We become what we think about. We move in the direction of our thoughts. We behave as we believe. How we think affects how we act. In psychology, we call this the self-fulfilling prophecy. In medicine, it is the placebo effect. In everyday terms, it is the boomerang effect; we get back what we throw out.
We become what we think about. We move in the direction of our thoughts. We behave as we believe. How we think affects how we act. In psychology, we call this the self-fulfilling prophecy. In medicine, it is the placebo effect. In everyday terms, it is the boomerang effect; we get back what we throw out.
The real problem with negative thinking, in addition to the fact that no one wants to be around you, is that it monopolizes your intellect and stifles your creativity. I’ve heard it said that negativism is a total waste of a perfectly good imagination.
My son and I were on our way home from our annual pilgrimage to Sturgis, S.D. Yes, the motorcycle rally. We caught up with a couple of friends along the way. One of them had bike trouble and was understandably frustrated (been there and done that). The real problem was not the broken part, but his attitude about it. Instead of being grateful for his safety and the help around him, he chose to focus on the negative aspects of his situation. The outcome was that there was no room in his thinking for a creative solution. He sped off in a rented vehicle to a dealer 150 miles away, adding 300 miles to an already long trip.
Ten miles down the road a viable solution hit me that would have saved my friend a very long diversion, but we never had the chance to discuss it because my friend would not entertain any creative approaches amidst his negativism. THAT is the problem with negativism; it crowds out creativity. This isn’t exactly Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but it’s close. So, the next time you decide on negativism remember that you are depriving yourself of the benefits of creative thinking, not to mention, adding a few hours to your journey, which will no doubt be filled with even more negativism.
10 things to remember about selling
Here is a short list of some things to remember about selling:
1. Add value, not cost; sell value, not price!
2. Sell to the customer’s needs, not necessarily against the competition.
3. Promise a lot and deliver more.
4. Plan every sales call.
5. Listen more than talk on a sales call.
6. Sell all three dimensions of value: your product, your company, and YOU.
7. Remind the customer often of your value added and everything you do for them.
8. It’s important to know where to call; it’s imperative to know where NOT to call.
9. Cutting price is only one way to deal with a price objection.
10. Treat your customers as if they are prospects, for they are, for your competition.
Tom Reilly is the author or Simple Psychology: Simple Living in a Complicated World.
