self and a confidence that things will usually go your way. If you didn’t have this self-confidence you wouldn’t last very long in sales. Let’s face it-more people say, “No,” to us than, “Yes.” Very few salespeople have a better than 50% closing ratio. Since more people don’t buy, we need to have that strong ego in order to keep our attitudes up and keep “fighting the good fight.” But that same strong self-confidence sometimes hurts us too.

Our strong sense of self keeps us from seeing how we look and sound to our prospects and clients. For the most part, we salespeople think we look good, act well, speak well and sell well. We think everything that comes out of our mouths is a “pearl of wisdom.” I know I do! But did you ever leave a sales call and while waiting for an elevator glance at the mirror on the wall and notice that you've got some of your lunch stuck on your chin? Or your hair is a mess? Or the knot on your tie is way off-center? Well, our prospects and clients don’t judge us based on how we see ourselves, they judge us based on their personal observations. Because this “self- deception” can blind us, it’s useful to take a good look at who we are as well as what we look and sound like.

One way to do this is to use a friend, relative, co- worker (someone whose opinion and honesty you truly respect) or mentor as a mirror. Ask them to pretend they’re a prospect and to listen to your sales "pitch." (Better yet, ask them to accompany you on a real sales call) Tell them you’re looking to be the best you can possibly be and invite them to be open and brutally honest with you and ask for real feedback on how you look and sound as a professional. Ask if you sound genuine, honest and believable. Ask if they would buy from you based on how you look and sound to them. Ask if they saw the value in investing in your product or service. Ask what they would change about you and how they would change it in order for you to be more effective. Be open to their feedback without being defensive. We can all improve and grow!

Another method, which I use with some of my best clients, is called video role-playing. In this methodology we provide a real-world scenario to the salesperson in advance so they have time to prepare. (as they would in the real world) We also provide the person who is going to play the customer with information about their role. (personality type, age, demeanor, intelligence, etc.) The salesperson and customer then role-play a “real” sales call while being videotaped as I take notes and evaluate. When the sales call is done we replay the videotape and I provide immediate feedback.

I love this method as a tool for evaluation as it gives us a view of ourselves we don’t normally get. It’s impossible to see yourself, or listen to yourself, while you’re on a sales call but the video camera captures your body language and words in real-time, giving you almost immediate feedback. This “snapshot” of you, and your performance, can be invaluable in providing you with an image of how you come across to your customers and prospects, allowing you to make changes where necessary and to reinforce your positive aspects. (btw - you don't need me to do this for you, you can do it on your own with your manager and/or co-workers and a video camera...it just happens to be one of the many services JG&A offers)

No matter how you do it, I urge you to find a way to take a look at yourself. Change isn’t easy but it’s much harder when we don’t realize it’s needed.

Evaluate, adjust and improve.

Make It Happen!

Jeff