Banish Approach Anxiety and Make the Sale!

Here is an article I read this morning on Keith Ferrazzi's Blog
Posted on January 12th, 2010 by Sara Grace
The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you be somebody else. - e. e. cummings.

I don’t care how good you are: If you’re in sales, you struggle with approach anxiety. There's been a time where you've psyched yourself out of a successful meeting because of self-doubt.

And we’re all in sales, whether you’re selling paperclips, companies, or ideas. Are you dating? You’re in sales too!
Here’s a five minute mental routine that you can use before calls, meetings, networking events, and presentations to calm your anxiety, get yourself grounded and ready to be your best self.

1. Create an authentic environment around you. How? Take a deep breath. Relax. Prepare to let the other person see who you are and what you have to offer—your concern, your interest, your passion, your intelligence, your skill. Listen to that authentic inner voice. Meditate for several minutes or just take a few deep breaths.

2. Suspend your prejudice. This is a mindset shift. Prepare to walk into every situation with as few assumptions as possible. Look for ways to express your interest in and concern for the other person. It means opening your mind to the possibility that the person or people you’re meeting are individuals you could care about.

3. Project the positive. Once you’ve found your inner voice and know you’re speaking authentically, from there it’s a simple step to projecting positive feelings onto other people—the kinds of feelings that will help to bridge the gap between you and establish a welcoming, safe environment for the other person. Expect the best!

Take five minutes to walk through these three steps before your meeting or event. Bring a cheat sheet if it helps!