At no time in recent memory has the element of fear been so palpable and pervasive as it is today. Under the gloom, it is easy to forget that 93 percent of mortgage holders are making their payments on time and 93 percent of people looking for work are, in fact, working.

Our daily exposure to bad economic news and its proximity affects all of us either consciously or subconsciously and there are ramifications.

As individuals we alter our shopping and buying habits. As companies we alter our purchasing and investment plans. Both alterations are founded on fear.

This fear may be based on a number of very real factors. These could range from questioning of the quality or use or need of a product, to the ability to afford it, to even whether the company might be around long enough to service any problems.

The issue is not even whether the fear is well founded, it is simply understanding that fear is the only obstacle between you and a successful sale.

Once understood, the role of the professional salesperson is pretty simple. Uncover the fear, positively address it, and you get the sale. Fail to do either of the first two and the result is “no sale.” So success in selling in these times requires improvement and innovation in the first two events.

The “uncovering” part is a skill set that has active listening as its foundation with preparation as its cornerstone. While questioning is typically seen as the necessary ingredient, asking without listening and truly understanding the answer is a waste of everybody’s time.

And the understanding part is where the fear has to be uncovered. This always requires more time, more thoughtful insight, and more questions to verify the insights.

Preparation is the time that you spend before the sales call trying to understand the world that your customer inhabits. Most often this world is largely influenced by two players, his or her customers and his or her suppliers. We often forget that the world of commerce largely resembles a series of upright dominoes whose falling or potential for falling has impact on every domino down the line. We also tend to forget that the biggest supplier for most businesses is, in fact, their bank and these institutions are at the forefront of the proximity issue.

So assuming that you continue to work hard and improve your fear-uncovering skills, given the finite characteristics of your product, how do you achieve the required flexibility to positively resolve the apprehension?

Here is where direct, succinct communication skills underscored by personal creativity make the difference.

While many are schooled in product features, your customer is interested only in purchasing benefits. Positioning these benefits as solid antidotes to the uncovered fear allows any customer to emotionally feel that the decision in your favor ostensibly is a decision in his or her favor.

There is no doubt that these economic times are going to winnow out the professionals from the wannabes. Give some time and attention to this approach and you’ll significantly improve your chances of being a successful and surviving professional.

John F. Riddell Jr., director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth-Hamilton County, writes each Tuesday about entrepreneurs and their impact on companies and the marketplace. Submit comments to his attention by writing to Business Editor John Vass Jr., Chattanooga Times Free Press, P.O. Box 1447, Chattanooga, TN 37401-1447, or by e-mailing him at business@timesfreepress.com