This article is written by Julie Brown, part of the SalesCU team and a mindset mentor.

Have you ever been in line in the grocery store and had a distinct feeling someone was watching you, and so you turned your head to see who was looking at you? This is a common occurrence for me. I also notice that if I happen to be looking at someone because I am trying to figure out if I know them, they will inevitably turn their head and look straight at me. It’s an eerie feeling­­­­––like somehow, we can read each other’s minds.

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This very thing happened to me one day as I was signing up for a class in college. The room was full of students who were talking and scattered around the room. As I was filling out the paperwork and getting my student ID picture taken, I kept feeling that someone was watching me. I could sense exactly where to turn in order to find the gaze that was directed my way. I could even see him slightly though my peripheral vision. He was not the only person in the room who was faced my way, so I cannot explain how I knew it was HIM looking at me and not any of the other people in the room. In fact, he was talking to another person, but I still felt his gaze on me. At one point I turned my head and flashed a smile in his direction. In my mind I was saying to him, “I see that you are looking at me.” Nevertheless, he maintained focused on me and continued watching me until I was finished registering.

After I finished filling out the paperwork, he approached me and started talking to me. He casually introduced himself and asked me various questions. We ended up talking for over an hour before I finally made it out the door. Before I left, he asked me for my number so that we could attend a school activity together.

This man was Nick Brown, and I eventually married him. It was the first time we had ever met. I guess you could say it was love at first sight for him, and that is why he couldn’t stop looking at me! Knowing you are being watched, or even talked about, is something nearly every person has experienced. How is it possible to know such a thing? It really comes down to this: Our thoughts often affect the thoughts of others without any other type of communication happening. What we think and feel, even if we are not aware of those thoughts and feelings, can be picked up and perceived by those around us.

What kind of messages am I sending out through my thoughts?

If we are sending out communication, via our thoughts, to those around us, we may be conveying unintentional messages to those very people. Our messages may be unintentional because most of us  are not conscious of the majority of our thoughts or feelings. However, as we gain more awareness of our thoughts and feelings, we can choose to be more intentional about them, and therefore more intentional about the messages we send out.

Have you ever noticed that some people just have a knack for communicating well? There are those who seem to have direct and pleasant ways of communicating. They seem to be natural at sales and customer service. When individuals are pleasant communicators, or natural at sales or customer service, it usually means their thoughts are congruent with their words. On the other hand, those who say one thing but think another, even if only subconsciously, cause others to feel confused by what they say because their words are not aligned with their thoughts. Individuals who have conflicting thoughts and words give others the impression that they’re dishonest and cause feelings of unease in others. Without knowing it, others can sense the contradiction between such dissonant thoughts and words. People whose words and thoughts both communicate the same message are the most natural and comfortable kind of people to be around.

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Aren’t my thoughts mostly happening at a subconscious level?

Yes, the majority of your thoughts happen at a subconscious level. In fact, your subconscious mind can process roughly eleven million bits of information per second. This is compared to the forty bits per second on the conscious level. That’s a lot of information. You cannot consciously control your subconscious mind. If you could, you would probably die. Your subconscious mind monitors all your bodily functions including your breathing, heart rate, etc. I don’t know about you, but I would rather not have to worry about keeping up with each heartbeat and breath. I have enough to think about and do as it is. So, if I don’t want complete control over my subconscious mind, can I at least gain some control over more of my thoughts and the messages my mind sends out to others? Yes. In this article, I will give you a simple tool that can help you align your subconscious thoughts with your conscious thoughts and desires. I don’t know about you, but I want my mind to send out the messages I choose. I want my conscious and subconscious to be in alignment. 

How does this apply to credit union sales?

The discord between your subconscious mind and conscious mind might be visible when you are asked to do something you do not feel 100% comfortable doing. For our purposes, we will consider sales. Maybe you have had uncomfortable experiences with sales in the past. Perhaps a salesperson was too pushy, or your parents talked badly of a door-to-door salesman that came to your home and these experiences taught you that selling is bad. All this information is stored in your subconscious mind and will be reviewed and used by your subconscious mind every time it is triggered.

But how do we change how our subconscious mind works? Can I gain more control over my subconscious thoughts?

The only way to solve this conflict and reconcile your subconscious mind with new thoughts and beliefs is to rewire your subconscious mind. This is possible as the following video demonstrates:

You can reprogram your brain––uninstall outdated ‘apps’ and reinstall new ones, of your choosing, into your mind. Your amazing subconscious mind will then be able to run new, updated programs. There are many awesome tools you can use to facilitate this reprograming. I will tell you about one tool that I have found helpful in updating old subconscious programing and reinstalling new, better programing.

Tool to reprogram your subconscious mind:

For this exercise, assume your subconscious mind is programmed to dislike all work in sales. This tool works with many different subjects and you can apply it to any area you desire. First, take out a blank piece of paper that you can tear in half, down the middle, when the time is right. A piece of printer paper would be excellent in this exercise (alternatively, you print this worksheet). Fold your paper in half hamburger style. Then on the left-hand side write down five negative thoughts and/or beliefs that you find yourself saying when you are asked to sell or to help your employees learn to sell.

After that is complete, on the opposite side of the page, or rather the other side of the fold, write down positive statements that counterbalance the negative ones you wrote down. Add fun, descriptive words to make your words more powerful. For even greater impact, add two statements for every negative one you wrote down.

Here are some examples:

Negative thought – “I do not like to sell to members because it makes them feel pressured and annoyed.”

Negative thought – “I do not like to sell to members because it makes them feel pressured and annoyed.”

AND

“Members love working with ME as I help them during the buying process! They feel happy knowing I have their best interest in mind.”

Negative thought – “I am not good at sales.”

Positive thought – “I am powerful and effective at helping members find solutions to their financial needs using the credit union’s products and services!

AND

Because of this, I create great results that improve members’ lives, I strengthen our credit union, and I easily surpass my personal sales goals.”

Next, take this piece of paper and rip it along the fold in the middle. Tear up the negative side or put it in the shredder while telling your mind that you are done with the old programming and ready to install the new updated program.

After this is done, you need to read the new statements to yourself frequently. It is best if you say them out loud. Now, be aware that these statements might feel false at first. This is perfectly normal. It is your subconscious mind reacting to the new programing. After all, you have likely been programing yourself to think this way for a very long time.  It takes repetition over time to change our old programing, as shown in the video above. As you say these statements daily, or even multiple times a day, you will start to notice changes in yourself. You will find yourself becoming happier and more excited to sell to your members!

Remember that thoughts are the foundation of who you are, how your life is, and the things you accomplish. Gaining control over those thoughts simply takes practice and intention. Even small adjustments can bring great results. Now go think positive!

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you with sales mindset at your credit union, schedule a time to speak with us.