Leigh Ashton 
Think back to the first time you drove a car. Were you amazing at driving it straight away…or did you have to try a few times before you managed to get the hang of even the basics?
Or what about the last time you took a class at the gym? Or learned a new hobby? Or even played a tricky game? Were you perfect at it right away, or did it take you a while to get it right?
You already know the answer: no one’s great at new things the first time around. And while you would never tell someone that they’re “just not good at driving a car” or “unable to play that game”, we often take that exact kind of black and white, all or nothing approach when it comes to sales.
Selling is a skill. And like any skill, it takes practice!
I’ve said this to so many small business owners over the years. While many of them come to me with the idea that they’re “unable to sell”, period, the truth is that while they might not be making great sales just yet, the only thing that’s different between them and other small business owners is that they haven’t practiced selling as much.
This is one reason that I talk so much about making sales a habit
Not only because it’s a good strategy for increasing your sales — after, all, consistency is key to keeping your sales pipeline flowing — but because you’ll get better at anything if you do it often enough!
Learning to improve your sales is a process of trial and error. But many people are so afraid of failing that they never really give it their full effort. By avoiding selling or convincing themselves that they’re “not a salesperson”, they do avoid rejection … but they also never get any better.
Achieving your sales goals takes courage and consistency
The truth is, you’re not going to make every sale. It takes courage to step outside of your comfort zone, take the occasional loss, learn from it, and then put yourself out there again. But what many people don’t realise is that the more you do this, the more you discover that (1) rejections can be just as valuable as successes if you know how to use them, (2) they stop being scary after a bit, and (3) the more you show up, the more you sell.
So if you’ve been putting off selling regularly, consider this your official invitation to step out of the comfort zone and into the learning zone and practice, practice, practice!
And remember, while you do have to get out there, you don’t have to go it alone. You have a whole community of small business owners just like you waiting to cheer you on — so make sure you join the Sasudi community or our Facebook group so we can support you!
Until next time,
Leigh xx
