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Conquering the Caveman Brain
This chapter explores the 'caveman brain' concept, highlighting how childhood fears and internal narratives hinder sales success. By understanding these psychological barriers, individuals can navigate their anxieties and enhance their prospecting skills.
Continuing from our last topic on prospecting, this episode dives deeper into it. I’m sharing an episode from last year featuring my discussion with Dr. Jean Oursler. She discusses why you’re not prospecting enough and what you can do to overcome this unique sales challenge.
Meet Dr. Jean Oursler
Dr. Jean Oursler is a renowned sales trainer known for her innovative approach to boosting new business development.
She created the Caveman Brain System, a methodology based on understanding how the amygdala’s fight, flight, or freeze response can hinder sales success.
Through her coaching, Dr. Jean aims to spread the principles of the Caveman Brain System widely, enabling teams to improve their business outcomes significantly.
Caveman Brain: What Is It?
Our brain still operates as though we’re living in the wild, even though society has evolved.
Dr. Jean explains that the amygdala plays a major role in how we interact with the world around us.
For example, you might struggle with cold calling because of your fight, flight, or freeze response.
Your amygdala is trying to protect you from perceived dangers, and without you realizing it. This primitive part of your brain holds you back in sales situations, creating unnecessary fears and inhibitions.
Practical Steps to Harness the Caveman Brain
Dr. Jean offers actionable advice on how to deal with the Caveman Brain:
Positive Self-Talk and Affirmations: Write down affirmations and repeat them daily to change your mindset. If you can’t come up with your own, try these: “I am a fabulous salesperson” or “People love reading what I write.”
Understand the Source of Fears: Are you holding onto fears from childhood, culture, or past experiences? For example, maybe your parents told you not to talk to strangers, and that fear still influences your behavior.
Simplistic Approach: Focus on basic goals like making a friend or solving a problem, rather than just closing the sale.
Transforming Your Sales Mindset
If you want to become a great salesperson, start by creating a positive mindset.
Dr. Jean emphasizes that what we repeatedly see and hear shapes our reality.
Fill your mind with positive and empowering thoughts to help you achieve professional success.
“Know that almost everything in your life that isn’t happening the way you want is tied to your Caveman Brain. When you realize this and start to fix it, everything else begins to fall into place.” - Dr. Jean Oursler.
Resources
Connect with Dr. Jean Oursler on LinkedIn
Visit CavemanBrain.com for free resources and training
Join The Sales Evangelist Mastermind Group
Sponsorship Offers
This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.
With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.
This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.
Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.
This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.
Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.
Credits
As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.
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