08 Jan 119 – Fear, Vulnerability, and Failure: Why it is an Option | Corn George
Corn George (@Texsplain) is a Security Solutions Consultant for Rook Security—a firm focused on the design, implementation, and maintenance of corporate data security. Before his role in cybersecurity, Corn worked in the financial industry and even did a brief stint as a professional MMA fighter.
As an MMA fighter, he learned many valuable lessons that have directly translated to his sales career today. One of these lessons was the importance of knowing himself—his values, his strengths, his weaknesses, and his fears.
Corn believes those who claim to be “enlightened” and “fearless” are deceiving themselves. There’s always more to learn if you’re willing to dig deep. Listen in learn how he’s used the insights he’s uncovered to propel his sales career forward.
Takeaways
- Differentiation is Key: Most of us want to believe we’re not selling a commodity, but having been on the buyer’s side of the table for several SaaS platforms lately, I assure you, each demo starts to blur together because the features are all so similar. Figure out how you can differentiate yourself from your competitors not only in what you sell but how you sell. Unless you’re the founder of the company, I know you don’t have control over the product itself, but tailoring your pitch to only the things your prospects care about is one easy thing that will help you stand out above the rest.
- Harness Your Fear: Fear comes from not knowing what’s on the other side of a situation. But the last thing I want for you is to be afraid and not even know why. Think about all the situations that have, or continue to, limit you on a daily basis. What is it that you’re actually afraid of? Write it down. Then, think through the different ways you can mitigate that outcome. What can you do to remove those vulnerabilities by preparing for each obstacle?
- Tell Your Prospects What You’re Doing: People don’t want to be manipulated or even feel like they may be. In sales, it’s very easy to be perceived this way. Corn called it social engineering, but it’s all the same. Let your prospects know you’ve done your homework and will be using the information you’ve found about them to add value to the sales process. With all the privacy headlines in the news right now, being forthright about what you know can actually relieve potential anxiety that you just consider par for the course.
Book Recommendation
- You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney