The Sales Consultancy: What language are you speaking?‏

The language you use has a massive impact on your results. That goes for the language you speak, and the language that meanders around internally in your head.

If you keep saying things are hard...guess what, it will be hard! You're instructing your brain to expect hard, expect tough...and so that’s what it will deliver for you.

You get what you expect

Tone your language down when you have a challenge coming up. Because your thoughts and outlook on the job in hand will definitely determine how tough, or straightforward, the job will be. Remember, you don’t get what you hope for, you get what you expect!

Quick example...many people I know get concerned when they get a sore throat. "I do hope I'm not getting a cold" they say. Dangerous talk, I think! Our brains don't actually process negatives. So all the brain hears in this example is “getting a cold, getting a cold, getting a cold”. You know where this is heading!

If I say "don't think of a blue tree"...what do you think of? A blue tree of course. That's because you can't not think about something that you don't want to think about, without thinking about it first!

And in sales?

So when you say "I do hope I'm not getting a cold", you are focusing your mind on the words "getting a cold" and manifesting the very climate for a cold to take hold. Deepak Chopra (M.D. and founder of the Chopra Centre for Wellbeing) says "your immune system is constantly eavesdropping on your internal dialogue"...and it's not just your immune system!

So - in sales, every time you don't want something to happen, your focus of attention is fixed right on it. “I hope this isn't going to be a tough sales meeting”; “I hope they don't say no”; “I hope the client isn't challenging” - these are all versions of "don't think of a blue tree!"

Now let's get real here...I don't deny that the world sets us certain obstacles to overcome but I do believe that the obstacles are easier to overcome when we use positive language! Rather than saying "This is really hard" you could say, "this may not be easy yet but it will get easier each time I practice". A simple reframe which, if you replicated for all of your challenges, would create a significantly different world for you.

You'd be more empowered, more resourceful, more successful.

Even the most positive people...

...can fall into the trap of negative language - so start to notice when you do this for yourself. Every time you hear negative language, reframe the comment using positive language that's framed on what you want rather than what you don't want. Over time you'll start to notice yourself becoming much more positive, goal – focussed, and happier person! With much more, sales success.

Let me know how you get on.

Until next time.

Leigh