Increase Sales by Understanding How Your Brain Works

For years many have observed human nature. These observations have been written down in the earliest documented writings from Aristotle to Jesus Christ to Benjamin Franklin to Claude Bristol to Dr. Phil. There has and continues to be a consistency in the belief that positive thoughts generate positive outcomes and negative thoughts do exactly the opposite.

Now with the use of ever improving technology, brain research now has proven that negative patterns of thinking create the neuro-hormone adrenaline. This hormone triggers the flight or fight response which is from our earliest primitive experiences.

In the sales process, the last thing you truly wish to do is to fight with a potential customer (a.k.a. prospect) or flee (flight) from one. Yet, how many times do these unintentional actions actually happen because of negative thoughts.

For example, when meeting with a potential client, have you ever had any of these negative ideas:

• This person is just a tire kicker?
• Why am I doing this when I know this person is not serious?
• This gal or guy never gave me the time of day before so why now?
• Oh, another person just wasting my time to make an impression on her or his boss?
• Boy, I cannot wait until this appointment is over so I can meet with my next appointment who is really serious?

All of these negative beliefs (thoughts) are releasing chemical reactions that make you quite defensive even if you believe you have your body language under control. The source of these reactions reside in the amygdala through the limbic system.

So does it make sense to focus on the negative when focusing on the positive is far more beneficial?

Additionally by understanding how the brain works helps you to better understand your potential and existing customers. If clients are defensive, then their primitive brains are sending messages of fight or flight that are emotional in nature because of past experiences. Only after these initial reactions, does the brain engaged in rational thought through the cerebral neocortex.

However, sales is an emotional response. The amygdala is a necessary part in selling. People buy on emotions and then justify that purchase with logic. In working with the brain, the goal is to balance the negative thoughts or emotions (pain) and the positive ones (gain) within the sales process.

To better understand how the brain works there are many books including those that look to emotional intelligence and social intelligence. If you wish to increase sales especially in the 21st century, then understand how the brain works.