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The Peril of Overconfidence When Selling #468
Have you ever let your ego get ahead of your success? Like that day you boasted you can eat anything. You agreed to accept the “habanero pepper challenge” but quickly found they were too hot to handle, burning your mouth and throat and then spent the next hour drinking buckets of water to soothe the pain? We’ve all been there right? Oh you’ve never done that? Well I have and I’ve let this kind of overconfidence selling screw up business too. How do you avoid arrogance when selling? That’s the topic for today.
Today’s Chapter: The Peril of Overconfidence Selling
Winning can be just as bad as losing.
Confidence can be as bad as fear.
What does that mean?
If your sales are down, the only way is up.
But if you’re up, the only way is down.
Don’t worry about your quota.
Just do what you have to do.
The cocky seller is their own worst competitor
Fear can cause hesitation.
But confidence can create chaos.
When you know your limits
nothing can hold you back.
Do what you can then let go.
Today’s Story
It took a while but Chris found success. Each new deal fostered confidence and confidence fostered boasting, until the day arrived when business slumped.
The slump prompted Pat to ask “Hey what’s up with your pipeline. It’s drying up!”
Exasperated, Chris moaned,
“I can’t explain it. I was on top, everything was working. Then it was a train wreck”.
Pat responded, “But you’ve been telling everyone you’re the best seller in the organization, right?”
Sheepishly Chris muttered “Yes I did.”
Pat went on, “My toughest competitor was often my own arrogance, Overconfidence led to many lost deals. It wasn’t until I honestly assessed my strengths and weaknesses was I able to repeatedly find success. Now I pitch with humility and if the deal makes sense, the prospects buy. That’s all I can do, is to do my job and accept what happens”.
Take Action Quote
The theologian Thomas Merton once wrote that “Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.’ Our current culture glorifies the celebrity that boasts how great they are. It’s true that every dog has it’s day, but it’s not everyday. That day has an expiration date. Success comes and go likes the seasons. It’s best when we keep our ego in check and truly know who we are. It all works out in the end. That’s for certain.
Habanero Media Network
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How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble
Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers. Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help, showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com
I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most important the right selling mindset. Stop fearing sales and embrace it.
This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net
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