You’ve mapped out a product or service, you’ve developed a marketing strategy, you’re in front of the customer and it’s time to ask them to open their wallet. It’s that fearful moment when you need to ask for a sale.

Have you considered how your brain works, how this makes you feel, and what you can do about it?

My son Ethan came down this morning on his way out the door looking for his wallet.

5 years ago this situation would have looked something like this:

Ethan: Mom, have you seen my wallet?

Me: being witty: Yes, it’s where you left it!

Ethan: UGH, where did it disappear? Someone must have moved it! C’mon!! I’m in a hurry and I need to get to school!

Frustration would ensue and this entire situation would get blown out of proportion until I stepped in. For years, I have taught Ethan to pause, breathe, and retrace his steps. It was often accompanied by eye-rolling and stomping. We’d eventually find it and I’d again get the rolling eyes and “ugh, mom’s always right!” (I still get this a lot.)

But today was different. Today the situation was like this:

Ethan: Mom, have you seen my wallet?

Me: Yes, it’s where you left it

Ethan: Hmm, I will retrace my steps from when I last had it.

Walks away. 

Comes back victorious!

Ethan: Mom, I stayed calm, retraced my steps, and found my wallet exactly where it fell out of my pocket (ok, so we still have some awareness work to do…)

My understanding of how the brain works led me to support my son in accessing his neocortex.

And you can, too. Step one? Awareness.

Manage your mind; Manage your Business.

Read more here.