[This is the fifth in a series of posts about how to overcome the setbacks we all experience in sales. For the first of the series, click here.]
“Damn. My game is really coming apart now. How much worse could it get?
“A lot worse. I’ve sunk lower than this before. Remember the United deal?
“If I don’t pull myself together fast, I’m going to be right there again. Get my butt kicked in front of everybody. Who knows? Larry used to fire people in front of the whole assembly at kickoff. That could be me next time. Except he doesn’t do it anymore. Thank God.
“Jason’s going to enjoy this. Smirking bastard. I’d do anything not to give him the pleasure.
“Seriously, this could get bad. What would I tell Anne? (I probably shouldn’t tell her… don’t want to rattle her. On the other hand, she’d figure out something’s wrong. I suck at hiding what’s on my mind. No wonder I can’t win at poker.)
“It’ll be my own fault if I it goes that far. I always get into jams like this when I’m under pressure.”
If any of this internal trash talk sounds familiar, you’ve got plenty of company.
What do you notice about this monologue, besides its negativity?
It prevents you from thinking about what should be on your mind at a time like this.
Something unexpected has just come to your attention. You’ve received feedback that points to trouble ahead. You need to make a course correction.
But you’re focused instead on what a screw-up you’ve been for letting yourself get here.
Champions have learned to think differently. Can you imagine Tiger Woods talking to himself like that every time he hits a bad shot?
No. Tiger quickly absorbs and assesses in all the relevant information. How did it sound when the clubhead hit the ball? What was the ball’s trajectory? Did it pull left or hook? At what point in the ball’s flight did the hook start? What effect might the wind have had on it? Where did the ball land? How fast and how far did it roll? In what direction? What’s the shape of the divot?
With all this data, he can quickly piece together what he did and why the ball behaved as it did. He learns, adapts and moves on to the next shot. He doesn’t waste time or energy berating himself.
Guided missiles and aircraft fly off course about half the time they’re in the air. But they reach their destination because their guidance systems correct their flight path hundreds or thousands of times along the way. The important thing is not to stay on course throughout the flight, but to reach the precise destination when it matters.
This is a great perspective for us, too.
You’ve landed in a bad lie. Accept it. Don’t throw clubs. Don’t think how typical this is for you.
Assess how you got to this point. Then visualize the behavior you’ll need to get you back on track to your goals.
If you focus on understanding causes and effects, you’ll soon learn how to get there most economically within your abilities and limitations.
Be more alert and aware of what’s going on around you. Absorb what you can learn from your environment rather than letting yourself be distracted by the chatter in your head.
Give fresh thought to your next shot. Don’t let its success be influenced by the outcome of your prior shot. Only one question matters: What next action will get you to your flagpole in as few strokes as possible?
– Scott Silverback