Act As If

Recently I had contact with a salesperson who said that he was working out the kinks in his selling slump and that he was hopefully getting back into the groove.

“Action plus Courage” is one of my core catch cries and one which I hold dear. The philosophy behind this sentiment drives our company and its people, yet the line itself seems counter to the received wisdom that the opposite is true.

Salespeople regularly ask me why it is that action is mentioned first in this statement.

Don’t we need courage before we can get into action?

For most of us we have been trained and conditioned to think our way through things, to navigate our way through the trials of life, or to want to understand every little element and aspect that lay ahead before we even make the commitment to move. Often we even think we need to psych ourselves into performing or overcoming difficult tasks, using our will power, our mind over matter, or by chanting mantras in order to win. But if our resolve isn’t strong enough or our minds effective enough, what do we do then?

Are we weak? Are we lacking something everyone else seemingly has?

Do we actually lack courage?

If we can’t convince ourselves that everything will be okay, how are we ever going to convince anyone else? How are we ever going to sell something to someone and look him or her in the eye while doing it?

In my experience courage isn’t something that is a natural characteristic people are born with, or something they instantly call upon in times of need. Again isn’t the opposite true? Aren’t we much more likely to exhibit fear in tough moments, particularly when it comes to our physical, emotional and intellectual well-being? Surely this is the truthful state of things – survival is our natural instinct.

Selling, particularly direct selling does bring rise to fear for more of us, more often than most vocations ever have or ever will. So how do we deal with this fear, this confrontation?

How do we find the courage to overcome this fear, and find the courage to persist into action?

Nike tells us to “just do it”, and within this slogan lies the truth. Yet this is easier said than done, isn’t it?

So how do we ‘just do it’?

The best plan is to just get into action, even if you have to act as if you believe that everything is okay.

If you are currently facing a motivational block or an emotional sales hurdle then the answer is to just do it. There are no secrets. You’re not going to chant your way, or hope your way through it. Action is the dynamic key.

It is much easier to act yourself into a right way of thinking, than it is to think yourself into a right way of acting. So stand up, step up, and simply start walking.

Do the thing that you have been putting off the longest first. The courage will then come, and the fear will wash away.

Sell without regret.

Michael Tate: Sales Director International – NRS Media 

Michael has a vast knowledge of effective media use, advertising and advertising sales management built over the last 25 years working with some of the world’s largest TV and radio groups.

He is a highly sought after key-note speaker and advertising sales trainer at major industry bodies like the Radio Advertising Bureau, the Texas Broadcasters Association, and the Oregon Association of Broadcasters. Tate has successfully worked with advertising sales managers, their staff and clients in 12 countries including the USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines and Australia.