Selling Success to Your Subconscious

by C. Roy Hunter, PhD, FAPHP

Have you every tried to change an undesired habit or attain an important goal, only to find subconscious resistance preventing you from success?

Weight reduction programs and smoking cessation programs alone represent a multi-billion dollar industry in the USA. Diets work on the body, but not on the mind. Many smokers’ new years’ resolutions literally go up in smoke! College students often procrastinate term papers until the last minute, and/or cram for the final exam the night before taking it. Professional sales people all over the land often find themselves failing to do the activities that are necessary to meet sales objectives. Numerous books describe ways of achieving goals: effective weight control programs, effective sales techniques, study habits, etc., yet people who read these books and /or attend classes and seminars still fail…why?

Answering this important question will enable your ability to sell motivation to the inner mind. The missing ingredient is subconscious cooperation, because the “inner child” in all of us is tuned into WII-FM. Those are the call letters for “What’s In It For Me?”

Why Will Power often Fails

Any professional sales person will tell you that people buy a product or service because of the benefits that product or service will provide. Conversely, if we fail to recognize the benefits, most of us will not want to pay the price…and if the salesperson gets pushy, I am very quick to walk away. Most customers will do likewise if someone tries to force them to buy.

How does this relate to the subconscious? The answer is a simple metaphor: the conscious mind (decision maker) is the salesperson, and the subconscious is the customer – and this customer will normally resist a hard-sell from the conscious mind! In fact, many clients seeing me over the years have made dozens of attempts to reach the same goal through “will power” and other programs that have cost money, only to find the inner child rebels once again at the hard sell of the conscious mind. Failure to reach a goal at a conscious level doesn’t always mean that we are weak. Rather, it may indicate a very powerful subconscious. Once that power is re-directed, the difference can be life-changing!

How can we accomplish using this power? We must persuade the subconscious to cooperate, otherwise we might run into resistance from the inner mind. We must use selling skills to persuade the inner child to pay the price of change in order to enjoy the benefits. I call this "Selling Success to Your Subconscious." Most people attempting to achieve a goal simply try to cram the price into the subconscious and then wonder why they run into resistance. Price for a dieter is changing eating habits, which the inner child is unwilling to do. Price for a smoker is ignoring smoking urges, often caused by various triggers of habit (putting key in ignition, drinking a beverage, etc.). While we may know consciously what the benefits of a goal might be, unless those benefits are communicated to the inner child, the result is: NO SALE.

The Language of the Subconscious

Before any sales person can sell a product or service, he/she must speak the same language as the customer. The conscious mind is the seat of logic while the subconscious is reached by imagination and emotion. Whenever imagination and will power are in conflict, imagination will usually win. If I say, “Don’t think of a dog,” what did you imagine? Most people will immediately imagine seeing a dog, petting one, or hearing one bark. Yet the conscious instructions were to NOT think of one! The dieter who uses self-talk to avoid the cake or pie will normally fantasize the taste of it…and often indulge. Can you relate to this?

Now let’s apply the above to someone working on weight reduction. The subconscious resists giving up dessert, but will be comfortable (and happier) imagining the benefits of trying on an ideal size of clothes. So, in a sense, the conscious mind must sell success to the subconscious by using the language of the subconscious, which is imagination.

Emotion is Subconscious Power: the Energy of the Subconscious

Before proceeding any further, let’s overview another very important concept that I’ve used successfully with clients over the years... While imagination is the language of the subconscious, emotion is the motivating power of the mind! Emotion can either propel us to success, or hinder us from accomplishing even simple tasks…and the most powerful positive emotion is love.

Once you fall in love with the benefits of your goal, this action causes the effect of greater motivation to pay whatever price is necessary to achieve the desired goal. So the key to overcoming subconscious resistance lies in persuading the subconscious to buy the benefits of change. Before accomplishing this important step, you must identify your specific benefits.

Applying Imagination and Emotion

Here’s what to do: take out a sheet of paper and list the main benefits you will enjoy upon fulfillment of your desired goal. (Note: Your subconscious responds better when you choose your own benefits rather than simply accepting someone else's benefits.)

Get your imagination involved with the benefits of achieving your goal by fantasizing them during self-hypnosis. You should also fantasize ways of enjoying each benefit with as many of your five senses as possible. I call this process "Selling Success to Your Subconscious" (the title of this article). In a meditative state, imagine your benefits as vividly as possible, and fantasize how you feel emotionally about enjoying your benefits. In other words, imagine the attitude of gratitude!

By doing all of the above, you can marry two powerful methods of subconscious programming, self-hypnosis and emotion. Now you are ready to sell success to your subconscious. If you need assistance, then choose a competent hypnotist to help you. Although I wrote a book about the use of self-hypnosis, it’s like a muscle. I can lift a chair by myself, but I need help to move a couch. If your goal feels like a couch in your subconscious, seek professional help.

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Roy Hunter practices hypnotherapy near Seattle, in the Pacific Northwest region of the USA. He also worked part time for the Franciscan Hospice facilitating hypnotherapy for terminal patients for seven years, and teaches a 9-month professional hypnotherapy training course based on the teachings of Charles Tebbetts. Roy is the recipient of numerous awards, including awards from three different organizations for lifetime achievement in the hypnosis profession. You may see Roy’s numerous awards at: http://www.royhunter.com/hunter.htm

Roy is available for mentoring and coaching.
For more info, visit: http://www.royhunter.com/consulting.htm

You may purchase Roy's books online by going to the following link:
http://www.royhunter.com/hypnosis_books.htm

Last updated: February 9, 2011

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Originally posted: May 11, 2007