[Zach]

TIP #9

Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is the single most significant indicator of success in any salesperson. Picture every extremely successful salesperson you know; odds are they are confident and self-assured.

Self-esteem inversely impacts a rep's fear of failure; this prevents "call reluctance".

Self-esteem reduces the fear of rejection; this allows the confident salesperson to ask for the sale, stay strong in the face of a barrage of "NO's", and not be scared to deliver high rates when necessary.

I understand that this tip seems a bit "new-agey" or hokey... but I assure you it is grounded in proper psychology. Self esteem is the gateway to success for salespeople. It effects the their tone of voice, how professional they sound, and how secure they are with their product. It allows them to answer tough questions without hemming and hawing.

Here are a few things you can do to boost the self-esteem of your reps:

1. Buy company gym passes and encourage them to work out (in a legal, non-HR issue kind of way)
2. Require reps to dress in professional attire (ties rather than just collared shirts)
3. Have a sales library and allow reps to check out books
4. Have your reps write out daily affirmations and repeat them out loud once per day at a designated time (super cheesy, but works)
5. Have your reps speak at a louder volume
6. Set realistic daily/weekly goals with small rewards (whoever gets the most apps today gets a $50 gift card to starbucks)
7. Role play and rehearse sales pitches daily or weekly
8. Give them sales training CD's to listen to in their car
9. Have daily or weekly product training so they understand what they are selling

I'm not saying you have to go out and do all of these things... but everything you do that increases the self-esteem of your reps is going to result in a more effective, confident sales force. It will help them improve every area of their lives, which will have a compounding effect on their sales ability.