In sales, the right mindset is foundational to success
If business leaders and sales professionals put as much emphasis on preparing their minds for success as world-class athletes do, they would likely be much more relaxed, confident and extraordinary!
Please consider for a moment: What if you followed Peyton Manning’s example of how to prepare for success? How might things change in your life? Here’s what Jim Mora, who coached Peyton Manning for four years, says about him: “What sets Manning apart is his preparation. That’s it in a word: preparation. He prepares himself mentally, physically and emotionally to be the best he can be. Now, everyone wants to be the best. But Peyton does what it takes to be the best.”
The second Fearless Leaders defining characteristic.
The second Fearless Leaders defining characteristic is: Be a Mindset Master. Mindset masters impeccably prepare to be their best under stress – technically, mentally and emotionally. They know how to be their best during the most important moments and greatest challenges of their lives.
You can learn to be your best when it counts the most, too! During the most important events in your life, when you are working the biggest deal of your career, are you relaxed and confident, or anxious and fearful? The more you gain control of your thoughts – and thus your emotions and mindset – and technically prepare when going into an important or challenging situation, the more likely you are to create the best outcome.
In the following scenarios, how profound of an effect do you think the right mindset would have in each situation? What would be the most important thoughts or emotions when:
- Leading a team meeting, or giving a speech?
- Arriving at work in the morning?
- Arriving at home in the evening or after a trip??
- Resolving a conflict with someone you love?
- Asking for a raise?
Use pre-event routines to prepare to be your best.
Phil Mickelson, a top ranked professional golfer for many years, performs a highly practiced, multi-step routine before he takes a shot in a competition. Before a race, Olympic athlete Lindsey Vonn, considered to be the best woman skier in U.S. history, creates a mental image of skiing the most perfect run she can. Kobe Bryant, MVP of the 2009-2010 NBA finals, always does exactly the same routine before each free throw.
Why do world-class athletes practice to perfect their pre-event routines? Because they perform better when they do. Entrepreneurs, corporate executives and sales professionals – everyone performs better when they use a well developed pre-routine.
Thomas was a middle-of-the-pack sales rep for a high-tech company when he began using a brief, three-step pre-selling routine before each phone or in-person sales conversation. He 1) slowed and deepened his breathing, 2) centered his physical and emotional energy and 3) focused on the one thought and one emotion that would best serve him when engaging with his potential client. Tom became the top sales person in his company over the next two years and was promoted to sales vice president. He credited his pre-routine for rapidly accelerating his success.
Preparing using a pre-routine will create much greater success and joy in all of the most important situations you have in your life. What’s your pre-routine for your most important situations?
Creating the right thoughts, emotions and mindset in the most challenging personal or professional situations gives you an advantage for success and happiness that others can only wish for. Mental and emotional preparation techniques are all fairly easy to learn and can be mastered if you apply them consciously for a long enough period of time.
Whether it’s how you lead yourself, your family, a team, an organization or a business, you can show up and be your best more often by being a mindset master. I invite you to become more of a Fearless Leader. The second section of Fearless Leaders has easy-to-apply techniques to help you become a mindset master, and coaching can further accelerate your learning.
