Has anyone ever answered the age-old question: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” That question has probably been asked for centuries and to what point? There is certainly merit in the basis of this age-old question as it relates to this article. Is it training or attitude that makes the difference?
“He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” Observed the wise philosopher Confucius.
Learning and thinking are fundamentally linked. They need to be, especially in sales.
Imagine an individual who is negative, pessimistic, lacks self-esteem, and procrastinates. Compare that person to a positive, self-starting optimist who is full of confidence and believes in himself or herself. You can almost project the results of each of these examples.
How you think, your attitude also known as your mindset, sets the tone for what follows in your career. It sets the tone for how you learn, how you interact with peers as well as how you interact with prospects and clients.
In the perfect world, we would only hire those folks with a positive and optimistic attitude. We attempt to avoid recruiting those with a negative mindset who don’t have a strong belief in self and who are not achievement oriented. In reality, we encounter individuals all along the spectrum.
The good news is someone with a negative or neutral mindset can learn to be an effective thinker. In fact, even those with a positive mindset can find ways to improve their thinking.
If one consciously understands their personal thinking style and is able to recognize such things as negative self-talk and counter-productive behaviors, they are well on the way to affecting their mindset for the better.
Similar to learning, practice and repetition will enable them to adjust their thought process. One of my favorite quotes by Carl Jung states: “Until you make the unconscious, conscious, it will control your life and you will call it fate.” Awareness is the key to being successful in improving your mindset. In time, the conscious re-framing, positive self-talk, and awareness delivers your new mindset.
Imagine the impact a positive mindset can have in the sales process. The outcome can be significant versus the negative, pessimistic mindset. For companies as well as individuals, it allows them to better leverage each and every encounter. Add the compounding effect of consistency and the person with the “right” mindset benefits from the increased likelihood of personal success.
I’ll close with a last thought on mindset from Confucius, “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”
