ACCEPTING HELP… there is no Salesperson who does not need help at different stages in their career. We need help in improving our sales skills, we need help in improving our time management, we help in dealing with rejection, etc. etc. etc. As a wise man said to me one day… “Being comfortable asking for help is important but it’s more important to be comfortable accepting help when it is offered”. Not always easy to do. Sometimes when we are having trouble “keeping our heads above water” we foolishly resist the “life preserver” that is thrown our way.
Here is your ACTION STEP… some people are significantly more Coachable than others. My observation is that the higher your level of self-confidence, the more Coachable you are. Individuals who have low self-confidence are generally very resistant to outside advice. Defense mechanisms kick in. Here’s some ideas on ACCEPTING HELP:
1. Ignore the source… just because the source isn’t at the highest level of expertise, doesn’t mean the advice isn’t worthwhile. Be open-minded.
2. Work hard at keeping your EGO out of the way. The “don’t you know who I am?” mentality doesn’t work very well here.
3. Consider what is being offered and take this approach… rather than deciding why “that won’t work”… look for ways to “make it work”.
4. If the advice offered still makes you sceptical, ask questions to get some clarity… “How did you come up with that idea?”, “Have you seen this approach work elsewhere?”, “How would you suggest I implement this?”. There might be a diamond in there!
We have all seen situations where seemingly outlandish ideas and advice became highly successful endeavors (eg: Google and Facebook). If the advice that was offered along the way was totally ignored and the recipients were not Coachable, they would either never have happened or… someone else would have implemented the concepts by themselves. The most successful Salespeople are always looking for advice and new ideas. Be open to help wherever you go. There are some great ideas out there on how to close your next Sale. “Ask and you shall receive“. NO Excuses.