Wall your self-image up when you are in a selling role. Hide it away from the rejection and lock it up so prospects can’t get their claws into it. Your feelings of self worth and self-image need to be locked in your own internal castle. You have the keys and no one is allowed in without your permission. If you let your prospects breach your walls you will begin feeling bad about yourself, it will affect your performance, and ultimately you will fail because you won’t have internal justification to do your job.

This might seem a little over dramatic but the truth is, it usually is the most important concept in sales. People who take the rejection and negative reactions of prospects personally are the worst sales people. Their primary motivation becomes feeling “OK” about themselves, not selling their product or service. They can be taught every skill and technique in sales but will still fail because they are afraid to use what they have learned. Selling takes a bit of pig-headedness and a lot of self-assurance. If you don’t have the ability to be comfortable with yourself against great objections you will be torn down by the onslaught.

Be a fortress unto yourself. Whether a client or prospect loves you or hates you, it doesn’t change who you are or your value as a person. Be sure to self-affirm on a regular basis. In sales, people will tear at your walls, so be sure to maintain them. Even if you think you are totally self-assured, check that feeling. All of us, from time to time, succumb to the stereotypes and negativity often thrown at sales people. To successfully battle the problem you have to be aware of it. Know the vulnerabilities in your defense and be prepared to deal with them. Most importantly, make time to improve your mental health. You have found one of the few professions where others feel it is okay to tear you down, so you need to be prepared to build yourself up.

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