How Childhood Adversity Effects Sales Success
?? Violet Rainwater
Keynote Speaker | Equipping Organizations with a Proven Framework to Ignite Sales, Engage Talent, and Retain Top Performers | Sales Architec | 80's Music Lives On ??
A lot of sales professionals and small business owners don't realize how much the experiences of the past can affect them in growing their business in the present. As a sales professional or small business owner, you know how critical it is to have the right attitude in order to make sales and achieve success. This is such a valuable conversation and one I wish we could be having much more in the business space.
Our early childhood experiences set the tone for the rest of our life. From the very beginning, we develop habitual thoughts, beliefs, and emotional responses that determine the decisions that we make that determine the course of our life. One of the quotes that resonates with this is by?the great Greek philosopher Aristotle who once said, “Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man.” Which in essence sheds light on the power early experiences have on shaping the trajectory of our lives. When one experiences childhood trauma the effects can surface in a multitude of ways which can trigger adverse behaviors and undesired results.??
Trauma is a deeply disrupting experience that typically elicits a fixed habitual response designed solely to keep us safe while keeping so many of us stuck in survival mode.
Here are three ways that childhood trauma can affect your sales success:?
DESTRUCTIVE COPING MECHANISMS WHEN THINGS GET HEAVY.
Destructive coping mechanisms have a destructive effect on business success. These behaviors can manifest in times of stress when our triggers are not managed effectively. Not only can these habits disrupt daily business operations, they can also lead people away from their actual goals and consume too much energy and time.?
For example, when many professionals experience change or uncertainty it causes them to operate from survival mode which brings out the worst of behavior's. Lashing out, shutting down, or numbing are some of the behavior's that are common when we are in survival mode.
In order to succeed in life and in business, it’s important to have healthy coping mechanisms and incorporate daily practices that allow us to calm our racing minds and reconnect back to our peace and our power.?
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INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS THAT DERAIL MOMENTUM
Intrusive thoughts can also have a major effect on the progress of business success. These thoughts frequently come unannounced yet have the power to quickly derail momentum, whether it’s thinking “What if I get rejected on all my calls tomorrow” or “I’m definitely not going to hit my metrics”, due to fear and doubt. In a matter of seconds, intrusive thoughts have the power to damage your enthusiasm and make it harder to stay motivated as time goes on.?
Intrusive thoughts often go unnoticed because for many of us it is our normal way of thinking. For many years of my sales career, I was often hijacked by intrusive thoughts with every win I had. Constantly waiting for the bottom to fall out, my mind would begin telling me lies with every step forward I would take. Lies like, the prospect isn't going to show up, or if they would show up, then my mind would tell me that they wont buy from me and if they did buy, my mind would tell me they will change their mind. No matter what step of the sales process I was in, intrusive thoughts would show up and bring fear and anxiety to the table.?
It wasn’t until I had an awareness to my intrusive thoughts and where they came from, that I was able to step back and recognize the programming that was happening and pause. In the pause we are able to step back and choose to not allow that thought to take control of our mind and instead choose thoughts that allow us to move forward.?
By training ourselves to recognize intrusive thoughts and choose higher thoughts of joy and gratitude, we can create new pathways in the brain that allow us to move beyond the intrusive thoughts and take their power away.
PERFECTIONISM THAT STOPS US DEAD IN OUR TRACKS
Perfectionism can be a double-edged sword when it comes to business success. On the one hand, it can push us to strive for perfection and perfection is often rewarded in business. On the other hand, perfectionism can lead us down rabbit holes that can prove inhibitory for our short-term and long-term successes. It can be a difficult habit to break when it comes to business success. It can lead us to becoming fixated on perfection in our work and view every mistake as an irredeemable failure or a sign of not being good enough.?
As a perfectionist, I had a really difficult time overcoming the deep-seated feeling of never feeling like anything I did was good enough. I often found myself reworking and retrying things until I felt that it was "right" -- whatever that standards may have been in my head at the time If perfectionism is allowed to take center stage, creativity can become stifled and we may be afraid of taking risks or trying something new - eventually leading us to miss out on opportunities for growth. The good news is my Friends, that it is possible to break free from the chains of your past through awareness and with the right toolbox. With a greater awareness and the right tools, we no longer need to be held back by the programming of the past and the limitations of today but instead move forward towards greater success in life and business!
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Brand message coach / brand strategist / I teach entrepreneurs how to find ONE clear sentence to market their business, attract clients, and make da monies.
1 年OMG this is everything! The conversation I've been in lately is about the impact of our subconscious (95% of what we do is driven by that) and beliefs on our business - and our whole life, frankly. I wish there was a way for children to learn about these principles so they can live in peace with themselves and others. Imagine what impact THAT would have on the world! Keep speaking the truth ?
Deputy Head Teacher Curriculum Specialist
1 年Everything is great ?? and I ??approve this is awesome ???? and has a very nice ???? ?? groove !??
Deputy Head Teacher Curriculum Specialist
1 年I feel like I’m running ????♀? all the time and when I’m writing ??? something all I can do is think ?? in rhyme it’s a skill that I have and it’s so sincere that my mother ???? has taught me and I will always have the strength to learn and carry it on for years!!!??????????
Sales and Legal Consultant??Traditional Education Doesn’t Teach You How to Convert Potential Clients Into Paying Clients or How To Sell Your Services, But You Can Learn??Modernized Consultations Are Your Competitive Edge
1 年?? Violet Rainwater, MBA fantastic article. So much from the past weighs us done in the present. Dig that crap up and figure out a way to heal it.
??I elevate dry content. Word Nerd. Story Development. BIBA Award Editor, 16x Best-selling Writer, Transformational Writing Workshop Facilitator, Book producer+
1 年This was sooo good, Violet! Cringe-worthy, at times, as I saw myself acting out of old hurts or traits developed to cope with life as a small child in the hands of narc's. I'd also like to comment on perfectionism as it appeared in a whole new light recently with someone who always has to be right. I mean, always. As a result, the messenger was shot (not mortally, but def wounded) and the message was burned in the nearest fire pit. I had no idea that another person's self-image of "being perfect" coupled with intense insecurities (twisting meaning and words) could and would culminate in such a 'bonfire' of a response. whoa. Noted. I'm sharing this so others can recognize their good intentions can fall off a cliff when dealing with a perfectionist. Careful...steady as she goes, y'all. Great article, dear!