What’s Your Signature Move In Sales?

Do you have a “signature move” in sales?

All the great athletes have a signature move and so should you.​

• Michael Jordan had a fade-away.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a skyhook.
• Tim Duncan had a bank shot.
• Ronda Rousey had an armbar.
• Muhammed Ali had his “shuffle”.
• Serena Williams has her serve.

These signature moves became iconic, because even though the opponents knew what to expect; there was nothing they could do to stop them.

This meant if the athletes above were ever feeling flustered or overwhelmed by a high-pressure moment or setback, they had a signature move they could depend on. They could use one of their unique strengths/skills to help them rebuild their confidence and shift momentum in their direction.

​Sales is no different. Salespeople are corporate athletes who face pressures and setbacks every single day.

​That’s why each salesperson needs to have a signature move.

​Something that is unstoppable (can be used at any time) and uses individual strengths to build confidence and repair self-esteem when facing adversity.

​Why is having a signature move so important?

Well – primarily because mounds of research shows that the more we use our strengths, the more engaged, fulfilled, mentally resilient and happy we’ll be in our roles.

​Here are some examples outlined in the book Barking Up The Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything We Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong:​

• People who have the chance to focus on their strengths are 6X as likely to be engaged in their jobs and 3X as likely to report having an excellent quality of life.
• People who work in their strength zone look forward to going to work, have more positive than negative interactions with co-workers, treat customers better and achieve more on a daily basis.

​One of the most famous studies of all time – The Terman Study – followed over 1,000 people throughout their lives to understand what factors contribute to living healthier and longer.

​A major learning from this study showed that those who stayed involved in meaningful careers and worked the hardest – lived the longest.

In this case, meaningful work was defined as having two components:​

1. Something that is important to you.
2. Something that you’re good at (signature strengths/skills).

​If using our strengths are so important to our Mental Health and well-being, then how do we use them more in sales?

​First step is to identify your unique strengths and skills, so here are some questions to help you get started:​

1. What do other people tell you you’re good at?
2. What types of actions/hobbies bring you joy?
3. When have you spent hours working on something without feeling tired?
4. What work tasks do you enjoy doing/ don’t feel like work?
5. Last time something went wrong, what skills did you use to resolve it?

​Journaling about these five questions should help you identify a solid list of activities, strengths and skills that give you energy.

​You can then make work feel more meaningful by carving out time to complete these tasks and use these strengths on a daily basis.

​How do I build a signature move?

​As we have all experienced, working in sales can be unpredictable, stressful and overwhelming at times.

With your list of strengths – you can now build your signature move and create a tool to help protect your Mental Health.

Remember a signature move has two components:​

1. Can be used at any time (not really dependent on others).
2. Requires the use of your strengths or unique skills.

​For example, let’s say you’ve identified that you’re good at making people laugh, creative and love making GIFs on Instagram.

Well… next time you’re feeling unmotivated after receiving a slew of “Not Interested” email responses from prospects…

Spend 15min creating a new GIF about the challenges your prospects face. Something that will make them laugh and can be included in future cold emails. (Signature Move)

If you’ve identified that you really like reading books, experimenting with new ideas and building processes…

Well… next time you’re feeling sluggish and bored with the repetition of calling leads…

Pause and read 10 pages of a new sales book. Then apply something you learned like a new question you can ask on your next call (Signature Move).

Write your signature move down on a sticky note and keep it visible in your workspace.

Remember your signature move is a quick action you can take to shift momentum towards a more positive mood.

They’re designed to help you build confidence and repair your self-esteem when you’re feeling defeated; not procrastinate for hours on something that will put you further behind.

Share Your Move With Other Salespeople

If this post has inspired you to find your signature move, I’d love to hear what it is and feature it on Sales Health Alliance (email [email protected]). This will be a challenging exercise for some, so the more inspiration we can provide to others – the easier it becomes for everyone to craft their own signature move.

For more ways to level up your Mental Game in sales – checkout our online program that will equip you with mindset, resilience and stress-management strategies designed to help you perform your best.

Online Program: Mindset, Resilience & Stress-Management

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