Overcoming A Victim Mindset

Jun 15

I always say I love working with new representatives because it refreshes my memory of the reasons why I joined Avon and it also helps me remember what it was like when I first got started on this journey.

It's always so great to sit in a room or on a forum with other representatives from different areas who have been

in the company for varying amounts of time and listen to the topics discussed and the ideas that are shared. I realized that the majority of us have similar experiences, questions, and hurdles to overcome.

Over time I've heard one particular topic brought up in the form of a question or comment more than others. I laugh a little to myself writing them now but some of you might have found yourself saying the same thing or something similar to the following:

"No one wants to buy from me".
"No one wants to buy ::insert product::";
"No one has money for ..."; or
"You cant find enough customers to make real money".
etc.

Well, as a friend of mine says those comments are "a lie straight form the pit of hell"!

A little excessive yes, but I feel that those types of thoughts should be pushed from our minds and banished with as much ardor as if they were. From my own experience and after coaching others over the years I realized that more than any physical factors these thoughts are mostly a result of having the wrong mindset.

Now, before you fly to the comments section and start trolling, hear me out.

As I mentioned earlier, the majority of people in this business have experienced similar obstacles. It doesn't matter how many obstacles or their size. Some have found ways to build a, customer base and others "can't". There isn't a secret potion, nor is it based on age, race, religion, location, marital status, gender, education, occupation or any of that. So, what is it?

The one thing I've found to be common among the people I've spoken to and worked with is actually something pretty simple. It's more prevalent in some cases more than others and of course it's easier said than done, but still simple. They have their mind set on success and there's nothing strong enough to change it. They've realized that they are "masters of their own fate" as Henley says. They made the decision whether consciously, or subconsciously to start acting like leaders instead of victims and made things happen in their life as opposed to just letting life happen to them. It's the most common thread in practically every success story I've heard.

Here are some steps that you can take to overcome a "victim" mindset:

Stop blaming everyone & everything else, those are excuses. If it's out of your control and you cant use it to fuel your determination, let it go. Instead, find what you can change to get yourself closer to your goals.
- Make a list of your problems, the areas where your falling short then list the things that are within your power to change. For example: No one wants to buy from you. Who's no one? Make a list of the people you asked. (Leaving a stack of books in the salon & not getting calls doesn't count). The average person knows 800 people they can contact and for most of us its really more like 3,000. I'm sure that your original list didnt include everyone. So, it's not that no 1 wants to buy it's just that none of the people you asked so far wanted to buy...yet. Go for everyone! Ask more people. If you can find 100 people for 3 months in a row that say they don't want to buy then ok yeah, maybe no one wants to buy from you. I would say, that if that's the case make another list & ask yourself why 300 people said no to you. Determine what part of your pitch needs to be fixed, learn from your mistakes & go again.
- Stop making quitting so easy for yourself. People always say they didn't know how they would so something until they actually did it. Set your mind on reaching your goals. Believe that you can & you will.
It takes hard work, taking a hard look at yourself, & the willingness to change to become better to become successful in anything. The truth is that most people don't want to make that commitment. Be honest with yourself.

Which person are you?