You were expecting a call from your prospect yesterday and it never came. Immediately, the speculation in your mind begins to torment you. “What happened? Why haven’t they called? What did I do wrong?” Every question points you toward a feeling of loss. This is the voice of resistance and it’s your first mental hurdle. You have begun to catastrophize! (Still not sure if that’s a real word, but we might just make it one!)

The first mental hurdle we must learn to overcome is the future catastrophe that isn’t even real. It’s a false future designed by the enemy to keep us in our place. As Steven Pressfield points out in his manifesto, Do the Work, resistance is very real. It is an enemy to progress. The enemy begins his assault on your mind with catastrophizing. So let’s talk about how we can overcome this first hurdle.

Step 1: Awareness

I was recently talking to a friend of mine who is a detective with the Austin Police Department. He’s an amazing individual with a heart for the community and a passion to serve. He told me that a constant struggle is trying to balance his training to react instinctively versus his training to slow down and be totally aware of misinterpretations. (i.e. is he reaching for a gun or a cell phone?)  He said the key for him is to constantly remind himself to slow down enough to increase his awareness. For us to overcome the future catastrophes we create in our minds, we need to do the same thing. Slow down and think.

• Sales Solution:  When your sales opportunity appears dead to you but you have not received a final “no” from the customer, you should recognize this as catastrophizing. This is where a good sales manager or a friend outside the situation can be helpful. Regular reviews of your sales opportunities with your manager can help you walk through the next steps and recognize when you are catastrophizing.
• Leader Solution:  Leaders are focused on the future and where the team is going. If the future seems like nothing but a train wreck, the leader needs to talk to someone. There is always a choice that can be made today to change the trajectory and the destination of the team tomorrow. Having a mentor to talk to will help you find your next step.

Step 2: Know your Location

Our choices create results, which are strung together over time to create a story… our story. And our story is just one of many which cross paths with others to create a rich tapestry of activity. My point in all this? Nothing sits in isolation. Once you know you are catastrophizing and the enemy is creating the images of a false future in your mind, you next need to know where you are in this storyline. Plot your location by noticing what brought you to this place. Then, from this point, you can plan a logical future and avoid the false future catastrophizing created.

• Sales Solution:  Both buying and selling occurs as a process. This process can happen in a matter of seconds or take 18 months to complete. Figure out where you are in your sales process and where your buyer is in their process. Then you’ll know your options for next steps. If they’re focused on satisfying their needs or the specifics of your solution, you are early in the sales process. If they’re focused on your price or the risks of saying yes/no, then you are near the end of the process.
• Leader Solution:  Leaders, by definition, are going somewhere. Think about it. If the team is going nowhere, you don’t need a leader. Go back to the original starting place and the new destination you set. From there, you created a plan to move toward that destination. If you never created milestone goals along the way, do that now. Your team needs to see small victories and progress along the way. Cort Dial, leadership consultant and author of Heretics to Heroes, points out that transparency from the leader in communicating progress will keep the team focused on success.

Step 3:  Gather More Information

In business, information has the same shelf-life as lettuce. In two weeks it’s gone bad. If you’re not gathering new information on a regular basis, you’ll end up making decisions based on yesterday’s situation, not today’s.

• Sales Solution:  As a sales professional, call on all of your contacts to update your information. If something has changed, you can adjust your sails. If nothing has changed but your sale has stalled out on the final decision, they are most likely stuck on the evaluation of risk. Remind them of the project objectives and your delivery assurances. They want to avoid their own catastrophizing and they need you to help eliminate risk.
• Leader Solution:  Share new information with your team as you are able. Without consistent and complete updates, the team will naturally begin to speculate the future based on what they know. As Pressfield points out, we have a real enemy we are fighting. Resistance will always appear to slow you down and leading your team toward catastrophizing is one of his favorite tactics.

This is just the first of four mental hurdles, but it all starts with this one. you already know this is true. We will never make any attempt to change if we are not aware of what we’re doing. Recognize the enemy… the enemy of RESISTANCE!

See you next week,
Russ

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The 4-Part Series – C.R.A.P.

May 21, 2017 – Catastrophizing hurdle

May 28, 2017 – Rationalizing hurdle

June 4, 2017 – Agonizing hurdle

June 11, 2017 – Procrastinating hurdle

Books mentioned in this post:

Do the Work, by Steven Pressfield

Heretics to Heroes: A Memoir of Modern Leadership, by Cort Dial

Cut the C.R.A.P. and Make the Sale, by Russ Peterson Jr.

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Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.