Last Halloween, Luke and Josh got in the spirit of the holiday by sharing scary sales stories right from ReminderMedia’s sales floor. They had such a great time doing it that they decided to make it an annual tradition!

Today on Stay Paid, Luke and Josh are back with a spooky sequel to last year’s Halloween special.

So, gather ‘round the bonfire for tales of bone-chilling cold calls, awkward encounters, and terrifying KPIs—but more importantly, actionable advice that will help you survive your own sales horror stories.

Key Points:

• KPIs can be scary, but they’re also a roadmap to your success.
• For better or worse, you’re in charge of your own destiny.
• You need to get your loved ones invested in what you do.

Sales can be scary. You’re dealing with rejection, constantly talking to new people, and you need to hit your numbers. The scariest thing of all is not closing the deal.

“When I’m expected to close the deal, that’s the scariest thing.”

Not everyone can thrive under pressure. Even the best performers won’t always deliver when they’re put on the spot.

One of the things you learn about sales is that it’s all about getting the right people in the right seat on the bus. If you don’t make it in one role, you might just be in the wrong seat.

You might not be great at closing deals over the phone, but you might be able to move the needle in other ways.

KPIs can be terrifying.

At ReminderMedia, we measure our KPIs in dials, time spent on the phone, and how many deals are closed. You’ll be given better or worse leads to call depending on how well you perform. If you miss your KPIs multiple times in a row, you go on a Performance Improvement Plan. If that doesn’t work, you’re out.

It’s scary, because KPIs mean accountability. You’re being measured. But that doesn’t stop top producers.

Look at professional athletes. They track everything they do so that they can make adjustments and improve their game. Your KPIs are what directs where you should and shouldn’t focus. They reveal your weaknesses and show you what you can be doing better.

That’s why you need to track your progress every step of the way. When you have goals that need to be hit, you can monitor your performance and figure out what might be holding you back.

For example, your marketing might be suffering because of a landing page, irrelevant content, or another factor. By testing and pivoting, you’ll find what works best for your business.

“What will my next paycheck look like?”

This is a major pain point of sales and entrepreneurship. You get into this line of work because you want to control your own life, but you also have no guarantee of success.

Perspective is important. In sales, you hear “no” far more than “yes.” You condition yourself to hear no and move on. In many cases, you don’t even challenge it.

But you need to learn to embrace the no and shift your mind-set. If you are confident in the value you offer, and convey that to your client on an emotional level, you can close the deal. And, if you don’t? Move on to the next one.

Cold calls can be terrifying.

It can be difficult sometimes to simply pick up the phone.

You have to treat it as a necessary part of your job—something you need to do in order to reach your goals.

This is another time when you need to remember that you’re in control of your own destiny. You can either take action or let opportunities pass you by.

See how a 38% referral rate can change your business.

Start picking up the phone and making calls. Just smile and dial. You won’t close every deal, but sales is a numbers game. Eventually, your efforts will pay off.

“My aunt recommended an agent to me (and I’ve been an agent for 9 years).”

This is truly a terrifying situation! You should be able to count on your loved ones for business. However, it’s ultimately on you to earn their business.

You might know what your relative does for a living, but do you know what they need to be successful? Find out what it is they need, and find a way to give that to them.

Another thing to remember is that your family doesn’t assume that you need help in your business if you don’t tell them. You need to build awareness with your family and get them invested in your success.

Action Items:

• Identify your number one sales fear and learn to embrace it.