Commercial Integrator November 2022 - 8

Brought to you with the support of
AV BRAINS & BRAWN
Writing the Next Chapter of Being a Salesperson
With change all around us, salespeople must adapt their skill set and find ways to deliver real value,
not 'speeds and feeds.' By Alan C. Brawn
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME you could
just coast? By that, I mean sit back, relax
and go along for a month or two, without
having something - personal, professional
or social/civil - significantly impact
your life.
The impacts that prevent us from coasting
might be short lived or long term; they
might even be existential in nature. They
might be positive or negative - more likely,
they reflect the shades of grey between
the two.
The word " change " is a synonym for impact,
and change is a constant over time.
However, unfortunately, the fear of change
is also a constant. From time immemorial,
humans have liked routine. It makes us feel
more in control of our lives. Our fear of
change, despite our inability to control it,
can become irrational. This phenomenon
is so prevalent that there's even an identified
phobia for it - namely, metathesiophobia.
People with this phobia feel as
though they have no control over their
lives due to constant change.
Metathesiophobes tend to live in the
past, and they're unwilling to progress. Often,
this leads to depression, which can seriously
impact their lives professionally and
personally. Most of us do not experience
full-scale metathesiophobia, but we might
feel that many things in our lives are out of
our control and constantly changing.
What Kind of Change?
Change, by itself, is neither good nor bad.
It depends on what the change is, how
it affects us and how we react to it. What
we do know is that, if a society, country or
industry rejects change, there is no growth
and no progress. The inability to change,
progress or grow results in stagnation. It
has been said, " Stagnation rejects realizing
one's full potential. Stagnation is not a
healthy flowing river; it is an idle and stale
pond. " None other than Benjamin Franklin
8
At one time, we led with products; now, however, we must focus on buyers as individuals.
That means understanding their hot buttons, pain points and problems.
noted, " When you are finished changing,
you're finished. "
Noted author and culture design
consultant Gustavo Razzetti, writing in Psychology
Today, tells us, " We fear change
because we can't anticipate the outcome.
However, staying put can be riskier than
changing. Whether it's in your career or a
relationship, you risk being left behind if
you don't continue to grow. " Continuing,
he points out, " Although we reject uncertainty,
we have the skills to change and
evolve. Fear is an emotion that gets in the
way - we lose clarity about our potential. "
Research shows that, in our very DNA,
we are hard-wired to resist uncertainty.
The human brain tends to prefer a
predictable negative outcome over the
fear associated with an uncertain one. The
good news is that our minds are flexible
and (most importantly) adaptive. That
is, we can train our brains to thrive amid
changing circumstances. And training is
Commercial Integrator NOVEMBER 2022
the key concept. Basically, this refers to
doing something different than you did
before. Although the quote is erroneously
attributed to Einstein, the fact remains that
insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly
and expecting a different outcome.
Changes in action beget changes in
outcome.
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Razzetti opines, " Our fear of change is
based on stories - both real and the
imagined ones we tell ourselves. We
narrate our lives as if they are out of our
control - we feel as [if] we are playing a
part someone else wrote for us. Your life is
not a book written by others - create your
own storyline. The fact that most outcomes
are out of your control doesn't mean you
can't play a more active role. If you want a
different outcome, start by changing your
mentality. You are not just a character; you
are the author of your life. "
commercialintegrator.com
BNENIN/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

http://www.commercialintegrator.com

Commercial Integrator November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Integrator November 2022