How To Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs

The organisation with the ability to overcome the variety of mental models living in the minds of their workforce will be the organisation that wins in the future. Emphasis has to be placed on creating an environment in which the ‘can do – will do’ mentality thrives and becomes the norm, success and achievement are expected and as a consequence are much more likely to happen. We call this fulfilled expectation.

Expect Beliefs To Change:

Throughout a person’s lifetime, beliefs change continually. Beliefs that they once thought to be immutable cease to be true. Take the example of Roger Bannister who, in 1957, became the first athlete to break the four-minute barrier for running a mile. Prior to Bannister’s achievement, most athletes considered a sub-four-minute mile impossible. But that same year, sixteen other athletes also ran a mile in less than four minutes. Did they become superhuman overnight? Or, more simply, did their beliefs change?

Our Colleagues Can Exert Positive Pressure:

Like those milers, salespeople have their own unique sets of beliefs, some of which limit their potential in sales. For instance, during a recession, the members of a sales force may all believe that strong sales are impossible. But if just one person increases their sales, what seemed an inevitable fact will suddenly appear more like a thin excuse for poor performance.

We Must Challenge Negative Beliefs:

Sales Captains who challenge negative beliefs with good questions can help create shifts in mindset. Take a look at these examples of negative beliefs and examples of questions that challenge them.

Statement

“Our solutions are too expensive.”

Response

“Compared with whom?”
“Compared to what?”
“How do you know?”

Statement

“I’m hopeless at cold calling”

Response

“According to whom?”
“What prevents you from being good at cold calling?”
“What would happen if you were good?”

Statement

“My sales target is too high this month, I’ll never achieve it”

Response

“What do you need to do so that you can?”

While challenging questions may not instantly create a belief change, over time, they can enable salespeople to shift their perceptions of their beliefs, recognising that there are other possibilities and options available to them.

Developing Self Worth:

Organisations that recognise the importance of helping their salespeople develop a strong sense of self worth are many times more likely to produce high performers. Self worth is vital to everyone but especially to salespeople who hear “no” more often than they hear “yes, I’ll buy”. A salesperson’s self-esteem can sometimes take a hammering, but organisations that find ways to build their salespeople’s self-esteem reap an invaluable dividend. Self–worth translates into attitude, that small thing that makes such a big difference.

In Summary - The most successful salespeople take care of their attitude and they understand that:

Great Attitude = Great Results,
Average Attitude = Average Results,
Poor Attitude = Poor Results.

The second commonality with successful salespeople is that they expect to be successful and they want it badly enough that they bring about its happening i.e. fulfilled expectation.

Copyright © 2006 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserved

The organisation with the ability to overcome the variety of mental models living in the minds of their workforce will be the organisation that wins in the future.

Jonathan Farrington is the Managing Partner of The jfa Group http://www.thejfagroup.com. To find out more about the author, read his latest articles or to subscribe to his newsletter, visit: http://www.jonathanfarrington.com You can now also read his weekly blog for dedicated sales professionals: http://www.thejfblogit.co.uk

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