The coronavirus pandemic turned traditional business practice on its head, with global economic uncertainty leaving many feeling helpless.
But, Australian mindset & performance coach Kevin Paulraj believes there is ample opportunity for salespeople to develop strategies to use the period to their advantage.
The Sydney-based performance and mindset expert developed a five-step strategy to overcome feelings of self-doubt many business owners were having as they braced for massive financial hits.
Mr Paulraj’s goal was to change their mindset and make them fall in love with the opportunities the pandemic might create.
“During the pandemic, people started to go crazy, especially the business owners and salespeople I was coaching at the time,” Mr Paulraj said.
“Fear and uncertainty were so high that people became illogical and started doubting themselves and everything around them. They were also the ones who participated in grabbing toilet paper and lining up outside of supermarkets!”
As political leaders and the media shared messages that created fear and confusion, Mr Paulraj noted many business owners entered survival mode, with many turning to fight or flight and not using critical thinking to add perspective on the situation.
It was the main reason he created a five-step program for business owners and salespeople in industries such as real estate who were struggling through the period to get them back into their groove and excel.
“A lot of people were fearing for their survival because no one was spending money and their businesses were taking a massive financial hit,” Mr Paulraj.
The program begins with adding perspective: that opportunities are everywhere and that many people are worse off.
The success stories that came out of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis were an important reality check the coach used for his clients.
In 2009, rideshare platform Uber was established around the same time as encrypted messaging app Whatsapp, the latter of which sold to Facebook five years later for US$19 billion, the company’s largest acquisition to date.
Economists predict the pandemic-induced recession in Australia will be shallow and resolve quickly, largely due to the economic conditions being created by a health crisis rather than a monetary crisis.
“Both apps began in a recession. There was a certain mindset behind what made them not only survive the recession but also use that uncertain time to thrive,” Mr Paulraj said.
The program’s second phase made people reconsider and take control of their own actions and interactions with those around them. Some of these steps included welcoming participants to declare on social media that they were willing to support those in need.
“grabbing toilet paper and becoming selfish, is this how we want to be remembered by our kids?” Parents were also asked to consider the person their children were seeing during the period and whether they were presenting as a strong, confident leader for their family.
“I needed to help people shift from a survival mindset to one that was focused on sheltering and helping others. I needed people to internally shift their mindset from being a follower sheep to a thriving leader,” Mr Paulraj said.
He noticed the change in thinking helped most regain control of their businesses and lives. Several emerged from the pandemic stronger for it and some also achieved their busiest months ever.
“I got people to not just tolerate the pandemic but to fall in love with it through realising all the good that it was offering. Not only did it force people online to become more easily accessible, but many were also getting more time with their families, had an opportunity to focus on self-development, and learn new ways to adapt,” the mindset coach said.
Mr Paulraj is a mindset and performance coach who specialises in helping salespeople excel through mastering emotions, habits and goals to create an unstoppable in life. He offers one-on-one coaching, group coaching, retreats, workshops and speaks at corporations and keynote events.
The coronavirus program he created got results for many of Mr Paulraj’s salesperson clients in Sydney and around the country via online coaching. Since April, words of mouth praise helped the reach and impact of his business to skyrocket.
