Weiss Advice Issue: 240, July 2023
I find myself coaching a great many people with whom I use the phrase, “Despite all the evidence to the contrary.” By that I mean they’re holding a negative position or self-image which is not supported empirically.
The damn facts are otherwise.
These aren’t solely people who think their success has been the result of “luck” or others’ actions on their behalf. These are often people who have forgotten or repressed their own successes.
“Well, I guess I did succeed with them,” they’ll admit, or “You’re right, I had forgotten about that.” I think this goes beyond the famed “imposter syndrome” and it’s actually a case of a distaste for marketing and sales.
There are people who actually feel that the sales process is adversarial, where one person wins and the other loses. There are idiotic books which claim that “the prospect wins” when you don’t get the sale. Their successful sale was rejecting you!
All of this is beyond stupid.
You’ve been successful because you’ve helped people when you’ve intervened and interacted with them. You simply have to convert that evidence to your marketing discussions and sales meetings.
Don’t sell yourself short by denying all that “evidence to the contrary.” You can’t help people who don’t know you can help until you present them with that evidence.
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