This from a recent email. Check out the question and my response to a great question.

Q) What do you think is more important in Sales ...

Mindset or Sales Skills?

A) That's a great question. Both mind set and sales skills are important however I would go with giving the edge to sales skills.

Think about this:

No product (no matter what the guru's tell you) will sell itself. Some very interested and excited people will buy your product regardless. Some won't. I have heard a lot of sales people say "ignorance on fire" is the best thing for new sales people. The reality is that in time the fire will burn out and without proper skills well.....you'll just be ignorant and no amount of positive thinking or self affirmations will help you. This will allow you to get that middle group that is on the fence about your product or service.

I'm not sure what industry you're in or how successful you are but a very basic rule that you should follow is this:

If you can't explain your product or service in about 3 sentences or less you've just shot yourself in the foot.

From using easy language you can always add on other techniques or tricks that might help you win the deal. It's just like going to a golfing range and practicing a correct swing (as opposed to practicing an incorrect swing).

I have found that skills (like the above principle) can help build my mindset through small victories. As I win over more of that middle crowd who isn't eagerly for or against my product I can continue to gain more confidence.

If I do a poor job in building strong skills then the opposite will occur. I will have less confidence in myself and my ability to have success. And before you know it I'll want to go do something else saying "man this stuff sucks."

Another way to think of it. Your success is like building a house. If I wanted to make sure that my house wasn't going anywhere I would want my skills to be the foundation and my mindset to be the house. When trouble comes I can always rely on my skills but there is a chance I might have to repair my mind set.

It takes a very long time for anyone to reach a point where their self worth isn't in what they do. I am fortunate that I know who I am and what I can do. If I fail I know I have what it takes to get back up and make big things happen. Some people never reach that point. That's why it's extra important to get the skills up as quickly as possible so that your mind may not wander too far and you'll see enough results quickly to figure out if this industry is for you.

To Your Success