Mindfulness in sales: Is it possible?

(2 minutes read)

According to Wikipedia Mindfulness is:

“… the practice of purposely bringing one’s attention in the present moment without judgment, a skill one develops through meditation or other training” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness)

So, how to do it in sales and more importantly why to do it?

The answer to why is simple, for performance. How to do it part is a little more complex. Staying in the present moment for a salesperson is not a “woo-woo” thing. It is about eliminating other thoughts about the future and the past. And paradoxically, sales performance is one of the thoughts that are to be eliminated.

When we think about our sales performance, quotas, our commission, or what would happen if we lost this customer, we are thinking about the future. And it is about our pride.

On the other hand, when we think about our reputation in the market/company, a previous deal done with a similar customer, or how historically our company is successful, we are thinking about the past. And it is about our ego.

When you block those thoughts, what remains in your mind is the present. And in a customer meeting, will be all about the customer and his/her needs, motivation, and priorities. Hold it tight, focus and stay there. You will see that the right questions will come up naturally and the conversation will be much more meaningful both for you and for your customer. The customer will be at the center of the conversation, not your company or product. It will improve the quality of your relationship. It will also help you to dig into the real need of the customer.

For example, if a buyer just started in this position, his/her focus will be on not making any mistakes. If you learn about that fact and understand the priority (which would never be said explicitly), you can propose a trial period instead of a discount.

This is mindfulness in sales.

It is not easy to practice because it is counterintuitive and it is controversial to traditional sales training which focuses on sales techniques, closing techniques, etc.

This practice will not necessarily bring you the sales each time, but it will certainly make you a better salesperson.