Read time: 3:32 minutes 

I was born to be good at sales.

You, my friend, were not.

Ah yes! One of the most prominent myths in the fractional CFO space:
The genetic lottery somehow decides which of us are destined to be good at sales. While the rest of us are relegated to sucking at it - treading water just to survive in business.

Am I better at sales than you? 

I don't know. 🤷‍♂️ 
I'd venture to say there's better than a 50/50 chance (but I tend to over estimate my skills relative to the field).

But what I DO know is that the skills I have don't exist because I was born with them. And neither was anyone else!

Sales is a skill. Which means sales skills can be learned and earned.

The myth that someone else was just "born" to be good at sales is dangerous! Because when we tell ourselves that story, we are effectively saying that we are destined to suck at it. Victims of the lottery. And once we say that, we have capped our growth potential.

Plus, that myth holds no more water than saying that you were "born" to be a great accountant! 

My guess is that you probably sucked at accounting when you were 15. You likely went to undergraduate school. And then graduate school. And then spent years or even decades learning the trade. 

You're now excellent at what you do! 
No, you weren't born with those skills.
You learned them and you earned them, didn't you?

The truth is, you MUST earn and learn the basics sales if you want to make a living as a fractional CFO.

You should be investing in your sales skills growth.

I'm not proposing that you need to be WORLD CLASS at sales. Heck, you don't even need to be GREAT at sales. But you do need some basic skills.

And just like with any other skill, you need a few things to help you on your journey.

Here are a few tips that will help you becomes better at sales.

Tip #1: Read a few sales books. I've read dozens of books on sales. Most sucked - full of the cringy sales tactics we all hate. But a handful were worth their weight in gold. Here are a few that I still go back and re-read: SNAP Selling, How to Win Friends and Influence People, New Sales. Simplified.

Tip #2: Adopt and adapt a sales framework. One of the biggest mistakes that I see CFOs making on sales calls is they show up without a strategy and a plan! 

"Winging" sales calls is a great way to stay broke.

You need a framework to guide you through the process. Find one you like and adapt it to your style. 

If you don't have one, you can use mine HERE.

You're welcome 😀

Tip #3: Get reps. No book, coach, or course can replace getting in the trenches and doing the work. 

You've got to get on sales calls. 
The more you do, the better you'll get.

Tip #4: Watch replays. The greatest athletes in every sport watch film of them playing. Why? It helps them identify where they're doing well and where they need to improve.

And the same holds true for you.

Watch replays of your sales calls so you can identify where you're doing well and where you need to improve.

My true hope for you and your firm is that you achieve whatever levels of success and impact you dream of.

But you have to learn how to sell if you want to get there.

Invest in yourself, your clients, your team, and your family and build those sales muscles.

And remember this about sales skills:

No, she wasn't born with it.
No, it wasn't Maybelline.
She worked hard at it.

Your coach, 
Michael King