No tricks - just YOU.

Today I did what I never thought possible: kept cool from the outside when I was pretty much having a heart attack on the inside. 

When I was a kid I reacted with attacking everything I didn't agree with or if something went wrong. Stress control or anger management was unknown in my World. I was also rather shy who tried to look cool at the same time - badbadbad combo. Kids, do not try this at home! 
Somehow I haven't developed much self-confidence and felt uncomfortable when I had to speak front of others who I didn't know. I just had this blank nothing taking over my brain and I could only smile, say "don't know", or said something un-cool to ease the situation ( never worked of course). This never really worked.

I started my role with Top Snap over a year ago. Before I started I refreshed my sales knowledge with the National Sales Academy ( um. Ok, so I always worked in sales but has never been shown techniques to actually make it effective and successful, I was rather just hoping that my smile will help.) I can't stress it enough how much these trainings help! And just because you've been working in sales since Ice Age it doesn't mean that you can't learn anything new, in fact you are probably in the biggest need to do one. Why? Because we are lazy humans and once we settle in, get comfortable, it's all too easy to just do it the way we know it. NEWSFLASH! The only permanent thing in life is change. This is one sentence I've heard over and over again in my last sales role. And oh were those managers right? No doubt.

Today I had to do a sales presentation front of 5 senior real estate agents. May I please just repeat myself? REAL ESTATE AGENTS! Seniors. I was as excited as nervous. Weird feeling. As I entered the meeting room my excitement took over more and the chat just started flowing naturally while I was able to control the conversation, ask questions, build rapport... They were specifically interested in one of our products and I made sure I have some great examples selected and ready to showcase at the right time. Only problem was; I could not see the folder anywhere on the desktop of my laptop. Now this is the point where a few years ago I would go white and faint, forget how to speak English or something like that.
I don't know if it was the team's welcoming attitude or my confidence in my product I was presenting about but there were no signs of the above at all. I just made sure I carry the conversation and talk about all and everything so they do not notice me stressing a bit. 
The meeting couldn't have been better. I've never left a meeting so pumped and positive and feeling sure about their satisfaction too. This is the point where you wanna get to as a sales person. For some it comes naturally (I have a few friends who are just rocking it without failure ever since they've started) but for the rest of us; we just need to make sure we know what we are doing and one other super-important point: MAKE THE PRESENTATION YOURS. Be you. Not just a person who's reading the slides or who says the exact same things each and every meeting. Be open, be interested, be relaxed. You'll connect with your audience much quicker if you accept who you are and not playing an act - the person who knows his/her product in and out but never seem interested in what the prospective client wants to really know will never close as many times as you will! ;)

Happy Hump Day!