Are You Trying Too Hard for Your Own Good in Sales?

TL;DR

Being overly attached to one sales outcome can weaken your performance, drain your energy, and stop you from pursuing new business. Coach Don Ferry recommends three responses: exercise, make calls to find new opportunities, and repeat, “I’m open but unattached.” He illustrates the problem with a coaching client fixated on a $20 million negotiation. Read on for practical ways to stay productive while deals remain uncertain.

Transcript

hey it's coach Don Ferry Welcome To Life by design your place online for ideas inspiration and you know what how to stay in action when you're overly attached have you ever been there before have you ever been in that situation where you really wanted something you really needed a deal you were waiting for a client to respond waiting for someone to... Read More

Key Insights

• Being overly attached to a deal or client can negatively impact sales performance and personal wellbeing, leading to stress and decreased productivity.
• Exercise can help break the cycle of attachment by diverting attention and energy away from the fixation on a particular outcome.
• Continuing to seek new business opportunities is crucial when overly attached to a single deal, as it broadens potential avenues for success.
• Repeating affirmations like 'I'm open but unattached' can help maintain a healthy perspective and prevent over-investment in one outcome.
• Being overly focused on one transaction can drain energy, affecting performance in both professional and personal life.
• Recognizing that not all deals will succeed can help manage expectations and reduce the impact of disappointments.
• Regularly engaging in new business activities can create more opportunities, reducing the pressure on any single deal.
• Maintaining a balance between strategy and passion is essential for sustained success in sales and personal fulfillment.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can you stop being overly attached to a sales deal?

Get your body moving, call prospects to find new business, and remind yourself, “I’m open but unattached.” These three actions redirect your attention from one uncertain transaction toward productive activity and additional opportunities.

Q: Why does attachment to one transaction hurt sales performance?

Putting all your energy and intensity into one deal can make you lose your power and stop seeking other clients, leads, and opportunities. Waiting for a response while repeatedly checking email and texts also keeps you fixated instead of taking productive action.

Q: What three strategies does Coach Don Ferry recommend?

First, go for a run or do another form of exercise. Second, get on the phone and find new business; third, repeatedly say, “I’m open but unattached.”

Q: How does exercise help when you are waiting on a client?

Physical activity engages the body-mind connection and takes your attention off the pending outcome. Coach Don Ferry recommends leaving the office and doing something physically productive instead of checking email and text messages every three or four seconds.

Q: Why should you pursue new business while an important deal is pending?

More calls can produce more leads, opportunities, and deals, so all your energy is not concentrated on one transaction. Continuing to prospect also keeps you in action when the original deal is uncertain.

Q: What does “I’m open but unattached” mean in sales?

It means wanting the business while refusing to give that one outcome all your energy. The affirmation reinforces openness to winning the deal without becoming consumed by it.

Q: What does the $20 million negotiation example demonstrate?

A coaching client had both the buyer and seller in a $20 million negotiation and viewed it as the deal that could make her year and pay off debts. Her attachment caused her to focus all her energy on that transaction, so Coach Don Ferry helped her reserve time for new phone calls.

Q: What should salespeople remember when deals are uncertain?

Deals can fall apart, and some outcomes will not go your way. The lesson is to avoid excessive attachment, keep bringing in new business, and maintain both strategy and passion.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Coach Tom Ferry discusses the pitfalls of being overly attached to sales outcomes, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a balanced approach. He offers practical strategies to manage attachment and improve performance.

• Ferry suggests exercise, pursuing new business, and using affirmations to mitigate the negative effects of attachment. These methods help keep focus broad and prevent over-investment in a single outcome.

• The discussion highlights the importance of recognizing that not all deals will succeed, encouraging a mindset that values resilience and continuous effort in seeking new opportunities.