On April 23, 1910, the 26th president of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt, gave one of the most influential speeches in history at the Sorbonne in Paris.

His speech – Citizenship in a Republic – contained an extremely influential passage many refer to as The Man In The Arena. It has been referenced by many world leaders, celebrities, and scholars, and mandatorily memorized by every recruit as the US Naval Academy. Here is that portion of Roosevelt’s speech:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

This passage has inspired many by telling us where the true value of a civilization lies. It states there are many who sit and watch from the sidelines, complaining about everything that is going on, without actually adding any real value.

True value lies in the courageous, the creative, and the tenacious, those who are out there trying to make a difference. And in the fast-paced, brutal world of sales, this is increasingly important.

More and more people have grown cynical about sales and our current market economy, especially due to many businesses falling into shady business practices. During this time, this mindset as a salesperson has become essential to be both successful while still holding onto their integrity. Read on to see how to become a fighter as Roosevelt described in his famous speech:

Taking the First Step

The first step is to actually step into the arena. Taking that first step, even if you are inexperienced, should be taken just as seriously as any other step and with the same tenacity as the others. Not only will it jumpstart your sales career but will also set the tone for the level of determination and excellence you will carry for the rest of it. But for each sales venture, that first step can be widely different.

For those who are just getting into sales, this involves finding a place to work and learning how to do your new job. In our modern business environment, it has become increasingly difficult for new hires to find an entry level position, even in the field you studied for.

But this is why it is important to keep hunting for the job you want. If you are willing to keep moving past the rejections and you keep looking for a place you can start your sales career, even if you need to think outside the box or it’s something less glamorous, then you will be able to take that first step.

Once you have entered the ring and been given your first job, you’re now faced with the challenge of understanding how your job works. If you have some level of experience from an internship or a part time job, or you’ve studied in your chosen field then you’ll have a leg up, but you will still need to undergo further training to do your job effectively.

As you get further into your new sales job, you’ll not only learn the basics, but you’ll start learning the more advanced responsibilities of being a sales rep. When you’re first starting out, it can feel like nothing you’re doing is going right. Even if you’re struggling at first, it is important to not give up and to keep fighting. You will get better and eventually, you will become a fighter in the arena, one worthy of respect.

Say you’ve already taken the first step into your sales career, but you want to do something different. Maybe you want to work in another field, you want to strive for a new position, or maybe you want to become an entrepreneur. This also involves taking another first step, just onto another path, as you’re going to be entering unfamiliar territory from that point.

In any of these situations, you’re going to face many challenges you had never faced before, like a boxer trying to learn karate. However, taking the same mindset of applying yourself and pushing yourself through the struggles, learning from your mistakes, will allow you to adapt to your new path and to keep moving forward.

Commit to Being the Best You Can Be
Once you’ve entered the ring and established yourself as a worthy fighter, keep moving forward. Now it is time to commit to your sales career and strive to become the best you can be. This involves developing a better understanding of the current sales world, honing your pre-existing techniques, learning new sales techniques, and ironing out the flaws in your approach.

This can involve a variety of approaches, depending on the field and the individual salesperson. However, the most important factor isn’t necessarily being the most successful, rather it is pushing yourself to be the best version of yourself and to do the best work you can. It can become easy to become complacent in one’s current success, which can keep them from reaching their full potential.

Alternatively, some are willing to forgo their integrity by engaging in less than ethical business practices. That is why the drive to be better than you are now is so important, so that we won’t fall into the same traps that many do now.

Keep Moving Forward After Failure
Finally, even in the most successful sales careers, sales people constantly face failure. The most important step of fighting in the arena is to keep moving forward even after you fail. There are many who are too afraid of failure to get out of their comfort zone, which is why many don’t even take that first step.

But facing that fear of failure, understanding that it is a part of the journey, an important part that you should be allowed to learn from, will be what pushes you into becoming a successful sales person. Even after a catastrophic failure that could cost you everything, it is important to stand up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward. While it may be easier to stay down, continuing to get up will eventually get you to the place where you want to be.

Why Pressure is Important in Sales

Billie Jean King is a former world No. 1 tennis player who won 39 grand slam titles including 12 in singles, 16 in doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. She is also a pioneer for women’s professional sports and an advocate for gender equality and social justice.

Billie Jean knows a thing or two about pressure!

Once asked how she coped with all the pressure, King answered with one of the best quotes in sports history: “Pressure is a privilege. It only comes to those who earn it.”

She understood that the only reason she was under so much pressure was because she was so successful. She found a way to make the pressure into something that gave her confidence and inspired her to keep working hard.

The same mindset can also be applied to sales. The best salespeople are usually under the most pressure because they are the ones making the most sales and the biggest deals for their companies.

Finding a way to use that pressure in a positive way – as King did – is critical if you hope to reach your full potential and maintain it for a long period of time.

Pressure Maintains Engagement to the Sales Process

The need for pressure in sales is immediately apparent when you step into the office of an unmotivated sales team. What you will likely see is people doing the bare minimum, not striving to boost their numbers or go after any whales.

For a sales team to be successful, there has to be some level of pressure to keep it engaged in the sales process. They should have something compelling them to get their work done as well as they can to boost productivity.

If you are a team leader, you need to be careful though because engineering pressure for pressure’s sake can lead to high levels of burnout and low employee retention rates. If pressure is not inherent to your sales process, try ratcheting things up a notch with competitions to get your team members competing against each other.

This can also make mundane tasks feel more rewarding as there is a reason to get them done. This will eventually have a compounding effect where the sales team becomes better at their job as competition breeds more competition. Additionally, individual team members will feel more confident and more motivated because of their success in the contests.

Side Note: You do not have to get too crazy with the rewards for these contests. You would be surprised the lengths people will go to just to get a free lunch once a month!

Separating the Best from the Mediocre

As the team environment becomes more competitive and the pressure mounts, unmotivated and mediocre members will start to fall away while high performers will continue to shine.

One thing that should be noted is that the worst members of a team might not necessarily need to be removed from the lineup. Their abilities may be better suited to sales support or marketing efforts, or they may just need a little more time to develop their skills.

The bad team members are the ones that fold under the pressure because they are unwilling to change and grow. In cases where this happens, you might want to consider cutting them loose. This also applies to people who cheat and use unscrupulous methods to be competitive.

Pressure is a great tool for promoting growth and those who are willing to grow will be the ones that persevere and enjoy success.

Ensures Critical Successes

Pressure is important in sales because it pushes salespeople to be best they can be. It increases conversion rates, boosts morale and improves companies’ bottom lines. Remember, not every team warrants the same level of pressure, and it can be a tricky thing to get it exactly right. Ask any jeweler and they will tell you; nothing produces a higher quality diamond than the right amount of pressure, so it is definitely something worth working on.

Working in sales can sometimes leave you feeling like you’re lost in space. It’s a griding and daunting endeavor with no clear end in sight. The little light you do see at the end of the tunnel seems so close but always just out of reach.

If you’re selling something niche, or even if you’re just new to the business, you need to be prepared for the general public to be wary of your efforts as selling today is harder than it has ever been, especially when it comes to face-to-face interactions. In fact, there is a high chance that most of your sales pitches will be met with a lot of skepticism.

When faced with such resistance, it can become difficult to maintain trust with your customers and close deals regularly. It’s not uncommon in sales to run into a slump or a roadblock which can make you question whether it was the right career choice for you.

However, all salespeople experience doubts about their abilities at some point in their careers, even the very best of the best. To overcome this temporary setback, you must learn how to change your perception of yourself. If you’re feeling lost, these four tips will help you ground yourself and move forward as a confident salesperson:

1. Sell to Yourself First

Most salespeople try to either craft a pitch in their head right before they meet with a prospect or come up with something on the fly during the meeting. While a rare few can pull this off, most salespeople who go in without a plan will stumble.

Once face-to-face, many forget what they had hoped to say, lose the flow of the conversation, say things that don’t sound as good as they thought, and seem come across as completely unprepared. This will often confuse, annoy, or even anger potential customers and make you seem like you have no idea what you’re doing.

It is important to properly plan your pitch. Write down any points you know you need to cover and anticipate questions the prospect might ask you. Then, find someone to practice with and go over it until it is succinct and engaging.

When practicing, try selling your pitch to yourself first by recording yourself with your phone and then watching it back. If your pitch doesn’t sound appealing to you, it likely won’t appeal to anyone else. Recording yourself allows you to watch your performance closely afterwards, thus allowing you to make necessary adjustments before you go toe-to-toe with a prospect.

You should also consider the flow of the conversation as well as how natural it sounds. While you don’t want to be too formal and rigid – as it would show a lack of passion – you don’t want to be too casual either.

Don’t use words – fancy or slang – that you otherwise wouldn’t use in a regular conversation. Don’t ever use any words that you’re not 100% sure of the meaning of. Remember, nobody likes jargon or cringey buzzwords so relax, stay within yourself, and keep the conversation flowing and easy to understand.

Finally, come up with ways to convince yourself that your services are worth it. If your product sounds like something you’d be interested in, it’s more likely to be of interest to others.

2. Really Know Your Product

If you don’t understand your product, you won’t be able to convince anyone of why they would want it. Research your product thoroughly and be prepared for any question your customers might throw at you.

There’s a very good chance your customers have already done their own research and are looking to see what sets you apart from your competitors. So, during your research, make a note of information and details the typical buyer does not have access to. If they have a specific problem, you must be able to demonstrate why your product or service is the solution.

3. Make It About the Customer

While it may sound harsh, customers don’t care about you, they care about what you’re selling. When crafting your pitch, keep the focus on why your customer may want your product.

If you can, do your homework on your customer and their business and tailor your pitch to their specific needs. Avoid generic pitches and always have a sincere desire to help the customer, answer their questions and show them proof your goods or services will do what they need them to do.

4. Quit Overthinking It

Finally, relax. You don’t have to know everything and not everything has to be perfect. Overthinking things may result in more mistakes and might make your pitch messy. Stay in the moment and show that you’re interested in helping them. If you’re well prepared, you’ll be able to stay more relaxed which will also help your prospect to relax. Without their guard up, you may just find it a lot easier to sell them on your product or service and seal the deal.

When a sales professional pitches their services to a decision-maker at another company, they need to understand the bar is higher than normal and that executives expect more than your standard run-of-the-mill pitch.

In fact, they’ll be on the lookout for a whole range of things that a regular customer may not.

While service will be the main thing that they look, it’s important to understand the sales professional plays a key role in the decision making. Top executives don’t have a lot of time and if a sales professional’s pitch doesn’t impress them – and quickly – they are likely to lose interest and move on.

Executive sales coaching can help teach sales representatives how to impress decision-makers and what qualities they look for when it comes to the pitch and the rep’s personality.

Executive Presence, Passion, and Confidence

The best sales professionals tend to have an air about them. In executive sales coaching, this is known as executive presence. It is the feeling of authority and trustworthiness that a good salesperson gives off even when they’re around the high-ranking executives of another company.

Many qualities go into having an executive presence such as effective communication skills, adaptability, and consistency, all of which will instill trust in a buyer. But what will be immediately recognizable are the intangible elements, confidence, and passion.

In his new eBook Developing Executive Presence, The Salescoaching Institute’s CEO Doug Dvorak said: “Executive presence is something that must be cultivated and developed over time. And it all starts with confidence.”

While much of what goes into an executive presence can’t be measured, they are definitely noticeable when they are missing. In fact, according to many C-suiters, the absence of an executive presence can make a sales professional appear out of their depth or even untrustworthy. It is therefore critical that sales representatives exude passion about what they’re selling and confidence in its effectiveness.

Consistency and Integrity

Given how precious their time is, if a decision-maker even gets a whiff of inconsistency or a lack of integrity, you will lose them as a customer or prospect. Remember, a lot of these C-suite types know each other and talk about how their jobs are going so it’s important you are always “on” because, as they say, “word gets around.”

If, for example, a sales professional is talented when it comes to selling but is unpredictable and leans towards a lack of professionalism, it will catch up with them.

Likewise, if a salesperson lacks integrity and doesn’t honor their word or overpromises (or lies) during the pitches, it will also damage their reputation and cost them future business and referrals. A good reputation will go a long way in ensuring that a decision-maker trusts you and wants to hear your pitch.

Presentation and Communication

Unlike developing an air of confidence, killer presentation skills are techniques that you can learn. If you want to catch a big fish, you’d better have a big hook. Executives at other companies are far more likely to be interested in what you’re selling if the information is presented confidently and concisely.

Proper presentation involves keeping the focus on the customer, their needs, and how you can help them solve any problems they may be facing. You do not want to stay focused on your product or service and leave it to them how to figure out how to use it.

Be clear and concise and only present enough information to inform. More is rarely better as you don’t want to overwhelm them or waste their time. All they will remember is how you made them late for their next appointment.

Finally, a good presentation involves asking the right questions and answering those questions in an effective way. Ultimately, good presentation skills are good communication skills that allow parties to come to a mutual understanding.

Filling a Need

However, all of the previous information will not mean a thing if goods or services don’t actually fill a need at the company you’re pitching to. You should know what they need better than they do before pitching to them.

As marketing whiz Gabe Larsen wrote on Hubspot: “No one wants to hear a general pitch that would apply to any business. Research their vertical and use the information you found to personalize the pitch immediately.”

Bear in mind, it is also important you can provide proof that your goods or services will solve the problem you tell them they will solve. Demonstrating how their company will benefit from what you’re selling is undoubtable the best way to make a sale.

In sales, hustling is a commonly used word. Traditionally, when a person called someone a hustler, it meant that they were a con artist. However, in the current business climate, hustling means something completely different and is associated with having a very strong work ethic.

To hustle means to work as hard as you can and to do whatever it takes to achieve your goal. While this does come with some drawbacks, hustling can bring a lot of benefits to your sales performance as well.

The Pros of Hustling

Hustling not only means to strive for excellence but also to strive for what you want in life. Those who act passively rarely get all that they want out of life as they simply coast and do the best they can off as little effort as possible.

But those who put their passion into what they do and give it their all, even if they find the work itself to be a struggle, will always achieve great things. This applies to all those sales professionals who meticulously research a prospect before the first call and work long hours to ensure their customers are happy after the sale.

It has been said that sales is the highest paid tough job or the lowest paid easy job you will ever have. Unfortunately, the truth is a lot of sales professionals are happy enough with what they are making and don’t want to go the extra mile to make more money.

However, those who think that way tend not to earn very much, and their possibility of upward mobility is severely limited as a result. Those who work as hard as they can get noticed and are rewarded for their efforts both financially and with better career opportunities.

Admittedly, this isn’t always the case and there are those fortunate outliers who have a lot of sales literally fall into their laps. However, they are playing a game of chance while those who keep their nose to the grindstone are always seen as valuable and will be successful at a much higher rate.

Incidentally, being a hustler includes having the drive to go find another job that pays better and is more fulfilling than the one you’re in if it’s not checking all the boxes for you.

Sales expert Anthony Iannarino once wrote, “You act with a sense of purpose, and meaning, and mission, and urgency, and you run and grab what you want because you’re running out of time.” Life is short and spending that time waiting for the workday to end and doing nothing to make your life better will only diminish you.

The Cons of Hustling

With all of that said, there can be a fine line between being someone who hustles and a workaholic. It is important to have a work-life balance and not overwork yourself.

Keeping your nose to the grindstone too long every day can lead to some fairly serious physical and mental health issues. Exhaustion and stress can have hugely negative effects of your body leading you to miss more work and possibly even die younger. This is a significant problem in countries like Japan which has a very unbalance work-life culture.

In addition, exhausting yourself mentally can cause burnout, which isn’t something you can just power through since it usually makes your overall work worse. Remember, it’s okay to take breaks and let yourself rest; not only will you feel better, but your work will be better, too.

Martin O’Donnell, a composer for the video game industry, once described how employees should be treated, “Be nice to the goose.” This advice for bosses and managers who push their teams too hard can also be applied on a personal level.

Just as Aesop’s goose would stop laying golden eggs when mistreated, your mind and body will stop performing at a high level if you don’t look after them.

Conclusion:

It is important to keep in mind that while it is critical to hustle if you hope to increase your chances of getting everything you want in life, it is extremely important that you are strategic about it.

Learning to hustle and to work as hard as you can to achieve a goal is the number one way to be successful in today’s business world. Just be sure you don’t literally work yourself to death in the process.