Strategies and Tactics are important – very important, especially in this economy. But even today, they take a back seat to your ability to find a way to get the job done. Whether that job is making appointments, uncovering compelling reasons to buy, getting opportunities qualified, making compelling presentations, dealing with objections or closing, you must find a way to master that part of the sales process.

Many salespeople do only what they are comfortable doing.

Others do only what they feel they can do perfectly.

Others do only the things they believe make them seem credible.

Others, despite their discomfort, push through and do their very best at every facet of the sales process, knowing that when they do they will succeed more often than they fail.

When you don’t get an appointment, how often is it because you don’t get their attention, fail to engage them, don’t uncover an issue they want help with or you take a stall or put-off?

When you don’t close the business, how often is it because you simply accept their stall or put-off?

When you don’t close, how often is the prospect completely qualified?

This small selection of options that salespeople overlook are all tactical, but they skip these tactics due to fear, discomfort, rushing or ignorance.

If you tend to skip over certain parts of the selling process, what can you do to overcome that?

You can act…you can star in your own show where you get to play the lead – a superstar salesperson who has the confidence to do everything that you don’t want to do.

Start rehearsing for that part today. If you accept the role, even rejection is limited to the character you are playing.  if you accept the part, you must play it the way it was written and the way I’m directing it. And if you play the part, you must learn all of your lines. (Review Baseline Selling for the lines)

What happens if you don’t accept the part? What does that say about your commitment in these difficult times? If you don’t complete the most uncomfortable selling tasks and you won’t do them as the actor playing a successful salesperson, then perhaps there is a more serious problem.

Can you think of any other profession where you can choose to skip important steps, do only what’s comfortable and not stay until the job at hand is completed?

An architect that only draws homes and buildings but doesn’t pay attention to the technical requirements? A doctor who sees patients but doesn’t like the diagnostic part?  A landscaper who mows lawns but won’t edge the beds? An attorney who litigates but won’t read or write the motions?

As you can see from other professions, doing the job half-way is not only unacceptable, it would get you fired or your license would be revoked. If you are guilty of doing only part of what is required to sell effectively, get over it, recognize the harm you cause to your company, your income, even your prospects and customers, and pledge to do it all, the right way. Cover everything, do it well, and hang in until you achieve an acceptable outcome. It’s just too bad if you aren’t comfortable. You don’t walk into a profession on your terms, you accept the terms of the profession and live up to them.