“What is your personal financial flash point, and what specific actions can you take to systematically break it?” If your mind can’t handle the figure, your pocket most certainly won’t.”
A one million shilling sale. Does that intimidate you? What about a 10 million shillings sale? Maybe 100 million. Intimidated yet? Are you feeling more and more uncomfortable, or did I lose you at 1 million?
Your financial flash point
Financial experts say that we all have our financial flash points. The point at which our mind obliterates any remote possibility of envisaging a financial figure which is not consistent with what we think is possible. “Sipati picha,” Tanzanians would say.
This is tragic in selling. It limits the seller. It is the reason why many sellers present only the cheapest item on their menu believing that people will only buy if it’s lowly priced, and won’t if it’s not.
They have convinced themselves that a payment of 1,500shs per month for insurance is easier than one of 15,000shs. And so they simply don’t present the latter. Not only don’t they present it, it doesn’t even cross their mind to do so.
Reasons for limiting yourself
Three reasons lead to this.
First, such sellers see themselves as the buyer. “If I can’t afford it, neither can they,” they reason, illogically, “If I am struggling to pay my 15,000shs rent surely no one can spend that in monthly payments for a product they may never need (insurance).” And so the seller prospects in the 1,500shs market and simply does not “see” those in the 15,000shs per month bracket.
And that’s the second thing — not seeing. Have you ever noticed an uncanny thing? That when you get introduced to someone and, say, you discover you work in the same building, suddenly you tend to “see” them in the lift, the parking, the washroom, everywhere. Yet, before that, you weren’t seeing them, but they were always there?
This happens because they come into your zone of possibility. Sellers who limit themselves to the cheapest product will not even follow up a hot referral that is beyond what they “see” as possible.
That very thought simply incinerates the referral — it might as well have never happened. And no, they won”t admit this out loud, but will instead, conjour up some excuse — “He’s too busy.” “His phone doesn’t go through.” “He doesn’t pick calls.”
The most tragic of self-limitations
The third tragedy with limiting oneself is that even when you stumble on a “15,000shs” prospect you will still insist on selling the “1,500shs” product.
Your jaw drops when he asks to buy the 15,000shs product. You don’t see the sale, you see the “problems” associated with it. It will lapse; it will mean wasting time ensuring he goes for a medical checkup; the payment will drag before it comes through.
And why? Because 15,000shs is ‘too much money’ —it’s way past your financial flash point.
B2B Sales
The example shared is that of an insurance agent. But the principle applies to all sellers.
For those in Business to Business selling, it limits their entry point to clerical staff for a purchase that requires board approval And so the seller keeps pushing the receptionist to find out progress on the proposal. And she strings him along because she doesn’t want to be seen for what she is— toothless.
How to grow out of comfort zone
Growth is stunted for such a seller.
He will always play in little league years into his career and the lack of personal growth is frustrating. He may be getting by financially, but it is personal growth, not financial, that gives us a feeling of movement through life.
What to do then? Know and break your financial flash point.
Go browsing in a high end mall (Village Market, Galleria, Garden City, in Nairobi, for instance) and ask to fit a shirt way beyond your means. Sit at a restaurant there and order a soda. Get comfortable in the setting. Visit a car dealership and ask to be shown the features of the V8 Land Cruiser or your dream car (if you have ever dreamt that far). Better still, climb into the driver’s seat and rev the engine.
Or, start small. Apply for a passport even if you don’t need it, and, next time you are shopping use your Visa card and not cash or MPESA.
Break your financial flash point
Repeat these actions until they feel ordinary, then raise the ante—breaking your financial flash point incrementally.
None of them will cost you financially; but, all will grow you phenomenally.
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