How practicing visualization can boost sales performance
Right now I’m reading a book called Pyscho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a great read about the power of self-belief and visualization and how changing your self-perception can have a tangible effect on your performance. At first sight, it sounded like just another “believe it to achieve it” self-help b***s*** bible. But, it’s not. It’s much more an investigative look how people have the influence to steer their own life into whatever direction they desire, consciously or subconsciously with action-steps to incorporate into your daily work routine. I highly recommend it for any one wanting to optimize their performance in sales.
One part related to Sales Performance stood out to me that lead me to write this blog post:
Charles B. Rother, author of Secrets of Closing Sales, recounted in one of his books how a group of salesmen in Detroit who tried a new idea increased their sales 100%. Another group in New York increased their sales by 150%. And individual salesmen, using the same idea, have increased their sales up to 500%.
And what is this magic that accomplishes so much for salesmen?
It is something called role-playing, and you should know about it, because if you will let it, it may help you to double your sales.
What is role-playing?
Well it is simply imagining yourself in various sales situations, then solving them in your mind, until you know what to say and what to do whatever the situations come up in real life.
It is what is called on the football field “skull practice.”
The reason why it accomplishes so much is that selling is simply a matter of situations.
One is created every time you talk to a customer. He says some-thing or asks a question or raises an objection. If you always know how to counter what he says or answer his question or handle the objection, you make sales.
A role-playing salesman, at night when he is alone, will create these situations. He will imagine the prospect throwing th ewidest kind of curves at him. Then he will work out the best answer to them….
No matter what the situation is, you can prepare for it beforehand by means of imagining yourselfand your prospect face-to-face while he is raising objections and creating problems and you are handling them properly.
He goes on to argue that daily visualization of successfully preventing and handling objections, as well as closing deals, can effectively increase your sales performance. The same goes for other competitive areas: chess, basketball, swimming etc. Studies show that visualization of successful outcomes, provided that it is detailed and with an eye for what the desired outcome is, can be just as effective as practicing the craft itself.
In a study conducted by the University of Chicago, researchers found that visualizing success can lead to improved sales outcomes. The study involved two groups of salespeople who were given identical sales scripts to use during a cold-calling session. One group was instructed to visualize themselves successfully closing the deal before making the call, while the other group was not given any visualization instructions. The results showed that the group who visualized success had significantly higher sales outcomes compared to the group who did not visualize.
By visualizing success, salespeople can boost their confidence, reduce anxiety, and improve their overall performance. With this in mind, what stops you from building visualization into your daily work routine?