272: Shoshin - The Beginner's Mind

<p>The word shoshin or beginner’s mind in Japanese is a great metaphor for the world of sales.  When we start some activity there is a simplicity, a purity about what we are doing.  We don’t have enough information or experience to have any particular angles on what we are looking at.  We take things as they are and we have no delusions about how they should be.  We have no habits yet, because the activity is too fresh and new.  There are no habits to unwind either, because we are deep into trying to grasp what we are supposed to be doing.  We are hungry to master this activity and we are dedicating our mental and physical efforts to do so.  We are committed to getting it right.</p> <p> </p> <p>This is a great mind set to help us improve, to polish what we are doing and to tackle new things.  In sales, we are always under pressure from numbers, boss expectations, threats of removal and financial doom.  One year can easily morph straight into the next, with a brief cessation of hostilities over the new year holidays. We were beaten down and tired over the course of the previous year and are slightly refreshed as we enter the new year.  We tend to bring all of our baggage from the previous year with us though, especially our mindset.  We just pick up where we left off and we are not elevating our chances of success in this year.</p> <p> </p> <p>If we grasp the shoshin concept, we will take a close look at what we are doing, what we are trying to achieve and what needs to happen for us to be successful. We will begin to break down the various tasks required into their component parts and analyse our strengths and weaknesses.  We will investigate how we can build those strengths even further and look to what we need to alter to diminish our weaknesses.</p> <p> </p> <p>Why aren’t we doing this constantly throughout the year? The answer is very simple – we are too busy running on the spot.  We are constantly chasing the numbers, trying to slam square pegs into round holes and permanently stressed.  The break at new yea