Are you a good salesperson?

This article was taken from the April Self Discovery newsletter. Find out more at http://www.selfdiscoverycoaching.co.uk/.

As a coach, one thing that I learnt very quickly is that I need to be a business person as well as a coach.  This meant learning about running and building a business, and my research into this subject prompted me to write a book about my experiences based on spending time with the experts.  One of the things that you need to do as a business person is to be great at sales, but to be honest, it's never been something that comes naturally to me!   

But one of my mentors said to me recently is that I am doing a disservice to my clients if I don't ask people for business.  How can I help clients if I don't do this?  How can I grow my business and help more people?  When I heard this sentence, the penny dropped and then I realised that it isn't just important to me. Did you know that being a great sales person equally applies to you and your career too? 

So what do I mean?  Well if you are already employed, you will constantly be growing your strengths, utilising your skills and seeking promotion if you want to get ahead at work.  And to do this, quite frankly, you need to be able to sell yourself too.  You will need to know what makes you tick, how you can stand out from the crowd and be better than other people in your field.   

If you are currently seeking for a job, I'm sure you already know how important it is to be good at selling yourself.  You'll be attending interviews, networking with others and going out of your way to find the right job for you. 

But what if you are not very good at sales? 

Many people will put themselves under stress or pressure when in a new situation like putting yourself forward for another job. You'll remember all the times in the past when you didn't get things right and won't feel comfortable going for that new job or promotion, but sometimes it takes that bit more courage and conviction to put yourself forward, so here are some tips for you: 

1. Don't concentrate on the negative situations from the past or the times when things haven't gone so well.  Although you can probably vividly remember all the times that people have criticised you, make a list (either mental or physical) of all the times where people have praised or complemented you. 

2. If you are not confident in selling your skills, start by taking it one step at a time.  Firstly write down your strengths, your skills and your capabilities and then find examples of how you have achieved each of these.  This will start to give you the confidence to take the next step. 

3. Just get on and do it. If you can, get yourself a coach who will champion you every step of the way.  Or alternatively find someone who will encourage and support you and bolster up your confidence when things don't go to plan.  Learn from rejection and build on the positive outcomes that take place too.