We have all been confronted with dramatic change in the last year. We are all confronted with new challenges. So, as a sales professional, what do you do now?

Recognize the Positives

Recent traumatic events have caused most everyone to reassess their priorities. Most of us have asked ourselves, “What’s important?” This is a positive development. While we are all inclined to return to our old patterns, going through this questioning process causes us all to expand our horizons. We are reminded that nothing is certain … or permanent. This leads to a strong reminder that current opportunities will not last forever.

Why is this important to you as a sale professional? This can lead to an increased sense of urgency – one of your strongest sales allies.

Deal with the Fear

The sudden and unexpected changes we have all experienced may well evoke some fear. It is important to be aware of the fear, both in you and your customers.

Positioning your product or service as something that can reduce the fear will serve you well. Keep this in mind in your sales process.

As far as the fear you may be experiencing, the important step is to accept that it is there. There is nothing wrong with being frightened. It is healthy and normal. But it is vital that you be honest with yourself by acknowledging the fear.

Although I am a professional skydiver with over 1,700 skydives, I am often quite frightened before a challenging exhibition jump. To keep the fear from controlling me and hampering my performance, I have learned to accept its

I know this works from personal experience in successfully pursuing goals like a skydiving World Record. NASA has verified this method of fear management through controlled studies of astronauts.

If you find you are significantly distracted and having difficulty concentrating because of the terrorist attacks or continuing threats, you may want to seek assistance. There is no shame in taking care of yourself. The only shame is in significantly hampering your performance by not seeking it. You would not expect your car to function well after a major accident. Similarly, after the trauma we all have experienced in the last year, it may be time to treat yourself to some “service.”

Focus on Your Goals

And finally, keep your goals in focus. If you need to revise your goals – do. They need to be relevant. But keep them foremost in your mind. By keeping focused on your personal and professional goals, you will keep yourself on track. And there is another benefit. You will be undermining the goals of those who would love nothing more than for us to lose touch with our greatness – as individuals and as a country.

© Jim McCormick 2002

Jim McCormick is an MBA, speaker, author and professional skydiver. He draws on his experiences in earning a skydiving World Record and parachuting to the North Pole to help people effectively deal with fear and take the critical risks that lead to improved personal and organizational performance. More information is available at www.TakeRisks.com.