National Clothesline

Lately, my guess is that many cleaners are ready to wave the white flag or at least sound a retreat.

They’ve cut services, cut hours, cut employees and have long since stopped promoting the business if ever they did at all. They’re close to throwing up their hands in surrender and have done everything but bolt the front door.

But it’s not only cleaners. The attitude is widespread. While walking our dogs recently, my wife and I stopped to talk to Melissa, who not too long ago was a multi-million dollar mortgage broker but is now bitter and withdrawn.

She confessed to being a saver, a scrimper and even a hoarder.

She opens her door to no one, buys only necessities and is highly suspicious of anyone who tries to sell her anything or get her involved in a business of any kind.

It’s sad to see a smart, attractive, 45-year old with so much talent simply give up.

An economy that continues to tick down poses a challenge for any person in business. After all, physical setbacks are hard to cope with but real defeat happens at the mental level. Once you begin to lose your hope and your drive, it’s almost impossible to recover.

Studies in sports psychology have shown that successful performances cannot simply be reduced to superior physical performance. Concepts such as mental imagery, goal setting, motivation training, and relaxation are the basis for strong mental preparation.

In fact, it’s been said that winning is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. Could these same concepts apply in business as well?

Joseph is a close friend of mine. He’s in the plumbing business and he’s very successful.

Recently, I asked him what the key to his success is. Besides the usual references to hard work and good marketing strategies, he said, “I always try to maintain a positive outlook. I ruthlessly eliminate all negativity from my life.”

He went on to say that he doesn’t listen to news programs, talk shows or politics of any kind. It used to frustrate him to have to sit in traffic on the LA freeways until he learned to fill his time listening to inspirational tapes and CD’s.

By contrast, much of what’s popular on the radio nowadays is either depressing or, worse yet, it can fill one with anger and hate, which brings me to the title of this article ⎯ “WYTAYBA!” … What you think about, you bring about.

Top performers in the field of sales regularly engage in a sort of mental practice or mental rehearsal. It goes sort of like this:

A sales professional imagines a presentation and plays it out in his mind. He sees himself meeting and greeting a prospect, building rapport and then getting to know that individual.

Next, he imagines demonstrating the product or service, asking and answering questions, overcoming objections and then finally he imagines asking for and getting the order.

Mental rehearsal is nothing more than a practice session in your mind and since the body and the mind form one system, it prepares and primes the body for the actual situation.

Imagining success is a consistent pattern that is found in all top sales performers.

By giving the brain strong positive images of success, you program it to think in those terms, which then makes your chances of success more likely. Expecting success through mental rehearsal actually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is true — what you think about you bring about.

In your business, you can engage in the same mental discipline. You can imagine what you want to accomplish in your mind. The opportunities are there, you simply have to bring them about.

The more you think about an opportunity the more you begin to draw it to yourself. As that happens, you will begin to pursue and then actualize that opportunity.

I wasn’t sure what I would write about this month until my friend, Frank, called me yesterday.

He suffered a heart attack about a year ago and has not worked in his plant. He’s only just recently returned to the cleaners, which makes him very happy.

What makes him unhappy, however, is the fact that sales are off by about 10 percent and he accepts full responsibility for that trend.

“It’s not the weather, it’s not the industry and it’s not the economy,” he said. “It’s me. It’s my fault.”

According to him, he allowed sales to drop, but promises he will bring the profit picture back in line again through a planned and concerted effort.

He mentioned that he’s just had his delivery van wrapped and was most happy with the way it turned out. “It’s a piece of art, Bill. I’d like you to design an ad campaign for me using my new van wrap.”

We continued to chat for a while, catching up on his time away from the business and then Frank revealed the real reason for his newfound motivation and enthusiasm. Just last week he discovered that one of his fellow drycleaners (a friend) is up 30 percent.

“Thirty percent!” he exclaimed. “I’m going to find out what he’s doing and do the same myself. If he can do it, so can I. I can imagine being 30 percent up!”

That last statement was key. He said, “I can imagine being 30 percent up!”

In his mind, he’s there. When he thinks more and more about his goal and how to achieve it, it will play out in his mind over and over and he will get there. I have no doubt that what Frank thinks about will happen.

Don’t allow yourself to be dragged down. Don’t wave the white flag.

Focus on what you want to accomplish and set it as a goal. Think about it constantly.

Visualize your self in successful situations over and over.

Don’t simply set goals. Go further. Actively follow those plans.

And don’t dwell on what others are doing or obsessing about what your competitor is up to.

Find someone who is successful, alive, vibrant and energetic. Schedule some face time with that individual, then glean their ideas and suck in their enthusiasm.

Find out what your customers want and give it to them. What you think about, you will bring about!