What about the things you have learned in the last 5 years or the last 3 years? What about the skills you have now that 12 months ago you didn’t own?

Perhaps you have additional qualifications under your belt or achievements in your fitness levels, your hobbies or your business that took some practice and effort and discipline to learn, develop and master.

I know that you know you have the capacity to learn something new.  I also know that you have an incredibly high level of passion and a bigger vision for your life (otherwise you wouldn’t be amongst the bold 0.3% of people that leave their corporate jobs to become entrepreneurs).

Well, I have some wonderful news for you.

SALES IS A LEARNED SKILL

Just like all the other skills you have learned in the past, you can learn, develop and master your sales skills.

Wherever you currently are in your sales ability, let me reassure you that as you learn the skills and develop your confidence through constant practice you will achieve success. 

THE 10,000 HOUR RULE

The argument in favour of innate talent and giftedness, in any arena has been undermined by research which holds Preparation and Practice up as the key distinctions that separates the elite performers from everyone else. 

Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Outliers asserts that researchers have settled on a magic number of hours that is the minimum critical level of practice towards achieving true expertise.  That is the 10,000 hour rule.

“The emerging picture…is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert – in anything” writes Neurologist Daniel Levitin.

My point is not to suggest that you want to become a world-class expert in sales and that you should commit to 10,000 hours practice in the art of selling (although, reassuringly for both my clients and myself since they have invested in me and I want to be of massive service and value to them I have calculated that I have spent over 20,000 hours practicing the art of selling and coaching and mentoring other sales professionals in the last 20 years!).

My point is simply that you don’t have to feel like you will always struggle in sales.  You don’t have to hold on to any limiting beliefs such as “I’m just not a natural sales person” or “I can’t sell, I’m no good at it”.

The more you practice, the easier it will become.  The better you will be at discovering your client’s needs and then elegantly meeting those needs to get your clients from a place of lacking and dissatisfaction to a place of purpose and satisfaction.

It is a fact of life that more sales equals increased income and more opportunities to expand your business; greater confidence and credibility as you become an expert in your field and more freedom to enjoy your life and do the things you love to do with the people you love.

It’s all in your hands.