'OK...so now you have to cold call our CEO.'

...this was the final stage for my first ever sales job in my early 20s.

I was really nervous - particularly as I had to make the call in the middle of an open plan office.

So, dressed to kill in my ill-fitting suit, pink tie and funny haircut, I made the call.

I really had no idea what I was doing.

...I picked up the phone.

And turned towards the wall so the people in the office wouldn't put me off.

I tried blanking everything else out & had that absolute tunnel vision.

'He's only a person... he's only a person.' ...was the mantra in my head.

He picks up.

I'm almost shaking - but somehow the adrenaline pumping through my body is causing my mind to become really sharp.

And as soon as I started talking my nerves began to fall away.

My courage overcame my fear.

Call over.

And I got the job.

The HR girl who walked me out asked me:

'How did you do that? I heard you - you weren't even slightly nervous?'

'I was! But I somehow found a way to disguise it. And then i quite enjoyed it.'

In retrospect, this is a great way to see how an sales interviewee copes under stress... particularly doing something they'd be doing day-in and day-out on the job.

I'd love to hear that call played back - it would've been all over the shop.

But one thing I did learn from it - adrenaline & nerves are good if you learn how to use them to your advantage.

You either manage them or they manage you.

And when you fear something - do it anyway.

With courage & conviction that fear - a self perpetuating state of mind - simply melts away.

#sales #salescoach #mindset