The list goes on forever.

Fear Affects You.

Q: But did you ever wonder how that fear affects you on a daily basis. And is it possible that the fear paralyzes you–or makes you less effective than you could be?

A: Yes.

Look at this list and see if you can relate. These are some of the things fear causes you to do–(and the result).

• fail to dream big (you continue to play small)
• fail to plan your strategy (so you don’t really have one–you just wing it)
• fail to bring up price when you should (so the prospect controls that conversation–you get defensive)
• fail to understand the prospect’s true motives (you’d prefer they use your motives instead, which seldom works)
• fear of bringing up the competition (so you pretend they don’t exist, even though they were there right before you)
• fear of trying new prospecting techniques (just relying on cold calling)
• fear of shutting up (maybe the prospect will say something you won’t know how to handle–or maybe  they’ll buy something)
• fear of not being seen as ‘credible’ (spend so much time on credibility you lose credibility because you fail to ask them their issues)
• fear of calling higher (so you are content with closing a small percentage of business)
• fear of demonstrating value (instead of just talking about it)

You might have all or none of these working and you might refuse to admit you have them–but in the quiet of the evening some night soon, print this list off and reveal–to yourself at least–whether you have these at work.

What To Do

All of these have distinct answers, but one thing I’m preparing for my remarks at Rewire The Sales Mind seminar is that all of these can be cured with one simple notion:  Stop focusing your attention on You. And start focusing on Them.

Think about each one of those above–and they are all a result of an over-focus on you–what you can get–what you need to avoid. That’s the problem. All fear comes from a misguided focus OUTSIDE yourself.

Bill Caskey, Bryan Neale and Brooke Green are preparing for their program, Rewire The Sales Mind, in Indianapolis on November 4. They will be addressing how the mind set of the professional seller needs to change in light of market changes.

So Why Do People Buy?

Our philosophy is really quite simple–people buy when they are either a) in pain with their current situation– or b) have a vision that will be accomplished easier with you in their life.

The “rewiring” here is for all professional sales people to understand what they’re listening for–so that when they hear it they’ll know they’re close.

How do you know when you hear it? It’ll sound like one of these:

1. “I”m really frustrated about…”
2. “I hate it when…”
3. “One of the things we ‘MUST’ change here is….”
4. “I can’t believe we haven’t….”
5. “We really NEED to ….”
6. “One of our biggest issues is…”
7. “I would love to….”
8. “My vision is for us to be ….”
9. “I can see a time when we are ….”
10. “We have tremendous opportunity in….”

If your prospects aren’t talking to you using those words, then you’ve failed them.

Bill Caskey, Bryan Neale and Brooke Green are preparing for their program, Rewire The Sales Mind, in Indianapolis on November 4. They will be addressing how the mind set of the professional seller needs to change in light of market changes.

Even a lame answer would be better than the blank look I get when I ask the question.

In the last few weeks, I’ve had a chance to ask a few people that question–and I’m convinced that there’s something deep down inside us that says it’s uncool to have a dream.

We were told early in life ‘not to dream.’ We talked about dreaming as if it was cool–but when any of us did it, we got crapped on.

Here’s What I’d Like You To Tell Me

If I have the pleasure of meeting you in the next year, and I ask you what your vision is, here’s what I wish you’d say (or something like this):

1. I want to make tons of money. I have a vision of myself being a $500,000/year earner–and I see myself giving a chunk of that to my church and other charities. I also want to help young kids who don’t have the opportunity I’ve had.
2. I want to work 20 hours a week. I see myself getting my prospecting and selling in such good order that I only need to work 2o hours/ week. I have a system in place that generates discussion with new prospects and I have a person who walks the prospect through the sales process. I spend my 20 hours ONLY on key accounts.
3. I speak at national events. I see myself accumulating knowledge and skills in presenting my solutions to our industry. I see a time soon–this year–when I can speak at national events on my area of expertise.
4. I have a team that produces at my company and I generate income from them. I see myself as an entrepreneur within my own company and have learned how to build a team and lead them to production.

When you tell me that, I’ll give you a high five and say, “You are on your way to success.” But most of you won’t. You’ll tell me that you want to make more money this year than you did last–and that will be the extent of it.

Come on people. Dream a little. And get rid of those that laugh at those dreams.

Today’s Lesson: How We Think Determines How We Act (And Achieve)

This is step # 1 in rewiring the sales mind–to understand that if you want to make quantum changes in your results–you must not just change your actions—you must change your thinking (which is the entire essence of “rewire the sales mind.”)

“How you think about what”, you are asking?

• How you think about yourself and the value you bring. Are you merely a representative of corporate value–or do you bring value by YOU showing up?
• How you think about your customer or prospect. Do you see them as a target to be shot (sounds gruesome doesn’t it?). That’s the WRONG way to think about your customer. The RIGHT way to think about them is to think about the pains and problems they have which they can’t possibly solve without your value. Have some empathy for them. Listen to them when they tell you about their issues.
• How you think about money. We address this in our book by the same name, Rewire The Sales Mind. This inner issue has to do with your relationship with money–the money you talk about with your customer–and the money you make in your life. How you think about it directly influences how much of it you make.
• How you think about your product value. Do you see it as something that your customer needs to have to solve problems–or something that your marketing department tells you to emphasize? (Hopefully, the former).
• How you think about prospecting/business development. If you think about it as something you HAVE to do in order to meet your goals, you’ll always struggle with it. If you believe it is a service / a cause to help those around you who need you, then you’ll do fine. Great achievers see prospecting as a service to the disadvantaged.

I hope you can make it to Indianapolis on November 4. There will be some ground breaking content.

If you can’t, I urge you to secure the DVD of the event. You can do so at www.rewireseminar.com.

Had they been in our sales class-and come to us last week and told us of their opportunity– here is the ONE THING we would have told them.

“Keep Your Intent High”

That’s because most of we sales people fail when it comes to our intent. I describe INTENT as that which is in your heart that governs how you attract or repel prospects to you.

High Intent is when everything is about THEM, YOUR CUSTOMER, YOUR PROSPECT, YOUR TARGET.
Low Intent is when everything is about YOU, YOUR NEEDS, YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR DESIRES.

One sure way to “whack up” your sales process and your presentation is to make everything about you. That’s what the Obamas did.

FACT:   There were probably dozens of other issues that got in the way. In fact our rule at Caskey is:  “Never allow the final presentation do the heavy lifting.”

You should know prior to the presentation if you are getting the business.

The reason for that rule is the tendency for us to look needy and desperate in that final “pitch” for the business. And that’s exactly what happened here.

Chicago won’t get the Olympics in 2016. Maybe that’s a good thing–or a bad thing. But never miss the opportunity to learn from the failed sales mistakes of others.

And keep your Intent high.

Having worked with thousands of sales people–and hundreds of managers–I honestly believe it is a pre-requisite to income success to be curious.

Curiosity is the very basis of education and if you tell me that curiosity killed the cat, I say only the cat died nobly.”

• When someone says to you that they have mastered something–or they are experiencing success in a field that you, too, would like to have success–do you sit them down and pepper them (nicely) with questions?
• When you’ve learned that someone has figured out a way to get to the CEO, do you stop them in their tracks and invite them to dinner?
• When you’re at a sales meeting, and you learn one of your associates has figured out how to find the pain of the customer better, do you handcuff them until they tell you EXACTLY how they did it?

“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.” ~James Stephens

You probably don’t. And I’m not sure why that is. Is it because we’ll feel stupid? Is it because we wouldn’t want to puff up the other person? Is it because we’d rather do it the hard way, learning it on our own, rather than the easy way–learning from someone who’s done it?

Is there some kind of guilt that kicks in when we get the shortcut?

“Millions saw the apple fall, but only Newton asked why.”  ~Bernard Baruch

So the next time you hear of someone who has been successful at something, call them up, congratulate them, and invite them to tell you EXACTLY how they did it.

It will make you rich.

“Curiosity is only vanity.  Most frequently we wish not to know, but to talk.  We would not take a sea voyage for the sole pleasure of seeing without hope of ever telling.”  ~Blaise Pascal,

Wouldn’t you think that if GM really wanted to convince us they were a new car company, they would change their approach to local car advertising?

Wouldn’t you think they would lose the screaming announcer?

Wouldn’t you think they would stop selling on price and on terms?

You would think that. But it will never happen. And it won’t happen because GM has not changed its “thinking” about what it means to be in the car business.

You might think that I pick on the auto business a lot in this blog, but I do so only to prove points and help you see your business in a different light.

It’s Hard to Change Thinking

When you grow up in an industry and what you’ve done for years stops working, it’s easy to reach out and change tactics, but it’s very difficult to reach in and change thinking. After all, we define ourselves by how we think about the world, our product, our opportunity, etc. When someone comes along and says: “you’ve got to change your thinking about this,” it throws us a little bit.

You May Need to Change Your Thinking About Your Business

I challenge you to look at your business through the unbiased eyes of an unemotional observer. If you were to start your business over again, knowing the success of certain companies in creating a new world of opportunity, how would you design it? Would you create the same website; would you create the same brochures; would you pay your salespeople the same; would your approach to the market be the same? Probably not.

And then there’s that old saying: “you can’t get to second, if you keep one foot on first.” That is a perfect quote for our time. We will try to keep everything the same and make minor changes. And the fact is we always default back to our old philosophies.

Assignment:
Over the next few weeks, check out the things you do in your business to pursue new clients and see if it really has changed much in the last 20 years. If it hasn’t, you may be up for some new thinking.

Watson gives those of us in our 50’s belief that it’s “never over.” Thanks Tom.

The Mental Side of Golf

But another comment that we at “inside the sales mind” heard was Stewart’s speech. He thanked his coach, Butch Harmon, his conditioning coach, and — get this — his two mental coaches. I’ve always heard Tiger has one ‘mind coach’ but two? Oh well, if that’s what it takes, go for it.

In a game that is as mental as golf, why not.

But what about business and sales? Isn’t that mental? It’s not just about activity–but the right activity–with the right mental framework.

Do you have a mental sales coach? Preposterous right? Well maybe not. Here are some thoughts about where a mental coach can help us.

1. When we’re in our comfort zone. Actually, we’re ALWAYS in our comfort zone. So we really need someone there all the time to keep us moving to the outer reaches of that zone. This applies to our income, sales goals, activity levels and how we look at the market.
2. When we call too low. I believe calling too low is a mental issue.  If you continue to call at a level where the decision is NOT made, then don’t blame others for mediocre results. Who you call on has more to do with your self-image than you might think.
3. When we see ourselves there to ’sell.’ Wrong. We’re not there to sell. We’re there to find and solve problems. But, beaten in to our heads, from our first sales job to our current one, is this notion that the  ‘harder we sell’ the better we do.  We need an impartial, unbiased 3rd party there to keep our head right on this one. (A sales manager cannot be a ‘head’ coach–too much invested in the game.)

So, hopefully, we can take a lesson from Stewart Cink. Maybe mind coaches aren’t such a waste afterall. No one’s laughing today.

I realized, when thinking about what I wanted to share, the biggest whale that I have to conquer (almost on a daily basis), is the crap that I put in my head—how I speak to myself, how I think about myself, how I don’t trust myself.

I think all of us struggle with feelings of “enough.” As children, I believe most of us feel nothing but AWESOME and more than enough. Unfortunately, life kind of beats that out of us.

So, how do these thoughts show up in my life? I’m not present. I don’t take risks. It keeps my gifts from the world. They keep me “stuck.” I am sometimes afraid of my life’s potential.

When I realized it was a line of bull that I was feeding myself, I dipped my toe into the joy that is available when you let go of fear and doubt. I started my career at Caskey that I am in love with; I give all that I am to my clients and honor the trust that they have put in me to help them grow their businesses. I remarried and had a child (something I thought I didn’t want). I laugh—A LOT! I surround myself with a magical circle of friends that push me to be more of who I am.

It’s not easy. Here are some things that I would encourage you to do if you struggle with a whale of your own.

• Just do it! Do not procrastinate or self-edit. I will be now. I am now.
• Train to be strong in all ways: mentally, spiritually, physically. If you don’t, you won’t be able to take on all of the things you are capable of.
• Embrace chaos and joy—especially yours. Life is absurd, you might as well laugh at it.

A lot of the push for me came from reading a book by Michael Port, The Think Big Manifesto. There is a great quote in the book:

“I will be comfortable with who I am right now and know that I am good enough. I will use my talents and gifts to do big things in the world. I will not give up in the face of fear or disbelief – mine or others.”

What is your whale?

You’ll be seeing a lot about it in the next year or so. For our first part, I want to talk about what the “sales mind” even is.

When you are in a sales call–and the prospect says something that makes you anxious–your reaction is part of your sales mind. It’s an involuntary response to an external stimulus. “Your price is way too high” is met with defensiveness. You can’t help it. You just go there.

The problem with a mis-wired mind is that you don’t stand a chance of extreme success in sales because all your actions originate from your thinking.

So as long as your thinking is off, your actions will be off. And as long as your actions are off, your results will be as well.

Take A Clue From Your Gut Feeling

Anytime you have a feeling in your gut about a selling situation (I really don’t want to call him); a situation (I wish he wasn’t such a price shopper); an objection (”Your price is not competitive”); or pressure (I’m afraid of getting laid off); then you are suffering from a mis-wired sales mind.

Stay tuned and we’ll begin to review exactly how to rewire it. In the meantime, here is your assignment: Notice. Notice when you feel anxious. Notice when you feel fear. Notice when you feel pressure.

As you begin to notice these things, you’ll begin to also notice what causes them. Then, come back here often to get new ways to “rewire.”