Your Sales Mindset Needs An Overhaul – Here’s How To Start, with Bernadette McClelland, Episode #129

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Success and failure in sales are determined by many things, but most important on that long list is what I’d call your “sales mindset.” It’s how you think about yourself, your role as a sales professional, and the big reasons you’re in a sales career in the first place. To help us think through the obstacles to a healthy sales mindset that every salesperson faces, I’ve invited Bernadette McClelland to be my guest on this episode of #SellingWithSocial.

Bernadette is the Founder of 3 Red Folders, a sales training and consulting firm that helps clients understand the essentials of sales strategy, sales psychology, and sales science. This intersection of topics is not something you’ll hear talked about commonly but it’s extremely important to understand.

On this episode, Bernadette and I discuss how sales professionals can begin to unravel the mystery behind lagging sales performance by going inside themselves, where they’ll discover what makes them tick and find the tools to change their sales career for the better. Don’t miss it!

To Increase Your Sales Success You Must Be Open And Be Aware

When asked how salespeople can begin to give their sales mindset an overhaul, Bernadette says that it starts with two things: Openness and Awareness. Let’s take those one at a time.

First, you must be open to change and growth. She points out that many sales professionals are full of ego, ready to take on any challenge. That’s fine, except that they often think they don’t need to do anything more to increase their skills or abilities. She says those individuals cannot be helped because they’ve closed themselves off to growth. But those who are open to change and eager for growth can accomplish much more.

Next, you have to become aware that you carry the beliefs, conditioning, and limitations that your family and environment created in you as a child. Those are the things that stop you from achieving all you could and that prevent you from stepping into bigger deals. These are the things that limit your belief in yourself. Listen to hear how Bernadette unpacks this vital topic.

Understanding Your WHY Is Important But Not Without Knowing Your WHO

Most business people have read the book, “Start With Why” by Simon Senek. He brought a concept into the spotlight that I’ve been asking my sales team to consider for years. It’s the idea that WHY you do what you do is more important than HOW you do it – and that if your WHY is compelling enough, it will drive you to greater levels of success and accomplishment.

But Bernadette says that as right as Simon is, he’s missing a key component – another element that even informs that WHY. It’s WHO you are. She tells the story of how she used to be a smoker and that no amount of warnings on cigarette packages was enough motivation to make her stop smoking. But when she decided that SHE was not a smoker, that it wasn’t going to be a part of how she thought of HERSELF, everything changed. Listen to hear how she applies this story to the development of a positive sales mindset.

The Key Questions All Sales Leaders Need To Be Asking

Whether you lead a sales team or are an individual seller, Bernadette provides two simple questions and a follow-up exercise that will help you overcome blockages to achieve greater success in modern sales and a growth mindset. She poses the questions as if a leader of a sales team were asking them, so if you’re an individual salesperson, just modify the sentences to apply to you personally. Here they are…

1 – What are the behaviors you need to see that will give you confidence that your sales team will overachieve?

2 – What is the negative impact on your business if that doesn’t happen?

Bernadette’s follow-up exercise is for those who can’t clearly answer the question. She instructs you to pretend that you knew the answer. What would it look like? What would it feel like? You’ll soon discover you have the solutions to your own problems. Listen to learn more.

Sales Mindset Mistake: Not Knowing The Purpose And Outcome Sales Calls

Much of what goes into a successful sales mindset has to do with preparing yourself for the sales calls you have scheduled. And that preparation is about more than just knowing your product specs and discussing the client’s need within the scope of their buyer’s journey. To become a successful salesperson, you need to be clear on what both the purpose and the outcome of that sales call need to be.

Bernadette points out that purpose and outcome are not the same. “Purpose” speaks to the buyer’s needs and agenda, which could be nothing more than a fact-finding mission for them. But “outcome” is about your goals, what you need to get from the appointment – and it’s not always getting the sale. This is a great opportunity for sales leaders to teach reps how to accelerate their pipeline.

Listen to hear how Bernadette breaks it down and you’ll understand why she’s an in-demand sales speaker across the world! Join us for this episode of Selling With Social.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:49] Introducing Bernadette McClelland, sales influencer from the land down under
• [9:16] What does psychology have to do with sales?
• [14:51] When a business (or individual) is not making its numbers, what’s wrong?
• [19:55] Understanding your WHY is important, but not without knowing your WHO
• [22:11] One of the key questions Bernadette asks sales leaders
• [26:06] Common errors salespeople make that prevent them from succeeding
• [31:27] Talking about the elephant in the room and helping buyers help you
• [37:01] Sabotaging behaviors that often happen among sales teams

Resources Mentioned

• 3 Red Folders – Bernadette’s company
• Bernadette’s book: The Art of Commercial Conversations (Bernadette’s affiliate link)
• Bernadette on LinkedIn
• Bernadette on Twitter: @B_McClelland
• Bernadette’s favorite movie: The Way
• Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Bernadette’s hero)
• Spin Selling Method
• Challenger Selling Method
• Gartner
• CSO Insights
• Forrester
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Tony Robbins 6 Core Needs
• Modern Marketing Engine Podcast – Bernie Borges

Connect with Mario!

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