#616: Amp Up Your Sales Performance with a Ritual w/ Daniel McGinn

 

Daniel McGinn, author of Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed, joins me on this episode of #Accelerate!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Daniel says the single biggest challenge facing sales reps today is the ‘no-decision.’ Sales are getting stuck in the quicksand of corporate bureaucracy. CEB research shows that corporate decision-making is bogged down.
Daniel wrote his book based on his experience in school athletics and observing rituals business and sports high performers used pre-game. He researched ‘psyching up.’
Daniel’s first concept of psyching up was the adrenaline rush before. Research pointed him more to emotions than adrenaline. Crank down your anxiety; amp up your confidence; calibrate your energy to the activity.
Daniel reported part of the book at the Juilliard Music School. They have a semester course on preparing your emotions for an audition. If you don’t manage the pressure you won’t do your best under the pressure.
One professor had students physically exercise before playing. Andy had a bicycling coach who taught him to “Calm your breathing — control your chaos.” We have stresses we need to control.
A surgeon cited in the book used a five-part ritual before surgery: pause and clear the mind, think of the patient, review the plan, state affirmations, and say a prayer. He also kept his mentor’s surgical instruments in the O.R.
“It’s not weird if it works.” A salesperson wears his prom king crown before making a phone call. Daniel listens to himself giving an interview on NPR. At Westpoint, they listen to personalized audio highlight reels before a game.
Andy tells himself, “Action!” before he goes onstage. It makes him smile. Research shows that people who have a ritual perform better, and people who are taught to do a ritual also perform better after doing the ritual.
The Yerkes-Dodson Law says people perform best when their stress is in the middle — when they’re neither bored not frightened. Focus on excitement (anticipation) rather than nervousness (fear). You will be at your best.
Cold calling is difficult. Finding ways to tweak your emotions and be excited about successful engagement will help. Daniel suggests a playlist. Use what works for you.
Daniel recommends centering. Look for a YouTube video to see how. Whatever psyching up technique you choose, let it build positive emotion, practice it, and make it a ritual.

 

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