Sales Success: Is it Luck or B.S.

Sales Success: Is it Luck or B.S.?

Are successful salespeople luckier than those who are not successful? Well, yes! But their good luck has more to do with B.S. than you might realize.

Let’s get one thing straight: when I refer to B.S., I am not writing about foolish, deceitful, or boastful language. I am writing about your “Belief System” -- how you feel about yourself at the deepest level of your being.

Interestingly enough, people with the right B.S. are luckier. They have put themselves in a position to be at the right place at the right time. And unlucky people, by changing their B.S., can change their luck and their lives.

Ten years ago, British professor Dr. Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire decided to search for the elusive luck factor by investigating the actual beliefs and experiences of lucky and unlucky people. Wiseman identified four factors that explained living a lucky and unlucky life. He found that lucky people “believe” they are lucky and are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophecies via positive expectations, and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck to good.

He was then able to show a group of “unlucky” people how to change their B.S. so they would act like “lucky” people. The results were astounding. Almost all participants reported significant life changes, including increased levels of luck, self-esteem, physical well-being, confidence, and success.

Here are three ways that you can change your B.S. and unleash your sales potential.

Do the impossible. For me, it was walking 30 feet over hot coals, smoldering at 1500 degrees. You may define the impossible differently. But by putting yourself in a mental state of absolute certainty that you will succeed, the impossible can be accomplished.

Associate with others who do the impossible. It was once considered impossible to run a mile in less than four minutes. Then Roger Bannister ran a mile in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. Within 46 days, John Landy beat that record. In less than three years, 16 runners had joined their ranks.

Napoleon Hill, in his book Think and Grow Rich said, “The number one factor in determining an individual’s wealth is the people they hang around.” In fact, he said, “A person will earn approximately the average of the five people they most associate with in their lifetime.” A great way to change your own B.S. is to associate with other people who have a high B.S. quotient themselves.

Recognize disenabling beliefs and change them. In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda teaches Luke Skywalker how to lift rocks with his mental powers. One day, Yoda tells Luke to lift his ship out from the swamp where it sank after a crash landing. Luke complains that lifting a star-fighter is impossible. Yoda insists. Luke manages a valiant effort but fails in his attempt. Yoda then focuses his mind, and lifts the ship with ease. Luke, dismayed, exclaims, "I don't believe it."

"That's why you couldn't lift it," Yoda replies. "You didn't believe you could."

So is sales success luck or B.S.? I say, make your own luck and B.S. your way to the top!