Your Mind is Like a Dangerous Neighborhood

by Tim Roberts

Ever listen to the chatter that shoots through your neural pathways during the course of a busy sales day? Noisy, ain’t it? I mean, with 60,000 random thoughts a day blasting our minds, how do we focus on the tasks at hand? One of my early business coaches, Jim Thorne, used to say, “Tim, your mind is like a dangerous neighborhood, don’t go there alone.” Amen, brother.

Here at Trustpointe we’re paid to listen to the chatter, the different voices that emanate from salespeople. We typically hear more than you. We hear things that you’re saying to yourself that you don’t catch. Chances are you’ve repeated them so many times that you’re unaware how they may be affecting outcomes – in business or life. Some of the things you tell yourself actually make you vulnerable on a sales call. You may think you sound “professional,” “honest” or “good” yet a prospect, a negotiating prospect, hears something else. What they hear triggers a judgment, like “amateur,” “liar” or “I don’t care.”

Here’s a brief list (we’ve uncovered a lot more) of negative self-talk that may get you in trouble on a sales call. Be brutally honest while you decide, am I guilty or not guilty?

• I must give a presentation.
• If they like me, they will buy.
• I have to tell them something about us so they’ll know what kind of questions to ask me.
• My prospect has all the leverage.
• I must have the best price.
• I shouldn’t ask for a referral until I’ve established a track record.
• It’s not polite to talk about money.
• Prospects are honest.
• I’m uncomfortable with some aspects of selling.
• I have to make the “ask.”
• It’s OK if my prospects shop around.
• $1,000 is a lot of money to me.
• I don’t want to be seen as a salesperson.
• Friday afternoon is a bad time to prospect, no one’s in.

More than likely, none of these are true for you but have you ever caught yourself making a statement regarding your sales role that might be downright destructive? Have you ever caught yourself in a series of negative, self-limiting statements that might actually be long-hardened beliefs? Have you noticed a pattern of mediocrity and aren’t sure how you got there?

To quote best-selling author, Mike Dooley, “Thoughts become things, choose good ones.” What you say to yourself is what you think.

At Sandler Training, Trustpointe we teach our clients how to reframe their thinking through heightened self-awareness. To learn more about head trash removal services, dangerous neighborhoods and prospects that are available on Friday afternoons, contact Tim Roberts at 317-845-0041 or tim.roberts@sandler.com.

It’s dark in here – anybody got a light?