Your start in sales is not about you: Mr. Big is human, too.

• Author: Wiesner, Pat
• Position: Salespeople - Column

VISITING RECENTLY WITH SOME EXCITED, ENERGETIC new salespeople recently made me think of my own shaky start into what has become a wonderful career for me.

Almost everyone in selling who is good at it will admit to butterflies (maybe even eagles) at the prospect of making an important presentation to an important person. Or worse, a group of important people. It happens to all of us.

The difference is that the winner gets the presentation done no matter what, and the "not-so winner" writes a letter instead.

Early in my sales career we lived in Chicago. I can clearly remember driving down Washington Boulevard one morning to call on the purchasing agent of a large company that manufactured timers. As I drove, I had one of those conversations with myself as salesmen often do. I said to myself, "Wiesner, you know more about your product than anybody! This man is going to welcome you with open arms! He's going to call in his engineers for a big meeting and you're going to sell a carload!"

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Then another little voice in me said: "You know, Wiesner, these people don't give a rip about you or your product. And you have never really sold a carload or even a big boxfull! You really don't know what you're going to say. You probably don't know enough to sell them (or anybody) anything."

This internal argument raged all the while I drove to the appointment.

By the time I got to the factory I drove around the block, hoping that I couldn't find a parking place so that I could go back to the office and write a letter! When I actually got to see my "Mr. Big," I was so sure he wouldn't like me or buy my product that I made a meek presentation and left selling nothing.

Three factors were at work keeping me from being successful on this call. First, I spent far too much time thinking of myself, my ability, my knowledge, my experience, how I would look, etc.

The single most dominant factor that robs human beings of self-confidence is self-concern. As salespeople it literally takes our mind off the most important consideration of all: the sales prospect's problem. Our energy (of which we...