I recently facilitated one of my Tighten Up Your Sales Game trainings. One of the activities I always include in the session involves participants thinking about a big revenue goal they’d like to achieve sometime this year. I have them write that goal down and then ask a series of questions around how achieving that goal would feel. What would you do with the money? How would you celebrate?
On the flip side, I also ask what might cause them not to achieve this goal. During this most recent training, one of the participants gave a very interesting answer: the question around “who does she think she is?”
While this is far from the first time I’ve heard this insecurity expressed among my clients, it was the first time I’ve heard it phrased in this particular way. As business owners, I know many of us have struggled with doubt, anxiety, or even fear related to our qualifications and the value of our services.
Whether it’s “who does she think she is?” or another intrusive thought, we all have some brand of mental monster niggling at us and holding us back from being as successful as possible in our business. How do we overcome the monster to reach our full potential?
Three Key Takeaways
1. Take a moment to name it. The first step to overcoming any problem is to recognize what exactly that problem is. Take some time to consider your monster and give it a name. It might be “Who does she think she is?”; “I’ve never done this before.”; “What if they say no?”; or any number of other insecurities. By naming our monster, we’re not amplifying its power but instead calling it out, allowing us to put the thought into perspective and take some of the emotion out of it so we can move forward.
2. Create a contingency plan. Now that you’ve named the monster, think through the different ways it might come up in your sales conversations or other business activities. Then, create a contingency plan for every possible situation that might stoke that fear. By proactively considering the risks and planning ahead, you’ll avoid getting caught up in the emotion of a triggering experience and be able to handle times of chaos with grace, confidence, and efficiency instead.
3. Get support. Having a support system on your side is invaluable for overcoming the monsters holding you back. Make sure you have at least one person who will check in on you and serve as a sounding board during those vulnerable moments. This could be an accountability partner, coach, mentor, spouse, friend, anyone, just as long as this person provides a safe space.
Additional Resources
Need some support naming and overcoming the monsters holding you back in your business? Sign up for one of our upcoming Convert Labs.
