As we continue our sales mindset series, we dig a bit deeper and find the mindset as a learning process.
Our last article pointed out that some people cease growing holistically, especially mentally, at the point their body stops growing. Some are in the body of an adult but still act like little children and are quite irresponsible. Others, having stopped growing inside years ago, are even dead internally.
Because all life is actually about learning, the opposite should be true. Having grown in our bodies, should we not also grow in our minds and spirits?
EngagementEngagement Engagement is the state or process of keeping a specific class of audience (employees, management, customers, etc.) interested about a company or brand and invested in its success because of its perceived relevance and benefits to the audience. in Life
Given that life is a learning process, disengagement from life is wrong. Yet many people have this ambition—they want to separate themselves from negative thoughts, from their family, from their past experiences, and from their own thoughts about themselves. Some even take this kind of detachment to the extreme of physically harming themselves because they cannot accept who they are.
Within self-criticism seems to come a constant comparison of oneself with others. In fact, our society seems to be built on doing just that. Such a comparison is completely unrealistic. No one has the same genes, background, upbringing, education, parents, or social environment, yet we end up comparing ourselves to others based on what they have that we don’t, either in terms of material possessions or success.
Instead of withdrawing from goals, things, feelings, or thoughts, movement toward higher goals or principles would be a better mindset. One should not work to detach from life but to move towards and embrace it.
Mindset Influence of Decisions
Wrong decisions can result from a wrong mindset—decisions that set factors in motion that carry through for generations. A wrong mindset, in my opinion, is at the root of the significant problems we face globally today. We have inherited the problems of those who made bad decisions long ago.
A prime example is the endless conflict between Israel and Palestine in the Middle East. At the end of World War I, the “winners” of that conflict met at the Paris Peace Conference and decided how the “losers” would be punished. First, Germany was blamed for starting the war (which it didn’t) and saddled with enormous financial reparations. This action economically collapsed Germany and set the stage for Adolf Hitler and World War II.
Another “loser”—more to the point—was the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire encompassed all of the territory involved in today’s strife. After the war, the Ottoman Empire was dismantled and divided into new, invented states, made the property of the “victorious” countries, France and Great Britain. The Arabs and the Jews were equally betrayed in this “agreement.” The whole region became a catastrophe.
What sort of mentality guided these actions? Colonialism. The Paris Peace Conference divided up the conquered territory with a colonial mindset.
Winning As One
Since we are, as I stated earlier, sharing a mutual learning process, it would be better for us to win together rather than engage in constant conflict. Because we had “winners” and “losers” in World War I, we inherited the results of the next war more than 100 years later. We could have chosen to negotiate with dignity for the losers and create an outcome where everyone could still look each other in the eye with respect and not total hatred, instead of the “winners” crushing the other side.
Polarities of Existence
How is such a mindset changed? Is it even possible? Is it inevitable?
All of us exist in different polarities: black and white, good and bad, left and right. Every day, each of us has the opportunity to go left or right, but the truth is we will never transcend these polarities. We will never have a completely healed world.
Selling, however, is our one chance to make things better. As we have often pointed out, the Austrian School of Economics shows us that sales contain a peacekeeping element.
The Right Mindset for Sales
The above point applies just as long as the salesperson has the right mindset—necessary for a salesperson’s survival. The new currency of commerce is referrals, and a salesperson lives by referrals. If you are deceitful or mean, no one will recommend you. You can’t hide anymore, which is both a blessing and a curse for some.
A real mindset, as opposed to an artificial one, is required for sales. For example, you cannot be a nice person during the day and go home and be abusive to your family. People will begin to see behind your mask if that is who you really are.
Many consider that any negative feeling is permanent. They wake up one morning and feel bad, so they decide they are going to have a bad day.
Reactions and feelings are completely changeable. Nothing in this world is set in stone. You have the power to create the world around you—no one is like a puppet on a string. You can wake up one day and say, “I have a bad feeling, but today could be good. And I can change my feelings. If you don’t allow negative thoughts to settle in your mind, you can begin to make such a change.
Accepting Wrong Advice
A person’s negative thoughts are not the only thing that affects them; other people also have an impact on them. The “wrong counselors” can advise them and leadLead Lead refers to a prospect or potential customer (who can be an individual or organization) that exhibits interest in your service or product; or any additional information about such entity. them in a destructive direction.
An example comes down to us from the Old Testament. One of the wisest kings who ever lived was Solomon, who gave us the book of Proverbs. Solomon successfully ruled ancient Israel for many years.
Upon Solomon’s death, the crown was passed to his son Rehoboam. There were many domestic problems at that time, not the least of which were taxes, about which the Israelites complained bitterly.
Seeking solutions, Rehoboam sought counsel from former advisers to his father as well as from his own younger advisers. The younger people advised Rehoboam to oppress the citizens of Israel—he was told that the citizens should pay more so that those in power could have a better life. Unfortunately, Rehoboam chose to follow this advice. Israel was divided and fell apart, and Rehoboam lost everything.
Referring back to the beginning of this article, victorious powers of World War I followed a similar pattern in deciding to crush Germany and dismantle the Ottoman Empire.
We have obviously inherited this mindset, for we’re operating the exact same way today.
Salespeople Behavior
We believe, at Pipeliner, that if a salesperson behaves like this, they will be crushed. They should behave differently.
It is said that we always meet twice in life, which is the first reason for different behavior. You don’t want to meet someone whom you mistreated and have them take it out on you.
The second reason is that no one will trample or crush you if you practice humility, are friendly, trustworthy, positive, and are loyal as a salesperson.
Who Creates Your Reality?
Why is it that some seem incapable of behaving this way? I believe it is because they feel unworthy and unappreciated. A person lives in a negative reality.
When you acknowledge that you alone are responsible for creating your reality, a mindset shift begins to take place. You create how you are perceived and recognized as a salesperson. You create the reality of your career.
I think I’m responsible for creating the lovely, excellent team that surrounds me. The reality I created came about because I took responsibility for my feelings, for my thoughts, for what happens in my company, and for what happens with my clients. I take responsibility for these factors and I do not put them on others. This makes me strong.
The Quality of One’s Being
My reality is a result of my thinking, which means that the quality of my being is the quality of my thinking. This is also true for you—the quality of your being is the quality of your thinking.
How do you consider yourself? Of course, everyone has to answer this question for themselves. How realistic is your view of yourself, positively or negatively? Some people see themselves very unrealistically—I would call this “the balloon effect”.
To sum up, the mindset comes through the learning process of life. Our own thinking can change a mindset. So our own thinking leads to the creation of our own reality.
What should your reality look like?
