3 Ways to Fight Overthinking (AKA Analysis Paralysis) As a Sales Professional

Overthinking - many of us are guilty of this from every aspect of the sales process. Here are some examples that may go through your mind that lead to overthinking:

• What if I call them and they say "no"?
• Should I just swing in to check in on them or will that make me look too pushy?
• I can't make that phone call until I know _____.
• Based on what I know, I don't think they may be a good prospect and that may not be worth my time...
• If I send them marketing material, they may get annoyed...
• Well, it's the 4th of July/Canada Day/Boxing Day/Christmas/New Year's/Thanksgiving/Other Holiday Excuse Etc. this week, they probably are too busy to meet with me...
• Etc, etc, etc. as there are thousands of other spin-off questions dependent on the situation!

Whether you are new or tenured to sales, it can happen to the best of us! Ultimately it leads to you not taking action or doing what you really need to do to achieve the results you want!

What we often forget is that overthinking is based on simply one thing: you are not 100% confident in the decision you are going to make so you are second-guessing yourself! You probably have a massive fear of failure. At the end of the day, success is based on you taking action as nothing is achieved by sitting still! As Wayne Gretzky said (or Michael Scott from The Office):

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!"

As a result, taking action will progress you forward and help you achieve your goals faster as a sales professional! Here are 3 strategies to help you fight overthinking:

1.Utilize a Mentor: In that moment of weakness when you are second-guessing a decision you need to make, calling your mentor is a great way to gain perspective. Often times in that moment of overthinking, all you are really doing is finding a million ways why what you are about to do WON'T WORK. You need someone who has been where you have been to help you validate your decision OR guide you on the right path! The cool part is that after a while of them validating your decisions, it will help build your "decision confidence"!

Also, you should have a set time to meet or call your mentor. Taking note of little things you are second-guessing and walking it through with them can help lend you a lot of perspective and build up your decision-confidence over time. Don't wait until you are have overthought taking action otherwise you'll wake up one day and realized you've missed all your goals!

2.Utilize The 5 Second Rule: If you haven't read Mel Robbins' book, The 5 Second Rule, that is a fantastic read as it is all about taking action when you don't want and this 100% applies to overthinkers! The concept is very simple - within 5 seconds you will either talk yourself OUT OF doing something or TO DO something. So once you get a decision point, IMMEDIATELY count back from 5 and just MOVE!

Example: if you are second-guessing making that cold call on the phone, just do this: "Ok Marcus, 5-4-3-2-1 GO" and PICK UP THE PHONE AND START TO DIAL. By physically moving, you are activating your pre-frontal cortex of your brain and creating action! Regardless of the result, you will feel better! This is surprisingly effective for doing anything that you are resistant in doing!

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3.Utilize Affirmations: Affirmations are very powerful when spoken loudly and when you change your physiological body position to one of power. (AKA a power pose!) What you need to think about is "would I take this specific action if I knew I could not fail?" My guess is that you'd be shouting "YES!" So when you are in that moment of overthinking, you must change your focus to not overthink but to one of action. So at that moment, position yourself in a power pose and repeat out loud, "ACTION CURES FEAR! ACTION CURES FEAR!" Do this multiple times and then take action! You may find yourself laughing at yourself and giggling but guess what? Your focus has changed from overthinking to a positive mindset that positions you to take more action!

This is a tool that I still use to this day in the morning. You are essentially reprogramming your brain and training yourself to take action no matter what! You don't have to use my specific affirmation but it's simple and is one I've used for over 15 years now.

So there you have it - 3 strategies to fight overthinking and help you achieve your goals faster as a sales professional! You'll see that the common theme among all three is to MOVE and TAKE ACTION as this helps change your mind's focus. I hope these helped and feel free to share, comment and like below. Also, if you want to join an organization that trains you to develop the right habits, has an amazing culture, upward mobility, and more, check out www.cintas.com/careers for positions in OR, WA, UT, and ID!

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Marcus Chan is an award-winning results and people-driven executive sales leader. Over the last decade, Marcus has been promoted 10X in 10 years and has been ranked in the top percentile of every company and every role he has been in. He is passionate about helping others reach their maximum potential. You can follow him on Instagram here for daily motivation! Please re-share this article if you found value in it.