Is your story working for you?

Good day!It’s hard to believe that summer is almost done. I don’t know about you but I’m looking forward to less crowded airports and slightly less crowded planes. What about you?Learn how to master B2B sales by visiting TheSalesHouse.com.

Is your story working?

I don’t mean your sales pitch. Or your value proposition.I’m talking about the story of you.Everyone of us constructs a story in our minds that defines who we are, what’s important to us and what we want to achieve.So, what should you do if your story isn’t working? What if you’re not getting where you want to be at work? Or in life?Here’s four suggestions.

1. Re-write your story.

Successful authors rarely publish the first draft of their manuscripts.They continually tinker and re-write up to the moment the manuscript is delivered to the publisher.Not happy in life? Not satisfied with what you’re achieving at work? Or in the relationships in your life?Write a new script for you.

2. Act out your new story.

Conventional wisdom has it that our behavior stems from our beliefs.However, a growing body of psychological research has found that our beliefs actually follow our behavior.If this sounds suspiciously like “fake it til you make it,” it is.The theory of status-enhancement finds that people gain influence by acting confident.Acting confident creates the perception in others that you’re competent.Unfortunately, that can lead to problems if you’re just an empty suit. Thus, suggestion #3.

3. Constantly learn something new.

If you want to re-write your story, then you have to acquire new knowledge that helps you redefine your relationship to your world as you currently experience it.We re-create ourselves through learning.We become empowered to do something we never were able to do before.This is the “make it” part of the “fake it 'til you make it” equation.It’s great to be confident. However, at some point you'll need to execute.This is why continuous learning is so essential to your success.

4. Tie learning to your outcomes

What do you need to learn to become the “you" in your story? (That's the you who’s continuously growing, developing, achieving and happy…)You have to start by identifying the specific areas of sales where you need the most help. Write it down. Assign target learning dates to the items on your list.Then, research suggests the best way to approach the learning challenge is to define it as a game. A game which you play against yourself.Challenge yourself to learn and become proficient in the areas you identified by the target dates. Then reward yourself for defeating the “old you.”That’s a game you can win.AndyP.S. Learn how to master B2B sales by visiting TheSalesHouse.com.