Positive mental attitude (PMA)

Positive mental attitude (PMA)

Having looked at the importance of persistence, we will now look at another, equally important, attribute of the por-clo: a positive mental attitude (PMA).
Attitude comes form the heart and ends up in the mind. In other words, you must first have a burning desire or need to succeed before your mind will give you the positive attitude needed to accomplish the task and continue to do so.

I am now going to show you how, with a certain attitude you will succeed too per cent of the time. That’s right, succeed too per cent of the time, with every customer you meet. Here’s how If you have the attitude that you will fail with every customer you meet, I guarantee you will be right. You will succeed too per cent of the time. You will in fact, fail with every customer and never make a sale.
Attitude is all about belief – faith in yourself, and your ability to succeed. It has been said that only the persuaded are able to persuade. The best way to illustrate this is by way of examples. Here’s an old favorite

Thomas Edison was the inventor of the electric light bulb. Throughout the course of his experiments, try as he might, Edison couldn’t manage to make the filament last more than a few seconds. Eventually, after many hundreds of experiments, Edison was asked why he continued to persevere after failing so many times. Edison replied: I don’t consider that I have failed hundreds of time. I have in fact succeeded in finding hundreds of ways it won’t work. After many more hundred of experiment, Edison finally succeeded in inventing a light bulb where filament lasted months and months and months. What persistence, what a great attitude and what a passion for success!

One of the most positive people I know and also a very good friend of mind, luis Gonzalez, says:

The only difference between a loser and a winner is one of attitude. The loser’s attitude is, he never was, isn’t now, and never will be. The winner’s attitude is, he has been, still is, and never will be. The winner’s attitude is, he has been, still is, and will continue to be.
I remember when I was a sales manager having a problem with a sales called Adam. Now Adam had ability, he had proven himself in the past and was a likeable chap, but over the previous couple of months he had gone straight downhill.

I tried everything to lift him up again. I went over is presentation with a fine tooth comb. I gave him it tives until they were coming out of his ears. I tried to motivate him and teach him some new trice. I pushed some exceptionally good leads his in the hope that a sale would fix everything. Nothing worried so eventually, as a last straw, I put
Adma on notice. I gave him a final target: three sales out on the next ten leads, otherwise you’re out.

Adam didn’t want to be sackd, and I didn’t didn’t want to let him go- as I said, he was a
likeable chap. This is what happened.

I gave Adam the afternoon off, on condition that he would do what I was about to ask him to do, no matter how silly it might seem. After all there is no harm in trying. Then I said to him:

Adam I’m going to give you the afternoon off so you can go home. Whilst you’re going home, I want you to say to yourself, time and time again, I’m going to get a deal tomorrow”. Then when you get home, instead of doing whatever it is that you normally do, go into the garden, relax, and say to yourself over and over again, I’m going to get a deal tomorrow, I’m going to get a deal tomorrow. All through your shower and evening meal, drum it into yourself, I’m going to get a deal tomorrow. I’m going to “Instead of watching television, go for a long walk and repeat that statement to yourself thousands upon thousands of times until you’re almost brainwashed.

Go to bed early, and instead of reading or counting sheep, say to yourself, “I’m going to get a deal tomorrow…” Keep saying it until you drop asleep and if possible, say it in your sleep. In the morning as you get up, dressed and breakfasted, say to yourself over and over “I’m going to get a deal today” And say it all the way to work. I’m going to get a deal to say”- say it with emotion end convietion.

Adam did as I asked and repeated that statement literally thousands of times. In doing so he embedded the statement in his subconscious, where it started to become a belief.

He doubted at first whether this advice would work and ad he took his first appointment, his customer came up with a few negatives and minor objections. Adam wasn’t in the slightest surprised – his doubts were confirmed. It wasn’t going to work.

Then a strange phenomenon occurred. As well as negative points, the customer came up with a few positive points and buying signals. Adam’s subconscious mind jumped into action as if someone had kicked him, and his subconscious said: Adam, hang on a minute, maybe you will get a deal today after all’. For the first time in over two months. Adam started looking for and listening to positives. Needless to say, he made the sale and made his target, and today he is back on top again.

In the above exercise, Adam changed his attitude from negative to positive by persistently creating a desired thought-pattern. There have been many books on this subject, but for my reckoning the best is The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. You would be well –advice to get yourself a copy.
If you don’t have a PMA (Positive mental attitude) when you meet your customer, then you’re DOA (Dead on arrival). PMA creates persistence and enthusiasm and success.