I Laugh in the Face of Danger!
- Brent Long
- Sep 18
- 2 min read
Like young Simba, only the young and naïve would ever make that comment and actually think it was true. When applied to Sales – a profession 100% of the people I have unscientifically surveyed over more than three decades say they never aspired to be part of – only the fake salespeople even think that. The real truth is that people who become really good at serving others overcome fears along the way; fears that previously cost them relationship-building opportunities that could have led to revenue and increase. These fears, when left unconfronted, derail many a career in the sales and service industry.
Why?
Because these fears are masked with false bravado that says… “I laugh in the face of danger!”
The truth is that there must be fear present in order for someone to be brave. There must be some level of fear present for someone to exhibit courage. Fears can spark all kinds of emotions and reactions, and in the world of “serving others” any hesitation can mean the difference between success or failure.
Michael was a very capable salesperson who feared people hanging up on him when he called. He would get upset before the call which would derail the actual call before he dialed. Fear. Anxiety. Frustration. All before the call… So…
I did not coach him to laugh in the face of his concern; rather, I coached him to consider how to address his concern before he dialed the phone and immediately upon someone saying… “Hello!” (And we practiced, which is another thing real servant-hearted people do… but, that’s a different article.)
Some form of the following was what he practiced, with me as his coach/leader, and with others on the team… “Hi, this is Michael… before you hang up can I ask you one question?”
He thrived afterwards! In fact, he got so good that he went back to his own business that he was in before joining this team and restarted his entrepreneurial pursuits of serving people in a long-held, family-oriented business. And he continues to thrive1
Did he laugh in the face of fear (danger)? Don’t be ridiculous (or fake!) He confronted his anxiety through practice in a safe environment. The fear (danger) did not disappear; he just had the courage to confront it prior to the call and during the call.
What about you? What are those anxieties that cause you to hesitate in Sales? What are you doing to practice overcoming those? What happens to your revenue goals if you don’t?
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