Sales Self-Talk Sounds Like This (Part 3).

In this third and final installment of what sales self-talk can sound like; I use the popular personality profiling tool called the Enneagram to channel the inner critic of the Enthusiast, the Challenger, and the Peacemaker.

Do you recognize your own voice?

If not, perhaps this blog post channeling the Perfectionist (a.k.a. Reformer), the Helper, or the Achiever will ring familiar.

No? Then surely you’ll hear yourself in the Individualist, the Investigator (a.k.a. Specialist), or the Loyalist (a.k.a. Skeptic) described here.

Nine personality types, nine voices. Why listen for yours?

Because one’s inner coach needs to know how to speak to one's inner critic in pursuit of any goal, especially in sales. And rule one in coaching is to meet people where they are.

Do you hear yourself in the FOMO suffering Enthusiast who says:

“You’ll miss out if you slow down. Don’t stop for reflection. Keep chasing the next new thing."

If so, chances are you juggle way too many leads, struggle with following through, and avoid confronting setbacks.

The coaching? Channel your natural enthusiasm for variety into focused action. Cultivate purposeful slowness, patience, and confront negative emotions rather than avoiding them.

If you are cut from the cloth of the Challenger, your inner critic will insist:

“You are weak if you show vulnerability. Never let them see you sweat. Don’t ask for help.”

Not surprisingly, the unintended sales impact from such self talk is resistance to collaboration and an emotional distance that impedes rapport and trust.

And what might the Challenger’s inner coach say to its inner critic? Strong sales leaders seek input, express needs and show vulnerability. Let’s practice...

Perhaps you tend more toward the easy-going, and agreeable Peacemaker. If so, your inner critic will convince you that:

“Your needs don’t matter. You shouldn’t rock the boat or push back. Let the customers have their way to keep things smooth."

When that voice prevails in your sales brain, you likely avoid negotiation, suppress your own needs, and underestimate your unique value. But your inner coach will remind you that your insights bring value, and asserting them is a service not a confrontation.

👉 I believe that our patterns always show up as our self-talk. And when our inner critic hisses at us we need our inner coach to answer back. Every chapter of my book, "The Anxious Salesman; A Field Guide," reveals what this dialogue sounds like when the coach prevails.

I’d love to help you champion yours. Feel free to grab some time with me here.

To the Championship Coach inside all of us!