There’s concern and there’s worry. About six months ago I had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. As I was about to go into the operating room, the nurse said to me, “You don’t look very worried about the surgery!” I responded, “Would it help?” You see, with all sincerity, she asked that because she didn’t get the difference between worry and concern. I was definitely concerned because there was risk, but that concern was not able to link up with insecurity to produce worry, which is always destructive.
These emotions also surface when we’re engaged in an important sales campaign that is highly competitive. Especially when it is peaking, and a decision is about to be made. Concern is healthy, as it focuses us on the right issues and actions to manage risk. But, when concern is not coupled with the right knowledge, it engenders insecurity and uncertainty that often leads to worry. And worry is a bad thing. Yes, it’s common and viewed as natural, but it can also become controlling. It can misdirect us at critical points in a sales situation, as anxiety promotes a tendency for compulsive behavior. It’s all about managing emotions to effectively manage risk. So, how do we do that:
Coupling INFORMATION with CONCERN advances good sales process, but just as important, it reduces stress, promotes better decision making, and impacts attitude that passes through to the client – all to mitigate the risk of losing. And, last but not least, it makes our work a bit more fun!