Ferdinand M. Ibezim

One of the reasons many salespeople struggle with consistency is because they have never discovered their personal sales anchor.

Yesterday I spoke with a salesperson whose performance had dropped badly after previously being one of the high performers in his organisation.

During our discussion, he blamed the economy, competitors, management, pricing, and difficult customers.

Some of those issues were real; but when I asked him what his personal sales anchor was, he went blank and asked what I meant.

I explained to him that successful salespeople are usually driven by something far deeper than targets and commissions.

There is often a bigger personal reason, ambition, conviction, or sense of purpose behind their consistency and resilience.

That is why I usually begin my training sessions with the question:

“Why are you in sales?”

For some people, it is the desire to give their family a better life. For others, it is ambition, financial freedom, recognition, purpose, pride, or simply the determination never to go backwards in life again.

If you are salesperson reading this post, please know that motivation and hard work alone will NOT sustain you in difficult seasons.

I know it will not. I have been there.

There will be days when prospects reject you like bad news. Days when customers stop responding. Days when targets feel unrealistic and your boss frustrates you.

At such moments, product knowledge alone will not be enough. Sales scripts will not be enough either.

What will keep you going during difficult periods is usually something more personal and more emotional.

Your personal sales anchor is the reason you make one more call after a disappointing meeting.

It is the reason you continue prospecting when others have mentally given up.

It is the reason you stay disciplined even when nobody is supervising you.

Many people are in sales. But not everybody has discovered the deeper reason they must succeed.

And until you discover that reason, consistency in sales becomes difficult.

Have you discovered your personal sales anchor?

What is it? Please share.

Ferdinand M. Ibezim
Sales Excellence |Value Creation |Market Leadership.