Learn this NBA-inspired mental technique to boost performance without breaking a sweat!

The brain is like playdough, constantly reshaping. Parts of it can’t tell the difference between fully immersive closed-eye visualisation and the real thing. There have many studies into the power of visualisation on high performance, particularly in sport.

Hi,

Thanks for joining me this week,

As a reminder:

Each week I’ll send you an actionable tip to help you become a better communicator.

TIP OF THE WEEK

[Visualisation 101]

The brain is like playdough, constantly reshaping.

Parts of it can’t tell the difference between fully immersive closed-eye visualisation and the real thing.

There have many studies into the power of visualisation on high performance, particularly in sport.

One that often gets cited is from the 1960s at the University of Chicago.

Athletes were split into three groups and tested on how many basketball free throws they could make.

Afterwards, the first group practiced free throws every day for an hour.

The second group just visualised themselves making free throws.

The third group did nothing.

After thirty days, they were tested again. The first group improved by 24%.

The second group improved by 23% without touching a basketball!

The third group, as expected, did not improve.

Just as you go to the gym to tone up or lose weight, your ability to have absolute certainty in your vision for success and be in the best possible state is no different to growing muscle.

You need to repeat the exercise often, because repetition is the mother of all skill.

It’s the same with any state you want to experience.

You have to practice it.

By visualising your success and developing a strong self-belief and certainty, your own potential increases, which in turn means you’re more likely to take focused, determined and impactful action.

Once you take that action, guess what results you’re going to get?

More often than not, you’re going to get the results you’re looking for or even better.

And the cycle continues.

When you get these results, what do you think that’s going to do for your self-belief and certainty?

It’s going to increase, and you’re going to tell yourself, ‘See, I knew I could do it. I knew it would work.’

Conversely, the opposite is true. If you lack the self-belief, certainty and confidence, and you can’t visualise success ahead of time, you also lack belief in your own potential, take minimal action and, therefore, get poor results.

Then what happens?

You end up telling yourself, ‘See, I knew I couldn’t do it. I knew it wouldn’t work.’

TAKE YOUR NEGOTIATION SKILLS FURTHER

If you've been enjoying these weekly tips and are hungry for more, I've got something you might enjoy.

I've put together a half-day immersive negotiation workshop that provides proven tools and techniques to influence, persuade and bring about cooperation or collaboration regardless of circumstances.

The training is designed for anyone wishing to improve their communication and negotiation skills.

It is particularly beneficial for those in sales, marketing, business development, L&D, talent acquisition, communications, customer service, or HR roles.

Professionals complete this training ready to:

  • Approach difficult conversations and negotiations with ease
  • Regulate their own emotions as well as those of others
  • Influence and persuade others, including when they don’t have ‘authority’
  • Adapt their communication approach to meet another person’s emotions, needs, wants, and expectations
  • Apply their understanding of how cultural and generational differences impact negotiations
  • Avoid those 11th-hour sabotage attempts by other parties
  • Maximise their chances of closing the deal every time
  • Have the confidence to sit at any negotiation table with anybody, anywhere in the world

"SCOTT IS A MASTER COMMUNICATOR WHO KNOWS HOW TO ADD VALUE! HIS CONTENT, SUPPORTED BY REAL CASES AND SCENARIOS, BROUGHT EVERYTHING TO LIFE. HIS WORKSHOP IS ELECTRIFYING!"

“THE CONTENT IS FIRST CLASS AND HAS REALLY HELPED ME AND MY TEAM TO HAVE BETTER CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS AND ACHIEVE MORE CONVERSIONS”

“SCOTT’S NEGOTIATION WORKSHOP WAS THE BEST TRAINING WE’VE RECEIVED HERE. AND THAT’S SAYING SOMETHING! I LEARNT SO MUCH. THANKS AGAIN”

For more details, click below 👇

LEARN MORE

Negotiation training

I'm excited to share this opportunity with you!

2 QUOTES THAT STOOD OUT TO ME THIS WEEK

“Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude."
- William James

“Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates invention. It shocks us out of sheep-like passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving."

- John Dewey

1 CHALLENGE FOR YOU

1) Set a clear, measurable goal for the week.

2) Spend 5 minutes daily visualising yourself achieving this goal:

- Close your eyes

- Imagine every detail vividly

- Feel the emotions of success

3) Record your progress daily

4) After 7 days, measure your improvement

Then, let me know how it went by simply replying to this email - whether it was a win, a challenge or a learning.

I’ll feature some of them (anonymously) in future newsletters.

Until next week,

Scott

Sunday Times bestselling author of ‘Order Out of Chaos’

US Edition

UK & Rest of World Edition

p.s. If you’re interested in booking a half-day immersive negotiation workshop with me, click here.

Let's Transform How you Handle Critical Conversations.