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As a salesperson, which do you think is more important, a mindset or a skillset? What are the differences between the two? In this episode, Donald will explore the value of both.  

Defining mindset and skillset

Mindset is your established attitude or beliefs. The mindset has two parts –  a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset settles into what is working and doesn’t change.  A growth mindset can see opportunities to improve.

A skillset, on the other hand, is your range of ability. What training and skills have you mastered to be able to execute the work you need to do well in your business?

Donald Experiences the Difference Between Mindset and Skillset 

A salesperson should have both a great mindset and a relevant skillset.  When Donald was a young man his friend’s father, who was like a  second dad, gave him the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. He read it and internalized the information so he believed he would succeed in his goals.  As a result, when Donald started in sales, he was a ball of energy. He watched all the movies and rolled out his B2C experience fresh from college. He was working, setting up appointments and he felt good that he could take all the ideas he’d learned and brought them into professional selling. His mindset was propelling him forward. 

Things got a little bit difficult when Donald entered the B2B world. He had a growth mindset but he didn’t have the skillset to go with it. One of the companies he worked for had him knocking on doors and handing out business cards. This was something that Donald did not see as professional selling. Without the proper skillset, Donald felt he was just going around in circles. He eventually moved on to another company and there he got the skill set training he needed. There, he learned how to 

• Use the phone to prospect
• Make a proper cold call
• Use LinkedIn
• Go to networking events
• Ask effective questions
• Challenge a prospect about their beliefs to get to better solutions.

After gaining such valuable skillsets and merging them with his growth mindset, Donald started to see amazing transformation and acceleration. He started to produce well. 

As Donald started to grow, he noticed that colleagues that were decades his senior were remaining at the same level they’d been for years, even with much more experience. The reason? Donald’s teammates had a lot of skillsets but with even all their knowledge it was impossible for them to grow beyond their mindset. As a result, they missed out on the opportunities that Donald was able to enjoy. It was Donald’s mindset that helped him excel and perform well. 

Bringing Skillset and Mindset Together

Donald was different from stagnant colleagues in that he was able to take advantage of social selling, he could see fresh opportunities, and he was eager to prospect. With the proper growth mindset and proper skillset, he was able to excel as a sales representative. Do you see why both are so critical? Having a great skillset does not guarantee success if you don’t have the mindset that will push you through the glass ceilings you can set for yourself. 

Donald suggests taking time every single day to improve and sharpen and expand your beliefs. Listen to motivational videos, repeat your affirmations and goals, and get around like-minded people who can help you build up a positive mindset. Read the books that will help you get that growth mindset. One of Donald’s favorite books is The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, a book that will help you open your mind to your potential. 

Build a great library

One of the best ways to support your business is by getting real about the skillsets you need to acquire and pursue that knowledge through books. Take a look at your prospecting, social, or closing skills. Do you know how to ask effective questions? Take time each day to build these skills and launch your day even better than you did the day before. 

Sales books are always there to help you improve and Donald has some suggestions to start your library if you haven’t already. One of Donald’s favorite authors is Mike Weinberg, who provides a lot of great content and value about sales management and simplifying sales.  Kevin Kruse’s book entitled, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A students, and 239 Entrepreneurs discusses planning and time management.  

There are many great authors who have amazing books in a voice that will be perfect for you. If you want to turn your commute, downtime, or workout into a university,  download books using Audible and listen to the books if that’s more convenient.  No more excuses. 

Which is more important, Mindset, or Skillset?

Of course, both are important but if Donald had to pick just one, he’d pick mindset. He understands that a person with a proper growth mindset can be taught the proper skill set. A person who is able to see how to grow will think of ways to improve like water that finds its way to the ocean. A salesperson with the proper mindset will look for the tribe and that supports growth, will help improve skills, can offer training, and will refine the skills acquired.

People who lean on skillset alone will not be able to see where improvement can occur. They get stuck in their ways, work the same strategies, will fail to embrace new technology, and never take advantage of creative ways to prospect.  

“Mindset vs. Skillset – Which Is More Important In Sales?” episode resources 

What do you think? Do you favor mindset over skillset or the other way around? Let us know by putting a comment down below. You can also subscribe and get notified of new episodes. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.donaldk4.sg-host.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

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Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

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