I Feel Like: 3 Words that Ruin Sales Careers

Understanding the science behind influence and persuasion can be challenging. Often, managers and company leaders give feedback like, “You need to close more!” or “Work your leads harder, then you’ll find success.” The fundamental issue is that very few people understand the “why.” This leads to a lot of “I feel like” statements in sales and business.

Many salespeople I’ve worked with have an “I feel like” attitude. I hear things like:

• “I feel like I can’t do this.”

• “I feel like my clients don’t want to talk to me.”

• “I feel like I don’t get enough leads.”

Salespeople must remove these “I feel like” statements from the equation. In the business world, there is only “is or is not.” It’s crucial to eliminate these self-fulfilling prophecies to fully comprehend our weaknesses. When we live in a world of absolutes and not one of “maybes and what-ifs,” sales and business become easier. We can correct what IS wrong and be far more solution-oriented.

Much like the quote from the movie A League of Their Own, “There’s no crying in baseball!”—in sales, there is no room for “I feel like.” There IS or there IS NOT something wrong with us. We have to face reality if we want to improve our craft. Replace “I feel like” with “What is really wrong and how do I fix it?” You’ll be amazed at how quickly solutions for improvement will start flowing into your business.

Let’s stop saying “I feel like” and start seeing real results!

Robert Peeples

Sales Performance Consultant

Three Salmon SPC