Starting our own business was one of the most intimidating things I have ever done, and that is saying quite a lot since I spent eight years as an EMT, and another ten years as a registered nurse - I’ve seen some things!
Working closely with my partner John, we began creating the framework of what Green Mountain Hypnosis would look like. We set up a fee structure, crafted policies and letters, decided on branding fonts and colors, and crafted our logo. We spent hours talking about who we were, and what we wanted GMH to become.
Thankfully, we had received excellent training, not only in hypnosis, but also in how to successfully launch a new hypnosis practice. So when the time came, we were pretty ready. I was confident that we had the skills we needed to be successful hypnotists, but I had a lot to learn about building a business.
We knew that we wanted to maintain our personal and professional standards through everything that we did in our business. Holding onto that high level of integrity was important. Not only are we promoting the practice of hypnosis, but we are essentially marketing ourselves. Who we are is the core of everything we do.
Most people running their own company want to become better in business as they progress. In order to continually grow, you need to look for ways to improve sales performance, to market products better, and create a more enjoyable buying experience. There is one key element that you could implement to boost all of your efforts and become an overall better business person.
The key element to becoming a better business person is to become a better person first. In other words, in order to create a loyal customer, you need to be the kind of person that you would want to buy from. In order to get consistent referrals from your clients, you need to be likable. Put yourself in your customer's shoes. Would you buy from you? If you can't say yes, then you need to re-evaluate the type of business person you are.
Bridging who we are as people into who we are as a business came easily to John and I. It was easy, in part, because we had already decided that this was how we would do business, but also because we are private practitioners, and the product we are selling is ourselves.
And this concept is true for every business person. Regardless of what product or service they are selling, your customers buy that product or service from YOU. The customer’s decision to buy from you instead of someone else has everything to do with how they feel about you. And how the customer feels about you has everything to do with what kind of a person you are.
Let’s think about walking into a store to buy something. You know what you want to buy, and you know what your needs are, but you aren’t familiar enough with the technology to made a good comparison of the different models. You want to make the smartest purchase, so you look around for a store associate to help you out.
Associate Ron approaches you and asks you in a friendly way if he can help. He looks at you while you talk, and asks questions to get a better understanding of what your needs are. He acknowledges that you have done some research, and shows you a couple options that will meet your needs. Ron continues to answer your questions until you feel that you can make an informed decision on your purchase.
Associate Bill is busy stocking a shelf when you approach him. He does not turn around, sighs heavily when you ask for help, and doesn’t look at you when you tell him what you are looking for. He may walk you over to the aisle that has the item you are looking for, waves his arm at the shelf, and walks away. Bill meets a coworker nearby and talks loudly about how stressed he is, and how much of a bad day he is having.
You know which customer experience you would like to have. And you know which experience you want your own customers to have.
Maybe you don’t work in a retail setting. Maybe you work in sales. Maybe you are a contractor. Maybe you provide a service to businesses. You can apply the same examples to your business. Most of us would like to think that we are Ron on most days, and most of us are. Those aren’t the days that challenge us. The impressions that hurt your business are the times when we are more like the Bill in the example above.
Another important thing to remember is that even though we aren’t always jumping out to share a really great experience with a business, we are usually quick to share a bad experience with everyone who happens to listen. If your business depends on referrals, then this can be very damaging.
Be the person you want to do business with.
Learn to truly care about people.
This seems like the simplest notion, and yet there are many businesses that do not show that they care about their customers. I am not talking about offering perks or special deals. I am talking about genuinely caring about people.
The good news is that you already know how to do this. There are people in your life that you truly care about. With intention, you can begin to see your customers as people. The people we see everyday are someone’s mom or dad, sister or brother, child, aunt, niece, uncle, or nephew. When you begin to see customers as people instead of revenue, it becomes easy to treat them well.
Showing people empathy and showing that you don’t just care about their money, but about them as a person, will attract loyal customers. Become a better person by being kind to people. When they talk, actively listen to what they’re saying and try to understand. Show them you’re listening by the actions you take. Building a personal connection with your customers will keep them coming back.
Be consistent in business and personal relationships.
Have you ever noticed how some business owners are completely different to their partners, employees, kids and friends than they are to their customers? Have you ever seen the same business owner be as nice as they can be to their best customers, but cold and unfriendly to employees or vendors?
Think about how your own behavior shifts when you encounter different people. Why not be consistent in all your relationships? In order to become better in business you need to become a better person, and that doesn’t mean just some of the time.
By being as nice and courteous to your employees, friends and family as you are to your most important client or customer, you will notice how much your life can improve. Communication becomes easier and more effective. Business picks up. Deals go through more easily. All these things will begin t happen, because you began treating other people with consistent respect and kindness.
Always be authentic.
Being authentic in business is one of the most important things that you can do. Authenticity is the key to building a business, as well as building friendships and relationships. Being genuine to every person you meet can take you and your business a long way.
Show honesty to your customers. If you made a mistake, claim that mistake and figure out how to make it up to them. Show them you genuinely care about their experience, and you’re willing to go above and beyond to satisfy them. Being authentic doesn’t cost anything, and the benefits are immeasurable.
These are just a few ways that you can be better at business by being a better person overall. We all have room for improvement, and if you are struggling with stress, anxiety, confidence, focus, motivation, and the pressures of performing, then it can seem more difficult to be the best version of you.
Instead of taking on another task, another role, or another responsibility you can start with the basics of being a better person. The end result will be a better overall life.
The Role of Hypnosis
Hypnosis works by embedding specific messages into the subconscious mind. Within hypnotherapy, these types of messages are positively geared to correct limiting behavior. These newly embedded affirmations operate within the person's mind as the they go about everyday life. The effect is that the negative behavior is reduced, or even eliminated completely.
Within the world of business, there are five specific areas that hypnosis can help improve a person's mindset to not only help them cope, but also allowing them to get ahead.
1. Conquer Fears
Hypnosis has long been used to help those crippled by irrational fears or phobias to lead more normal lives. Most phobias develop as a by-product of traumatic experiences from the past. Using hypnosis, it is possible to resolve the underlying trauma and dissolve the fear response.
For example, customer service requires a certain finesse to deal with unruly clients or customers. If an employee is afraid of confrontation, or feels anxious and fearful when required to make routine conference calls, this may be harmful to their workplace attitude. For many, the solution to fear is avoidance, and if this means ignoring client phone calls or avoiding co-worker interactions, productivity can seriously decline. After facing a trauma, or life-altering event, consider hypnotherapy as an option to explore to conquer those underlying fears that may limit workplace success.
2. Overcome Anxiety
Another use of hypnotherapy is in soothing, and even eliminating, anxiety. There's proof that hypnosis really does relax you. This can be a huge weapon to combat work related stress. Juggling a multitude of tasks, clients, and other responsibilities, all while under a time constraint or deadline, may prove difficult at the least. While most employees have to handle some workplace stress, too much stress, or being under stress for too long can mean serious performance issues. After using hypnosis to target negative thoughts and feelings, employees report being able to sleep better, handle tasks better and ultimately shed unnecessary anxiety.
Anxious and over-burdened employees do not hide their emotions well. Stress is noticed in physical aspects of the body leading to acne breakouts, brittle hair, weight loss and a poor appearance. By using hypnosis to tackle some of the precursors to stress, an employee can prove to be more resilient and capable, and less likely to suffer burnout.
3. Restore Confidence
A strong sense of confidence is one of the biggest potential boosts to any career. Many professional career coaches report that their client's number one struggle in the job market is having the confidence to score that high-paying position. Hypnosis can help reaffirm an individual's worth, renewing their sense of purpose and confidence in the workplace. Individuals who have a keen understanding of their strengths and weaknesses tend to be more successful in their projects and professional relationships, and hypnosis can build that understanding.
4. Increase Memory
Another use of hypnosis in levelling up a career is by using techniques to increase concentration and memory. Studies have shown that hypnosis can help improve memory, which is invaluable in the workplace, especially one where an employee is expected to memorize a complicated set of statistics or client data. By increasing recall memory, an employee can be perceived by his peers and supervisors as being better organized, more focused, and dedicated to the company.
Hypnosis to improve memory works by targeting the mechanisms by which the brain stores and recalls information. By using specific techniques, hypnosis "unlocks" certain pathways in the brain which can increase the ability to retain and refer to a greater amount of information more quickly, making you more productive in the workplace.
5. Refine Business Skills
Hypnotherapy has also proven useful for those looking to refine their individual set of vital business skills. These skills can be negatively affected by stress, anxiety, insecurities, forgetfulness, or a lack of confidence. Using hypnosis to eliminate these obstacles can help an individual direct their focus towards developing the traits that make them a stellar employee.
Some of these traits include being outgoing, friendly, and conversational. Related tasks can vary from public speaking, to successfully hosting a business meeting. To accomplish this shift, hypnosis reaffirms positive thoughts while helping to release the negative and limiting thoughts.
Hypnosis has the potential to address many issues that keep an individual from being more successful.∎