What do you think about your prospects? How do you feel about them?

What do you think and feel about the ones who don’t buy?

Or that type of person (could be gender, age, location, job title, etc.) that you don’t generally have success selling to?

Have you made up your mind that ‘they never buy’?

On the other end of the spectrum, who is it that you have decided you can close most/all of the time?

What are your beliefs about people? About your prospects? About your product and who should buy it?

The Role of Negative Beliefs in Sales

Of course, I want you to focus on the positive thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. But right now, I think we need to discuss the negative, limiting beliefs that are getting in your way.

I have had many experiences with various teams across a wide range of products and industries. What I am always surprised by are the salespeople who – behind the scenes – have a negative view of their prospects. Could be an individual prospect they are currently speaking with or one they just dealt with. Or could be in general.

I remember seeing this in my first sales role. Other mortgage loan officers would say things about their prospective borrowers or clients that shocked me. My internal reaction verged on ‘you really don’t like people, do you.’

Each time I have encountered this, where a salesperson has one way they act and speak with their prospects and client and have different verbal thoughts about them afterwards, it shocks me.

Whenever I ask their manager about it, the response is generally the same. They do well enough, so we just deal with their attitude.

Or the manager also has those thoughts, feelings, and vocabulary – so they don’t think it’s a problem.

In fact, they assume that that is what you are supposed to do. You are supposed to be hardened and negative about the people who don’t buy from you.

Because, of course, it can’t be your fault they didn’t buy, right?

The Real Reason for Lost Sales

Well, I propose that it is your fault they didn’t buy. Let’s talk through this.

If I make up my mind that you aren’t the ‘type of person’ that usually buys, what effort will I put into the conversation? How will my presentation go? What will I do to overcome any objections or issues you throw at me?

My experience says you won’t try very hard. Your presentation won’t be the normal one. Your tone and effort won’t be the same as if you were hopeful and confident.

Subconscious Communication in Sales

Then there is the energy, subconscious side.

Have you ever spoken with someone who you could tell really didn’t want to talk to you? Maybe they were engaging, but their body language, eye contact, and general energy said otherwise?

So how do you think you present yourself when speaking to that prospect you have negative judgments about? What vibe do you give off? What is your subconscious telling their subconscious?

The Blink Effect

Malcolm Gladwell wrote a great book about this called Blink! Check it if you don’t believe me. In it, he says that us humans, as a survival mechanism over millennia, developed the instant instinct to determine friend or foe, benefit or danger. In the blink of an eye.

What do you think your prospects think you think about them?

If you aren’t closing as many sales as you want, what are your thoughts and beliefs about people in general and/or certain groups of your prospects?