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prospect the salesperson must overcome the fear of objection. Fearful salespeople perceive questions about their product/service as a warning of impending failure; they give-up at the first sign of what they perceive as buyer resistance. They begin to seek excuses instead of solutions, the true indicator of an imminent disaster.

Fear of Rejection- The salesperson has made contact and responded to the prospect's questions. They've done what they believe is their best, but still hear the words "No thanks." Even though sales surveys reflect the reality that salespeople will endure a high ratio of no-to-yes, regardless of their sales skills, fears of rejection remain at epidemic levels for less-successful salespeople. Fear of rejection breeds more self-doubt. Expecting the worst, the salesperson loses the perseverance and energy necessary to maintain effective efforts. A self-fulfilling fear, the fear of rejection becomes more than an expectation-it becomes a reality.

Fear of Defection- Unless you just opened your business, the best source of new business is from existing clients. So why would a salesperson be afraid to contact previous buyers? It's the final fear-fear of defection. Defection fears create more excuses "I don't want to bother them." "They complained about the product after the sale." "They're not interested in doing business with us again." Paradoxically, the fear of contacting existing clients leads to one of the main reasons clients defect-the failure to follow-up-fulfilling the nightmare of defection fears.

Make FEAR Work for You- How can a fearful salesperson conquer fail-to-sell fears? The answer is found in harnessing the motivational power of fear to move forward instead of in retreat-the choice of fight instead of flight. In a world turned upside down by a long and severe economic depression and the very real threat of World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt reminded US citizens, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." The same unreasoning fear Roosevelt referred to is the same fear salespeople face everyday.

Irrational fears are a choice-in most instances people choose to be afraid and act afraid.
The same counsel Roosevelt offered a troubled nation applies to making FEAR work for you as a salesperson and in your everyday life:

Facts;
Enthusiasm;
Attitude ; &
Repetition.

Facts- Facts are the first defense in combating fear. The

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