It can be easy to think physics has nothing to do with the sales profession, but the three rules of physics show why we might be struggling with our effectiveness. Friction: The resistance in your sales process
In physics, friction is a force that resists motion. In sales, that includes any part of the sales process where we struggle or encounter obstacles. Getting started with a presentation, presenting our company and offerings, and closing the sale require different aspects of sales competence. Wherever things slow down or get uncomfortable is where the friction is, and we can’t ignore it. Highly effective salespeople — those with the best closing rates — experience the least friction because they’ve refined their process. Your sales process, acknowledged or not, consists of preparation, prospecting, approach, presentation, overcoming objections, closing the sale and follow-up.
Your sales process is perfectly designed to produce exactly what it is delivering. So, if you are aspiring to get better, identify the friction.
Inertia: Why change feels so hard
Suppose we don’t identify and lessen friction. We continue to use the same ineffective techniques, making it harder and harder to change because inertia sets in. Inertia, Newton’s First Law of Motion, tells us that objects at rest tend to stay at rest. So, an unproductive sales effort, left unchanged, suffers from inertia. It’s why habits are hard to break and require such focused and extended effort to make a change.
Entropy: The cost of neglect
Besides producing adverse outcomes, unaddressed friction coupled with inertia also creates an environment for entropy, the Second Law of Thermodynamics that says systems left alone tend toward disorder. The same is true of your sales efforts. Think about what happens when you don’t balance the cash drawer, have the showroom cleaned on a regular basis, take regular inventory, check the water quality of your spa or organize and clean out your service vehicle — you get the idea. Left unchecked, things don’t stay neutral; they decline, and we find ourselves stuck in a repetitive sales doom loop.
The way out: Three keys to sales success
To counter these principles holding us back, there are three steps to take.
- Raise your standards. Identifying where friction occurs requires self-reflection, honesty and a commitment to improvement. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Identifying and working on the weakness — the friction — of your sales process brings us to our second step.
- Eliminate self-limiting beliefs. Sometimes our efforts are thwarted before we even get started because of our mindset. Having an “us vs. them” sales attitude or even believing you are a “salesperson” instead of a “person” practicing sales reinforces resistance and creates conflict versus connection. Thinking that things can’t change or you cannot improve are self-fulfilling prophecies. But vigilance and effort activate the flip side of the principle of inertia: An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Consistently working and refining our craft generates momentum and an awareness of the effort required to remain relevant and effective.
- Develop a better strategy. Build a plan rooted in honest reflection, continuous motion and commitment to improvement through lifelong learning to combat entropy.
What we focus on expands. Our attention to friction, putting in the work to avoid inertia and a strategy of consistently improving to preempt entropy ensures the principles of physics work in our favor.
We can’t do it in a day, but we can do it daily.