Did you know that there are over 13 million people in sales-related roles across the US?
The sales industry is undeniably a large and prominent feature across the US workforce. With everyone from high school students to millionaire CEOs involved in sales, it spans a huge breadth of society and drives our economy.
But, there's a difference between working in sales and thriving in this industry. Your talent as a salesperson will influence how well you do in your role and the progress you can make up the ladder, and that often starts with ditching your ego.
Find out why selling without ego is so vital and discover some super useful selling tips in this guide.
What Is Your Ego?
Your ego is the part of you that strives for self-importance.
It's the voice in your head that says I'm better than you, makes you feel special and worthy, and boosts your self-esteem. It's your own conscious perception of yourself, which isn't a bad thing but it can be if your perception is too grandly inflated.
You'll hear the word ego many times throughout life. But what about when it comes to selling? Why is it important, and why should you shake yours if you want to succeed?
Your Ego Can Kill Your Sales Skills
Your ego is entirely focused on you. But, sales isn't about you — it's about the person you're selling to.
If your ego is at the center of every sales conversation you have, it means that you're going to always try and pull the sale back to a place that's focused on you. You want to get the sale so that you feel good, and you get a pat on the back at the end of the day.
Your ego puts blinkers on your focus. You're thinking always about yourself, and anyone else who happens to cross your field of vision is an enemy or competitor.
There are, of course, a lot of problems with this. But there's one in particular when it comes to ego and sales, and that's that the person you're selling to has one too.
You Can't Leave Your Prospects Ego Unnoticed
Everything that applies to your ego applies to your sales prospect, too. They have an ego, just the same as you!
But if your own self-worth is taking center stage, you're going to—even if unknowingly—make your prospect feel less than you. You'll make them feel half as smart, half as worthy, and half as valued. When that happens, they'll stop listening and start trying to get rid of you.
You Need to Get Out of Your Own Way
If you're letting your ego drive you, it's going to get in the way of improving your sales performance. Any successful salesperson will tell you the same!
Leave your ego unchecked and you're not setting yourself up to win.
The great news is though that you can learn to let go of your ego. Every time you step into a sales meeting or make a call to a prospect, you can leave it at the door and focus on their ego instead, making a successful sale far more likely.
How to Sell Without Your Ego
If you're wondering how to sell better and rid yourself of your ego, there are plenty of tips out there to help. Here are some of our favorites that really work.
Stop Taking No Personally
If someone says no in a sales pitch, they're not saying no to you. They're saying no to the offer.
Don't be offended or start doubting your abilities, but own it and learn instead. Understand why they said no and how your pitch can be improved to get them to say yes, and never take it personally.
Comparison Is a Sales Killer
Your ego wants to be the best, so you're going to compare yourself to those around you. Everyone you come across is someone who you can beat, or who can beat you. If they beat you, your instinct will be to stop liking them and wish them to do worse than you and fail.
The problem with this is that you're going to put everyone off you in the meantime. While you think pushing others down is helping you up the ladder, it's actually holding you back.
Instead, be authentic. Admire those who are doing better than you and try to learn from them from afar. Congratulate accomplishments and support others, and you'll find yourself on a much quicker path to sales success.
Never Go on the Defensive
Getting defensive is easy to do when you're led by your ego. When your rehearsed pitch doesn't get a positive reaction, you might start to defend yourself. You feel an urge to protect your self-worth and competence.
But this is an absolute no-no.
As soon as you go on the defensive, your prospect is out of the door and in their car already. Instead, try to work out what went wrong and look at how you can switch it up next time. Listen to why the prospect isn't interested and understand them.
Let Go of Negativity by Letting Go of Your Ego
There are certain emotions that are driven by ego that could be holding you back. These include jealousy, anger, anxiety, and doubt, to name just a few. But there's an overriding theme to all of these that's weighing you down: negativity.
The ego and negative thinking go hand in hand. But sales is all about positivity and winning people over with your sunny thinking and fantastic ideas. You can see how the two will clash!
By leaving your ego at the door and following the tips above, you can let go of negativity and become a more positive person ready to learn and thrive.
