Pavlovian physiological triggers for MASSIVE closing confidence

Have you ever wished you could summon massive confidence in a business or social setting?

Think back to a moment when you felt supremely confident, accomplished, and unstoppable - how great would it be if you could instantly manifest that indomitable state at the very moments you needed it the most? This article will present a simple technique for doing exactly that using an olfactory state anchoring biohack.

Storytime

I had never been in a courtroom this large or cold before. Even though I was wearing a 3-piece suit I shivered as I walked towards the stand to testify in front of the judge and teams of attorneys.
As I approached the stand I made eye contact with an old friend "Jim," whom I loved dearly and had learned so much from. He was wearing a faded prison inmate uniform and the lines on his face were deep - he was the image of a broken man.
A moment 15 years ago, jumped out of my unconscious as I stood in that federal courtroom; it was my friend pulling up in front of my childhood home in a brand new BMW convertible with his beautiful young blond wife. I remember how the car took my breath away, his wife's contagious laughter, and Jim's fabulously colorful shirt. At the time Jim had built a networking marketing organization of over a quarter-million people.
Back to the courtroom: Jim had been in jail for 19 months, where he had almost died of an infection. He was the primary defendant in a white-collar financial fraud case. Someone had stolen approximately $1.4 million and my friend Jim, the best salesman I had ever known, was the fall guy, the patsy. This was Jim's sentencing trial and I was there to give a character testimonial for him.
Fortunately for Jim, I was in a supreme peak state of confidence and certainty as I delivered my testimony articulately for the judge's consideration because I had taken a giant sniff of something in the court bathroom just a few minutes before. This proved fruitful as the judge handed down the best case sentencing that we had hoped for - Jim would soon be a free man.

Pavlovian triggering

Ivan Pavlov, who won the Nobel Prize for physiology, famously conducted experiments wherein he conditioned his dogs to salivate like they were excited for food when stimulated by something completely different than food. In modern psychology, this is referred to as Pavlovian conditioning or respondent conditioning. You can use the same triggering mechanism to bring yourself into a state of confidence before a job interview, sales call, public speaking, socially demanding situation, or even a date.

How to anchor your state

1. Pick an anchor scent that is very distinctive and something you don't normally smell going about your day. This could be a spice, herb, flower, or even an old cigar. Try to pick a scent that can be carried in a small portable case (or bottle) and does not spoil easily. This scent should not be something from your past or that you have significant life experience with - for example: If your mother cooked with rosemary during your childhood, don't use rosemary as your scent.
2. A few seconds after a successful event has put you into a peak state of confidence take a big whiff of your anchor scent. The successful event could be a business situation like a profitable sales call, closing a deal, or a social situation - like the way you feel after a great date. Close your eyes and imagine the strong scent permeating into your brain and focus on the scent along with the state of confidence, certainty, and personal power. Repeat this several times, anchoring the unique scent to this state of mind.
3. You may use this anchoring scent to bring you back into this state of mind as you need it. Keep it by your desk or carry it with you in a small bottle so you can anchor yourself back into this peak state before starting an important meeting.

This technique is particularly useful to sales and business people since they often make multiple sales calls throughout their day when they get into and out of peak states. If you use this and it helps you close a deal, nail a job interview, or land a hot date, drop me a line to let me know!