The subconscious mind is influenced very easily and if you don’t watch out you might find external influences can start to control you. Here are six ways that you can influence the subconscious mind yourself, so that you can take back control.

Affirmations

Affirmations are the second gateway to the subconscious. The repeating of a short statement or mantra will influence the subconscious as a command. There are some rules to this though. For affirmations to work, they need to be positive, specific and the present tense. For instance, “I am now a size ten”.
Belief is the foundation of all achievement. If you believe you can do something, you will. If you suspect that you don’t believe in your goal, you can change this by the use of affirmations. You can saturate your mind with positive expectation, until you believe.
If you think about it, we come into the world as babies with no beliefs, we are a blank page so to speak. Our beliefs are then formed by experience, repetition, indoctrination or suggestion. There are a thousand and one ways; such as throw away comments by well-meaning relatives such as:

“You’ll get fat if you eat that” (not necessarily)
“Clear your plate so you grow up big and strong” (what even when my stomach is full already?)

If you repeat something often enough it becomes a strong belief. Therein lies the solution. In my book on The Habits for Fat Loss, I go into how you can identify limiting beliefs. If can identify your limiting beliefs, then the next stage is to write out an opposing positive belief, in the form of an affirmation. For example if you identified a belief such as “I don’t like the way I look” the opposite would be “I love and value my body, I am perfect as I am”. Write out your positive affirmations on a card and read them out aloud as soon as you get up and just before bed. Read them throughout the day, as much as you can. Again, repetition is the key. Ideally repeat 50 times per day, for 60 days.
It may feel awkward at first, you may not really belief what you say, yet. You will believe soon. So how long should you do it for? You do it for as long as it takes.

Gateway NumberThree – Visualisation

The third gateway to the subconscious mind is visualisation. Visualisation is seeing in your mind’s eye the results you want to achieve, before they actually occur. It can also be mentally rehearsing a process.
The subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Picturing yourself achieving your goal or performing the habit will actually train yourself to do it. Next time you need to deliver a presentation or performance – visualise yourself doing it before the event. Then see how it goes.

Gateway Number Four – Acting as if

Acting as if, or fake it until you make it. Does this really work? Try this then:
Smile. Go on a cheesy daft grin. How do you feel? Are you happier?
The mind and the body are part of the same system. For this reason, we smile when we are happy, but we are also happy because we smile. But what about skills such as social skills and being outgoing. It can be uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing, to pretend to be outgoing. But if you force yourself to be a little more outgoing and sociable every time you go out, eventually your subconscious will learn that this is the new you. You will then become that which you pretended to be.

Gateway Number Five – Influence

External influence is very powerful, probably the most powerful gateway to the subconscious.
We have evolved to conform to the group, so that the group becomes stronger. In evolutionary terms, if the individuals in a group are like each other, they will stick together. If the group or tribe sticks together and the individuals are safe, then that group will survive.
If an outsider joins this group, there is a strong subconscious influence on that individual to conform. For instance if an overweight person starts to hang around with thin people, they will slowly start to change their habits. This is all at an subconscious level. The tip would therefore be to hang around people who you want to be like and avoid those that you don’t want to be like.

By the way if you are looking to lose weight contact me and I will show you how I did it.

Gateway Number Six – Authority or the Master and Apprentice

What do you do when you are driving down the motorway and you see a police car? You automatically slow down.
Or, what if a man in a white coat and stethoscope tells you to take a pill? Are you more likely to believe him? Yes, you subconsciously believe him. This is the power of authority and it has been used and abused since Adam was a lad. This is because we will unconsciously defer to those who we perceive have a higher status than ourselves, rightly or wrongly.
So how could we use this to our advantage? You can find someone who is already doing whatever it is you want to do. If you spend time with them, you will unconsciously learn their habits. This is why the old master and apprentice model and is also a very powerful way to change.

Gateway Number Seven – Therapy and Coaching

You could find a teacher or coach who you trust to coach you into changing. A good coach should be able to communicate to your subconscious. They should be trained to use language carefully, so that it has a positive effect. They may be trained to use certain techniques designed to influence the subconscious mind, such as hypnosis or NLP. If you would like to learn more about my coaching methods, then please do email me. My address is at the end of the book.
Do you have a goal you want to achieve or a habit you want to change? If you use as many of the seven gateways as you can, you will find that your success rates will increase.

The post Six Ways to Influence the Subconscious appeared first on Mike Holden Sales.

How to Change your Life from Negative to Positive

One of the biggest challenges you might face is how to change your life from negative to positive. By that, it might mean the results you are getting in your life, but also your attitude to your life.

The Good News

It is difficult, but not impossible to change your life from positive to negative and in this chapter, I will show you how to start.
As with anything worthwhile, it is not an overnight thing. It is a process and you can begin to get some immediate results.
I fundamentally believe that anyone, no matter where they find themselves, can change their lives. You can do some very simple, but very important things every day. I will also reveal to you three secrets of suggestion that I learned in my Hypnotherapy training, which will help you to make long lasting change.
Firstly, though, it really starts with attitude.

Attitude

The Only Question to ask yourself, when beginning to change your life is – Can I change?
If you are reading this post because you are searching for the answer to this question, then you are already half way there. The fact that you are searching for the answer, means that you doubt that your current state is permanent.
You can change and you will change.



When first beginning the task of changing your life around, you will need to adopt new beliefs. I go into detail on how to change a belief in my book The Habits for Fat Loss
Here are some fundamental beliefs, which I have found useful.
My view of the world is not the world. Other people have different views of the world – and that is not the world either.
All my experience has a structure to it; therefore, I can hack into this to change my experience of something.
I just one person can do something, then anyone can do it.
The mind and the body are part of the same system.
People already have the resources they need, they just need help accessing them.
You are always communicating, even if you think you aren’t
Underlying all behaviour is a positive intent. Therefore, try to separate the behaviour from the person.
People are always making the best choices available to them
If what you are doing isn’t working out, do something else.
The quality of your life is only as good as the quality of your thoughts.
You don’t need to adopt the beliefs all in one go, just go one at a time. A tip for which one to internalise first, is the one that you really disagree with the most. Pick this one first.

The words you use

The second step to changing your life from negative to positive is to mind your language. I don’t mean cutting out the odd Industrial term here and there (I believe that these have a time and a place too). I mean the type of words you use, that force you into a negative state.

Outside influences

The next area for you to address are the outside influences, that are shaping your worldview. I talked about this back in the The Gateways to the Subconscious.
Doing this can have immediate effects on whether your life feels positive or negative. What you see, hear and read, absolutely effects your thinking. Have you ever listened to two people arguing and then felt argumentative after? Or what about if you hear someone laughing? You can’t help but smirk. We have an in built propensity to copy those we associate with. It’s perfectly natural and has helped human survival. But that doesn’t mean that you have to imbibe all the negativity the world has to offer, because you will. And just like the computer programming adage “Garbage in, garbage out”, the quality of your influences will shape the quality of your life.

TV/news/Media

I find Television very educating. Whenever someone turns on the set, I go into another room and read a book. – Groucho Marx

TV has a lot to answer for. As a qualified Hypnotherapist, I shudder at how this box in the corner of the room, can hypnotise people. From the advertisers, who use the power of suggestion to make you think you want their product, to the politicians who use fear to get you to vote for them, be very careful what you watch on this device. I will maybe devote a whole book to the dangers of TV, as there is not enough room here.
Start by questioning what you watch. Notice how you feel after watching a programme. Do you feel full of angst after watching a soap opera. Do you feel fearful after watching the news? Notice this. TV is doing this.

Print Media

Take an audit of your reading material. Is it positive or negative? Again, the proportion of this, will have a direct effect on how you view your own life. Does reading the magazine full of airbrushed models make you feel inadequate? Publishers design them to do so, so that you buy the products advertised in it.
You can easily assess whether what you read is wholesome or not by how you feel after. Do you feel uplifted after reading it? Optimistic?

Social media

Here is a tip for what to do if someone negative on social media is making you feel bad – delete them. Really, life is too short to read negative stuff. You don’t need to. I know it can be tempting, but it’s not doing you any favours. Ok, maybe deleting then is too harsh, why not just use the setting to hide them.

In defence of negative.

Now that we have gotten all negative on the negative, let’s just take a sense-check. Have you ever looked both ways, when crossing the road? Did you look again as you were crossing? Why so negative? Surely, the positive thing to do would be to blindly jump into the road and hope for the best. No? Course not?
Whilst moving your life from negative to positive, it’s crucial that you don’t become deluded. You should still take precautions and buy insurance. Are you going into a new business? Do your due diligence, test the market out.
Or what if you are starting a new exercise regime? Take care of yourself, the mind may be willing, but give your body time to adjust to new things.
When we talk about removing negatives, we are talking about all the unhealthy things that are holding you back.
As the old Arabian saying goes “Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel”.

The post How to Change your Life from Negative to Positive appeared first on Mike Holden Sales.

The Power of Language, cutting through to the close

Here is a brief tour of the secret power of language and how it is used in sales and influencing in general, from Trigger Words to tonal patterns.

Trigger Words

These are derived from Jordan Belfort’s Straight Line Selling course

• Virtually – This is a hedge word for legality for example “Virtually all my clients make (better than most) make” This word should get you out of a legal bind. Never speak in absolutes.
• Only – “It’s only £…” This minimises the price.
• Because – This is a justifier. In Robert Cialdini’s book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, he describes how people can justify any request by using ‘because’.
• Reciprocity – Give something first to receive.
• Cash outlay/investment – this is a reframe. The product doesn’t cost anything it’s a cash outlay or investment of only £x.
• I would be glad to – Another reframer, as in – “I would be glad to check with the engineers about …” so for anything you have to do for a client say “I would be glad to…”

Offsetting Language Patterns

Use these language patterns throughout your presentation, as they are magical.

• We will hold your hand every step of the way.
• I will show you all the ins and outs. Come see us and we will show you all the ins and outs.
• Huge upside and little downside. – Use this multiple times.
• Incredibly easy to get started.
• In depth training program – e.g. on installation there is an in-depth training program.
• Long-term relationship.. What we can do for you in the long term, we can really be an asset to your company.
• It’s a sure-fire, paint by numbers or turnkey system. Ie we have a system.

Power Patterns

• If you do even half as well as the rest of the companies/people who take this program…
• All I ask is this; that you give me one shot…
• The only problem you’ll have is that I didn’t call you six months ago and get you started then… sound fair enough?
• Believe me, you will not be sorry… sound fair enough?
• Believe me, you’re going to be very, berry impressed… sound fair enough?
• Believe me if I’m even half-right, I want a ton of referrals… sound fair enough?
• You’re wife/MD/Boss will be kissing you when you walk through he door.
• You’ll be sending your kids to the finest schools.
• After I say we’re not making money on this deal(only if true) all I ask is that you give me a ton referrals, because that’s how my business really grows… sound fair enough?

Language Patterns for Looping

• Does the idea make sense to you? (Curious tonality).
• You’ll see the true beauty of the programme is…
• If I’d been your advisor for the last 3 years, showing you consistent performance, making you money on a consistent basis, saving you money on a consistent basis.
• I pride myself on…and as for my company …(this is a transition from selling yourself to selling your company.).
• What we can do for you beside this one transaction is…)find three things extra you can do for them ie upselling framed as benefits).
• What’s the worse that can possibly happen… think of what that might be…
• We can start small and we can work bigger and better in the future.(don’t cut price on the first loop, unless it is a strategy – this is sleazy anyway.)
• Please don’t misconstrue my enthusiasm for pressure
• In real estate its location location location, in my business it’s timing, timing, timing.(creates urgency).
• Getting started is very simple, just a question of some basic information…
• It’s a cash outlay/investment of

Tonal patterns for closing

Collapse the tonality from enthusiasm into reasonableness and calmness. Customise these to your business.

• If you do even half(upbeat on word half) as well (certainty) as the rest of the people who’ve been on this program…
• …you’re going to be very—- very—very—impressed(draw this out for sincerity)
• …sound fair enough (upbeat and reasonable man).

The post The Power of Language, cutting through to the close appeared first on Mike Holden Sales.