Consider what is the common denominator of success then what differentiates successful individuals from those who consider themselves to have failed in their journey? Perhaps the answer is positive expectancy because successful individuals look to the future and expect to succeed while people who fail expect to fail.
It’s not a brand new idea because this simple concept has been around for a long, long time. The Bible says, “As he thinks within himself, so he is.” Napoleon Hill wrote, “We become what we think about.” Marcus Aurelius is credited with, “A man will rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.”
Are your dominant thoughts about winning or losing? Making the sale or walking out with nothing?
If you reflect upon the times when you have succeeded at a particularly difficult project, you probably expected to succeed: graduation; buying your first house; starting a business; making that big sale. When you decided to do it, made the commitment and expected to see it through, you did. We tend to get what we expect either good or bad.
What are your expectations?
If you could gauge your level of positive expectancy – not your hopes or wishes, but your honest expectations, are you going to have a great year? This simple exercise can give you some insights, so use your honest gut response is an indicator of what you expect to happen. Decide whether you expect your outcomes to get worse, stay the same or get better, then rate yourself on each item:
- Sales and personal income
- Personal finances
- Relationship with my spouse or partner
- Relationships with my children
- Relationships with friends and colleagues
- Health and wellness
- Education, continuous learning, and wisdom
- Creative endeavours
- Community or charitable contributions
What do you do if you don’t like your answers because there are strategies that can build your confidence in the future:
- Set a goal
- Take a course and build your skills
- Read books or articles on the subject
- Get a coach, counselor or therapist
- Review your priorities daily
- Track your progress
- Take responsibility
- Take initiative
- Visualize a better outcome
- Ask for help
- Manage your self-talk
Planning for the worst but expecting the best enables you to move forward without rose-coloured glasses. Want to measure your level of confidence in sales? Check out our Pure Selling Skills survey to learn more.
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