SELLINGSKILLS * How could I approach or handle differently? * Am I approaching everything from the buyer's point of view - or can they smell "commission breath" a mile away? * Here's the key: With a closed mind, you keep making decisions based on facts you already have, while being more curious helps you gain more facts. Gaining more facts leads to more information, better decisions and ultimately different actions. YES! * Know how to sell value. Understand the challenges your customer base faces. Ask questions designed to get them talking about their issues and how it affects their productivity, expenses and revenue. Understanding their "burr under the saddle" helps you accurately position your products and services as the solution. * Visit greener pastures. Spend time where you are appreciated to build up your confidence. Ask your appreciative customers why they do business with you. Their answers may be music to your ears. Continue to be curious about what caused your setback as you go about building your confidence. If you have ever been in sales, you have been challenged by adversity. Some handle it better than others. One thing I have learned is it's how you react to something that can determine your fate more strongly than the event itself. Being curious about facilitating a better outcome is a pathway to being resilient. Comparing this skill to all of the skills needed to be successful in direct sales, resilience and the ability to turn negativity around falls into the "must have" column! ■ Kate Tunison is the founder and president of PresentingPlus! Email Kate at info@presentingplus.com. Visit us online at www.spbt.org FOCUS | WINTER 2014 | www.spbt.org 43http://www.spbt.org http://www.spbt.org