Christine Volden may not fit the salesperson stereotype. She doesn’t like fast-talking and has no desire to create high-pressure situations. Her method is quite the opposite; she helps entrepreneurs become great salespeople by teaching them to listen to their gut and find their true purpose. She learned those lessons herself through many experiences — both good and bad — and shares that hard-won confidence through her sales coaching at Soulful Selling. If you ask Christine, the moment a salesperson believes in themself and knows why the sale matters to the customer, they’re already most of the way there.

“When I worked in the corporate world, I was so busy and I was so disconnected from what my gut and my intuition were saying. And a bunch of people I talk to are like this. That’s such a common entrepreneurial mistake. They just stay stuck in their head and they’re over analyzing everything and there’s just no amount of analysis that’s going to get you to make certain decisions.”

When you think of a “sales person”, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s an unsavory character on a used car lot. Maybe it’s an annoying phone call that manages to come at the worst possible time. But whether you like it or not, sales is the lifeblood of any business. Without a steady flow of paying customers, it’s hard to imagine any enterprise staying solvent for long. And despite the reputation, selling doesn’t have to be an annoyance. Christine Volden went down several career paths, but always came back to sales and teaching sales. Maybe that’s because she approaches the challenge a little differently than most. When Christine is coaching at startups or through her own consultancy, Soulful Selling, she teaches entrepreneurs to believe in themselves enough to wade through the discomfort of selling. It’s confidence that makes it possible, and discovering where their motivation really comes from.

Check out Soulful Selling, and Christine’s 5 Steps to Making Quick Decisions.