Welcome back to our journey through the alphabet of sales success. We’ve arrived at J, and J is tricky because it stands for Judgment.
In the world of sales, judgment isn't just one thing—it’s a double-edged sword. It is the ability to make the right call in the heat of the moment, and the resilience to withstand the wrong calls made about you.
1. The External Judgment: Thinking on Your Feet
We have all been there. You are in the middle of a pitch, or perhaps on a remote call with a key stakeholder. The slides are perfect, the script is memorized, and then—chaos strikes. The client throws a curveball. A budget gets slashed mid-sentence. A competitor is mentioned.
This is where the first aspect of Judgment comes in: Sensible Conclusion.
The client expects you to be the Subject Matter Expert. They don't want a script reader; they want a consultant. When the ground shifts, do you freeze, or do you pivot?
I recall moments where a lack of spontaneity could have cost me the deal. You have to process information in real-time: How does this new piece of info fit the big picture? Do the benefits still outweigh the costs? Effective judgment means seeing the chess board, understanding how your product plays into their business environment, and adapting instantly. If you can’t judge the room and pivot, you lose the opportunity.
2. The Internal Judgment: The "Begging" Trap
But there is a second, darker side to judgment. It’s not about how we judge the situation, but our fear of how others judge us.
I remember this vivid moment from when I was first starting out. I was young, hungry, and perhaps a bit too eager. I was in a prospect's office, trying to close a deal, when he looked at me with a sarcastic smirk.
He leaned back and asked, "Do you never get tired of begging?"
It wasn't just a "no"; it was an attack on my dignity. It stung. I felt small. In that moment, I wasn't a professional solving problems; I felt like a nuisance. The fear of social judgment—of being seen as "lesser than"—almost made me quit.
I took that pain to my mentor, expecting sympathy. Instead, I got a reality check that changed my career.
He looked at me and said, "Disregard it. And here is why:"
The Economics: "First, look at the commission. You are likely earning more than the person looking down on you."
The Impact: "Second, your job is fulfilling. You aren't begging; you are solving actual problems and seeing real impact."
The Reality: "Lastly, that is just his personal opinion. It is not written on his face, and it certainly isn't written on yours."
The Verdict
To master the letter J, you must cultivate both sides of judgment. You need the sharp, strategic mind to navigate complex business problems on the fly, and the thick skin to realize that a prospect's opinion of you does not define your reality.
Once I realized I was there to help, not to beg, everything changed.
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