Tweet

How to Sharpen Your Edge Using Fear

Written by: Dave Kurlan

Article Overview: Would you be surprised to learn that, after 35 years, I experience fear prior to sales calls, presentations, training and speaking engagements? Yeah, I'd be surprised to read that too - except I really do...

How to Sharpen Your Edge Using Fear

Would you be surprised to learn that, after 35 years, I experience fear prior to sales calls, presentations, training and speaking engagements? Yeah, I'd be surprised to read that too - except I really do. It's not debilitating, it doesn't cause stress or anxiety, it doesn't prevent me from doing what I need to do and I don't attempt to overcome it. Why? Because after 35 years, it's the fear that makes me excel. It's the fear that makes my speaking engagements,/a> so memorable. It's the fear that makes my training programs so effective. It's the fear that helps me succeed on my sales calls.

I've worked with tens of thousands of salespeople and a fairly high percentage of them don't have or won't admit to any fear. A significant percentage of salespeople have so much fear and it is so transparent that it causes them to be terribly ineffective. You can hear it in their voices, see it in their eyes, and watch it in their trembling hands. They're petrified every time they get in front of a prospect!

Somewhere in between fearless and afraid there is a happy medium and I'd like to share some of my thoughts on fear so that you can use fear to improve your effectiveness:

* instead of asking yourself, "what if I screw up?", ask yourself, "what could I screw up and what should I do to make sure that doesn't happen?"
* instead of asking yourself "what if they don't like me?", ask yourself, "what might they not like about me and what can I do to compensate for that?"
* instead of asking yourself, "what if I can't answer their questions?", ask yourself, "what questions could come up that I need to be better prepared to answer?"
* instead of asking yourself, "what if I fail?", ask yourself, "what must I do on this call to put myself in the best possible scenario to succeed?"
* instead of asking yourself, "what if they give me a really hard time?", ask yourself, "what will I do if they give me a really hard time?"
* instead of asking yourself, "what if they prefer the competition to me?", ask yourself, "assuming they prefer the competition, what can I do to reposition us and change their perception?"

Used properly, fear allows you to be more prepared, better equipped and actually more confident than if your fear didn't cause you to completely rehearse your next call.

One of my one-liners that I've been sharing with salespeople for more than twenty years is this: Be eternally optimistic about your outcomes, but pessimistic about what will happen along the way. In other words, know in your heart that you will succeed in the end, but be prepared for everything that can and will go wrong along the way!

Related Articles
  On the Cutting Edge of Time - Part 1
  Living on The Edge of Chaos...
  The two things that kill marketing creativity
  New School Year: Lessons from a Middle Schooler
  Face Your Fears and Live Your Dream Life

Article Tags: 35 years, anxiety, cause stress, happy medium, hard time, salespeople, speaking engagements, tens of thousands, trembling hands, voices



Related Forum Posts
Re: 21 Ways To Get New Customers In A Slow Economy - Thanks Evan, Your ideas are full of wisdom required for a time like this. I`ll like to add another idea to your list : Update your Knowledge and Sharpen your Skill on a daily basis. The economy may be considered slow,but customer awareness is on the increase,therefore,if the pocket (disposable income) of the proposed new customer is of any interest to you,then you must stay ahead by at least one step in your skill and knowledge. The 21 ways as listed by Evan is a sure way to increase in knowledge and sharpen you skill.
Re: Fear of Success - You don't need to fear success. We should embrace it. Fear is define by a man of God as False Evidence Appearing Real. the meaning is what we fear most does'nt come to pass
Other Great Books... - Feel The Fear And Do It AnyWay - Susan Jeffers How To Stop Worrying And Do It Anyway - Dale Carnegie ('What's the worst that could happen - the worst?' Then prepare yourself for that and reality is such a relief!).
Re: What I'm reading this weekend - Oct 8, 2010 - these are great! In particular, I liked "you’re already perfect" and "Smashing through the Black Wall of Fear." That's exciting that there is a new 4-hour book out. I really enjoyed "The 4 hour Workweek."
Re: Franchises in Texas... - [quote="RussellWebb":1kwhwvtt]Hi GT - I'm just fed up with the hand wringing fear-mongers. Yes, let's all do our share to reduce our impact on the global warming issues, yet at the same time we need to hear both sides of the story... then make educated decisions.[/quote:1kwhwvtt] Hi Russell, But don't you think society would fall apart without "fear" acting as a control? Fear is what keeps people in check (e.g. if you commit a crime you go to jail or even get shot by the authorities in some countries).


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Five Ways to Show Honest Appreciation

Fear Factors in Small Business: Sales & Marketing

African Technology Development

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.