Sales Skills

Breathing and Wiggling and Sales

A big call is coming up. You tell your boss that you are looking forward to moving the deal forward, but your stomach is in a knot and your hands are slick with sweat.
You do your prep before the call, but your mind is all over the place.
You finally jump on the call and you get started. A nervous laugh slips out in the beginning.  Your mind goes blank a couple of times. You notice that a couple of times that you were able to focus on your question, but not on your prospect’s answer.
You jump off the call, and you can’t remember everything that happened, but you tell your boss that overall the call went well and you expect the deal to sign in a month.

It doesn’t.

On the next call you go on, you find yourself checking websites - initially their website and LinkedIn, but then a social site, a sports site, or the news (seriously, another natural disaster?). You hear at least half of what the prospect is saying, which you think should be enough. I mean, all clients sound the same, right?  You look at the calendar and realize that you are halfway through the month, and only 15% to quota. Your heart rate races with the stress of it all.

Does this sound familiar? If you are a seasoned pro, you hopefully have already learned how to stay present during meetings, but as a newer sales rep you might find that you have a hard time staying calm, focused and present.

If you are a new sales rep, know that being nervous before a big call is fairly normal. Losing your attention is a terrible habit, and too common. Both will make you significantly less likely to hit your numbers and your goals. The good news is that breathing, wiggling, and finding focus before your calls will help you become present again.

How to breath and wiggle your way into your next sales call

• Wiggle your toes.  So often we forget to check in with our bodies, and as a result our minds are all over the place. Wiggle your toes to connect yourself to the ground, and to connect your mind and body.
  

• Feel your seat bones (if you are sitting): Much like your toes, it’s easy to forget the body you are in. Pay attention to the chair that you are sitting on. Use the physical to anchor yourself into where you are today.

• If you are not doing a video call, pull up a picture of the person that you are going to be speaking to. We often get so caught up in titles and ideal buyer personas and companies that we forget that we are talking to another human being. Pull up a picture, and get ready to connect to that individual.

• Take one breath in… take 5 seconds to breath in, hold it for 5 seconds, and let your breath out over another 5 seconds. Repeat if your mind is still raising: Thoughtful breathing will slow down your heart, and help you focus.

• Using a pen, write down your goal for the call, including the outcome that you are looking for: Having this written down directly in front of you will help you stay focused on that outcome.

• Remind yourself why you think this is a good prospect. Always go into a call understanding why you will win, not worrying about why you might lose.

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OK my selling friends. Get out there, take a breath and a wiggle, and then make your best calls. Do you have other practices for calming your mind, and staying present during yours calls? Please share in the comments. If you have coworkers who you think will benefit from this advice, please share.