B2B Sales Management: Are you in $ales? Please c’mon in. Make yourself uncomfortable.

Untold reality.

This should be the greeting to welcome any person embracing a career in sales.

Being in sales is all about getting uncomfortable. If you are not ready for that, think about doing something else. It will occur on so many occasions that it will become a daily routine: cold calling, negotiation, being the messenger of bad news, chasing (euphemism) people to finalize a deal, …

Please c’mon in. Make yourself uncomfortable.

In sales, only the result counts. Not the means. In sales, you can come up with excuses; nobody cares. “Did you or not achieve the given objective?” That is the question. 

“I sent an email, but he/she is not responding” or “I left a message” might be valid excuses for other functions or roles, but not in sales. Because what those excuses are implicitly saying is, “I have tried; therefore, I have done my job.”

In sales, you live by “if the door is closed, use the window” because you have to get in. Obviously, within the legal framework and ethical policy of your company, of course, as well as your personal boundaries. The latter is, with time and experience (good or bad),  “stretchable.” They will evolve and change along your career. This means one day, you might naturally and spontaneously do something you were scared to do before without thinking about it.

This is why salespeople come across as a different breed: they are people of action, doing what many are scared to do. One of which is making phone calls to face potential rejection. If you pay attention, you will be amazed at how people are scared of talking to the customer and how they will try their best to avoid a situation where they might feel rejected. 

Standing out by being “People of action”

“People of action” does not mean you should not think ahead. It is important to have a plan. Hopefully a good one. The only way to know is actually to implement it. If you don’t, nothing will happen because nobody else will implement it for you. Being in sales is being, at the same time, a front liner and the last line of defense.    

And yes, it can be uncomfortable sometimes. It will, for sure. Same as for public speaking. It might be easier for some than others, based on your personality, education, experience, and so many other parameters. But anyone can cope with it. The more you find yourself in such a situation, the more it becomes your routine, and the more you will get used to it. Your boundaries will stretch. It will become a second nature. But you have to accept to feel uncomfortable. It might come with a certain level of stress. And you will have to learn how to cope or manage it.

Acknowledging this reality - finding yourself in an uncomfortable situation -  being fully aware of it is critical in preparing yourself for the coming experience. Same with losing. No one has a 100% hit ratio. You might end up losing more deals than you will win (that is what a pipeline is made for). It will happen. It is part of the job. Especially if you are a pure “hunter,” chasing only new logos. But no one is telling you about it.

Knowing that sales being uncomfortable is part of the process does not make it more pleasant or easier. It just helps you realize that it is normal. As a salesperson, you will be asked to do what nobody else wants to do. Either because you think it is the best way to achieve your objective or you are being told to. When nobody wants to do something (whatever it is), it usually lands on your lap. Why? Because you, as a salesperson, have an obligation of results. Because you, as a salesperson, are in charge of the account. And also because most of the people in your company think that their KPI is also yours. It is far from being a reality. But remember, since those people are also your “internal” customers, you will try your best to help them. 

There is a lot of material available about the “comfort zone.” Your comfort zone depends on different factors: your personality, background, education, experience, and everything that contributes to making, shaping, and defining who you are at a specific point in time. It evolves with time.

Where your comfort zone ends, your uncomfortable zone starts. The latter can be divided into two zones: 

●     The panic or stress zone: This is a red alert! You are out of your depth. Whatever your mission is, you feel this is out of your reach. Fear, anxiety, and stress are the usual inhabitants of this zone.

●     The “stretch” or growth zone is when you are out of your comfort zone but not yet in the panic one. This is where you feel excited, challenged, and exhilarated because it is within your reach. And you know that if you succeed, it would mean that you pushed some of your boundaries.

At the beginning of your career, you might find yourself in the panic zone more often than you ever wished for. Because this is new. When it happens, keep calm and relax. Breathe. We all have been there.

It is not always easy to find the right support to talk about it and share your doubts or feelings. Professional athletes usually have people they can talk to in their entourage: a coach or mentor. In sales, that’s rare. Despite being part of a “team,” you will end up very often on your own. Especially when the situation goes south. Except if you have a great manager.

To be clear, being vulnerable in the above situation is not being weak. It is being human. A lot of stereotypes about successful people (including in sales) that we have been and are fed with through different media (TV, movies, …) - most of them coming from the US - are about undoubtful people, strong, fearless, without any weakness.

This is not the reality; it is only one side of the story. It does not exist. And once again, professional athletes are the best example. Behind every professional athlete, there is an army of people supporting them in different manners, including moral support when needed. It is not because you don’t see them that they are not here.

To summarize, feeling uncomfortable in sales is, if not “normal,” part of the process. Of course, it is never written in the job description; we don’t want to scare people out. But it will be part of your professional experience. And to be honest, if it was not or you had no opportunities to be challenged, feel the thrill of going beyond your personal limits; therefore, to grow personally, the job would be boring. It will be time to spice things up by doing something else.

The more experience you have, the more deals you will work on (win and lose), the more you will expand your comfort zone. By doing so, you will push back the beginning of your stretch zone. Your panic zone will always be there. Only the limits - beginning and end - will change. And as you do, you will grow personally, realizing how you are developing yourself. This is one of the beauties of being in sales. It is a personal journey.