All too often salespeople get jammed up on a live sales call because they are trying too hard or they are following some kind of predetermined script.  Practice in low risk situations and practice often. Then, when you get to the live meeting, just let it happen.  Trust your gut! Get out of your own way!  Stop thinking and start listening.  If you are worrying about what kind of objections you’ll hear, you’re not actively listening to the person in front of you; you’re talking to yourself.

We all know we are supposed to listen to the prospect.  Yet, we often find ourselves listening so we will have an opportunity to offer our advice. Or maybe, we are listening only for a break so we can ask more poignant questions. Sometimes, we are listening to the sound of our own voice pontificate about something that is irrelevant to the moment in time.  

A few weeks ago, my daughters had some friends over hanging out in the basement. I was summoned by the self-proclaimed “King of Ping”. Devon was undefeated against his peers. He challenged me to a game, then another, then another, and another. I let him play for a while without using too many spins, back SLAPS, and SLAMS. I didn’t want to intimidate him, but more importantly, I wanted to learn his style, his weak points, and his strengths.

Like most winners, his attitude was strong!  He had some pretty good moves for an intermediate player.  I’m no pro by a long shot, but it is my table!  And I started playing in junior high school with a group of overly competitive friends.  I took him apart and set him up time and time again.  Not because I was so much better, but because I was playing to his weaknesses.  Of course, I had to be observant and patient.  I had to discover what his weaknesses were before I could exploit them.

After several games, he began to lose confidence, become emotionally involved, and lost stamina.  I asked for the next player.  Mike had never played the game before and I began to teach him. “Serve like this.”  “Hold your paddle this way.”  “Change the angle of your wrist.”  “Don’t hit it so hard.”  “Learn to control.”  And so on and so forth.  Mike is right-handed.  After 10 minutes of practice, he began to do a little better.  Then, I floored him with a change.  I asked him to switch hands. “Use your left hand.”  With a bit of hesitation, he switched.

What an awesome sight!  He began hitting the table more often.  His returns were stronger.  The serves were more on.  His instincts kicked in as opposed to thinking about what he had to do then sending the signals to his body and being late to the ball.  Mike was amazed, as were the other teenagers in the room. 

To prove this theory I did the same thing with three other kids.  We could argue over motor skills, natural left-handedness and all kinds of other things if you would like.  However, the point I’d like to make is that we need to stop thinking during our sales calls and simply react.  Trust yourself to do the right thing at the right moment and stop thinking so much. 

Do your thinking before and after the meeting.  Practice in your office, at home, in social situations.  Pro athletes don’t practice on the field during game time, why should you?