The Art of Self in Sales

I've been reading the "Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. It's been enlightening to learn why we do the things we do and why we are the way we are.

Since I am a sales professional, things started to fall into place and showed how applicable this book is to not only everyday life, but also sales itself.

I'm going to distill some points I've taken from the book in quote form and show how to use them daily.

You are NOT Your Mind.

The biggest piece to understand in this entire tool, to me, is that you are NOT your mind.

What does this mean?

Your mind or ego as some may call it is a vision of everything you've experienced in life.

The most common ego identifications have to do with possessions, the work you do, social status and recognition, knowledge and education, physical appearance, special abilities, relationships, personal and family history, belief systems, and often also political, nationalistic, racial, religious, and other collective identifications. None of these is you. Eckhart Tolle - Power of Now

It is an evolution of your life that creates what your mind considers to be you.

Most people will get tied up with - "Yeah this is me it is who I am, I love doing these things" and there is nothing wrong with this!

What I want you to take away from this is you created this being. The mind is a creation, made by years and years of life. You have the ability to ALTER this being as you see fit.

Take a Step Back

One of the greatest aspects of being human is that we can examine everything we do every single day.

• Why did I eat the cheeseburger?
• Why am I not exercising?
• Why did I say that to my friend?
• Why am I not doing anything?
• Why did I wake up late today?

Or my favorite

Why am I thinking what I am thinking right now? What is the cause?

If you can't see where I am going with this, I'll explain.

We have the innate ability to step outside of our own bodies and watch what we are doing.

I can, in my mind's eye, visualize myself sitting here typing this and going through the entire process of getting it down on paper. I can analyze every thought as my fingers hit the keyboard one after another. I can watch this, and change all of it if I choose to.

Therefore I have the ability to look at my actions and change them should I choose to.

The Separation

This is where the separation of your being and your mind lie. YOU are not the thoughts that occur in your mind. IF you argue this, your mind is in control.

Eckhart asks you to try a little test if you disagree with this. I initially laughed when I heard this, then realized he was right.

"Tell your mind to shut up" ... Does it listen? If not, your mind controls you. Your mind should be a tool for you, not a tool using you.

Good news is we change all this. First step is realizing it's happening. Second step is doing the practices necessary to make the change. I'll dive into these in a future letter.

The Sales Aspect

There will be a series I do on this. But first I wanted to tie in where I am going with the sales aspect of this process.

When we realize we have control over our mind, what happens?

You learn that you CAN CHANGE YOURSELF into what you want to be.

“Cary Grant once said, “I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally, I became that person. Or he became me.”― Todd Herman, The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life

People tend to laugh at this statement," Fake it until you make it". But there is truth in this statement.

Nobody is who they want to be before they start acting like that person. It is impossible to be something you aren't

Therefore embodying the person you want to become, future you, it is pivotal that you begin acting like this person.

Imagine a Moment

As a sales rep it can be extremely easy to lose sight of your goal. Even if it is as simple as hitting a dollar mark. You can become enamored with the moving parts around you. Getting lost in the bullshit that surrounds you.

Now take a step back, what are you trying to be? Who is this sales person you want to be?

• Are they confident?
• Consistently perform above goal?
• Not afraid to ask challenging questions?
• Willing to go the extra mile, knowing every inch could mean a bigger deal?
• Do they believe they are able to close anyone?
• Do they truly believe in the product they are selling?

This is just a small glimpse of who this person could be, simple questions you can ask yourself.

Begin realizing who this person is.

Practice it, become them, become you. It's going to take an incredible amount of repetition to embody this person. But you are more than capable of doing it, because it is you.

I'm tying this specifically to sales, but in reality you can tie this to anything in life.

Begin with the end in mind - with everything you do. Once you reverse engineer and see the pieces for what they are. You will realize you can do and be just about anything you want.

Follow for more @ kyleferretti.com