Bolster Your Sales By Mastering Your Inner Game

For years, consumers have assumed that the only salespeople who achieve high close rates and continued success are the ones with a silver tongue. They believe only the smooth talkers can close a deal or get someone to make a purchase, even if the consumer doesn’t necessarily need or want what’s being sold.

While that may have been true in the past, it is no longer the case.

Today, great salespeople are defined by having the ability to master their inner game. Getting sales comes down to confidence and self-belief. It is pushing aside self-doubt and uncertainty, putting in the hard work, and showing potential prospects the value of their offering.

Your Inner Game is Key to Success in Sales

Industry experts frequently talk about steps new or experienced salespeople can take that will allow them to master their inner game and develop the skills needed to boost sales. This extends to personal development, self-education, and perfecting your craft.

Mastering your self-confidence is knowing how to battle the inner demons that say you can’t, along with feeling unworthy of hitting the goals you want. For Giovanni Kisesa, an independent B2B sales expert, learning how to develop your inner game is what drives success. Having the right mindset is what helped him shift from being fearful of sales calls to recognizing the value he could bring to the table as a confident salesperson.

“This pushes you to overcome your own self-doubt and to give you access to a higher version of yourself,” Kisesa says. “That’s what allows salespeople to thrive.”

A key to achieving this is acknowledging what you need to improve, the things you need to keep doing, and what you need to do less of.

Find a Coach who Sees Your Potential

Once you have committed to mastering your inner game, a valuable step to make the process easier is teaming up with an experienced coach who can help you along the way.

A mentor serves as a second pair of eyes as they help you see ways to turn your potential into actionable skills. They’ll assist you in seeing the bigger picture and bring a wider perspective that you can use to bolster your sales process. Working with a professional coach who has experience in your industry will give you a headstart when it comes to improving your communication skills and technical understanding of sales in general.

Not only will your mentor be a helpful resource that helps you improve, but they’ll also be there to hold you accountable. Someone who recognizes your potential will constantly challenge you to reach the goals you have set for yourself. Generally, someone who is a mentor or coach has already achieved many of their own objectives and will hold you to the same standard of commitment.

The right person will also be your guide as you establish a new mentality that improves your confidence and overall mindset. The Sales Blog paraphrased popular saleswoman Forbes Riley, saying her “life changed dramatically when she realized that HOW she thought was determining the boundaries of her success.”

A coach who develops a professional relationship with you will give you the affirmation, support, and motivation you need to confidently achieve your ambitions.

Be Intentional; Look for Intent in Your Prospects

When it comes to making a sale, the deciding factor is the intent of a potential buyer. More than ever before, consumers want to be heard, validated, and feel like a company has their best interest at heart. If the prospect doesn’t feel these things from a salesperson, it is much less likely they’ll feel that an individual can solve their problem.

To understand a person’s intent, you must be intentional yourself. That means breaking free from the norm of a rehearsed presentation that has little to no customization focused on the prospect.

Instead, turn what would normally be a parroted sales pitch into a conversation that highlights your potential customer’s interests. Identify the problem they’re trying to solve, diagnose whether your product or service could fix it, and share how they can find a solution. This approach brings a sense of transparency and builds a consumer’s trust in a salesperson. Establishing a relationship with the consumer is crucial since, according to a study by HubSpot, only “3% of people consider salespeople to be trustworthy.”

Kisesa pointed out the way this tactic has impacted his success saying, “​​For me, having your prospects’ best interest in mind all the time [is important], even if that results in the deal not moving immediately forward. If you have their best interests in mind, they’re the ones that you’re going to be able to get across the line.”

Develop Your Discovery Model

Tom Gerencer, a career expert at Zety, shared a 2022 study that showed “the average inside sales rep can make 33 cold calls per day.

Any experienced salesperson will tell you that sales calls are not always meant to be easy or comfortable. These calls address tough questions and concerns as the conversation digs deeper into problems, finances, and consequences of taking action or not.

This unease can easily be avoided with proper preparation and staying in tune with your prospect from beginning to end.

Alex Burkett, CEO of Outdoor Alliances, a marketing agency, said, “Cold calling can be daunting and often both parties are uncomfortable, especially if a prior relationship has not been established. The only way to make these difficult conversations easier is to build trust and break down barriers.” He continued saying, “The discovery process before the call is especially important to research your potential prospects and learn more than a surface-level understanding. Showing that you’re prepared and not like everyone else can help you stand out.”

While you shouldn’t follow a strict script, it is important to have a proven discovery model that takes the sales call from A to Z. That includes establishing a connection with the potential customer while also guiding them through the process that will eventually solve their problem.

It’s this sort of attention to a prospect’s interests that will allow someone who is afraid of sales calls to release the fear and simply focus on improving the overall experience.

Putting more effort into mastering your inner game and boosting your confidence creates a domino effect, allowing your skills and success in sales to increase.