Strengthening Sales Ability Through Inner Work

Strengthening Sales Ability Through Inner Work

The way I work with strengthening sales ability is by working with the deeper layers of consciousness.

In this kind of process, the focus is not on learning more techniques or sales tools, but on releasing the inner parts that are interfering with the ability to sell.

When there is something we deeply want, work toward, and try hard to achieve, yet it still does not happen, it usually means that somewhere within us there is an unconscious part that does not want it. One way to understand this is to look at reality itself: what appears in our lives often reflects what is sitting in the subconscious.

A case example: a salesperson struggling with frustration

Not long ago, a man came to see me again after having done emotional work with me in the past. He was in his thirties, a family man, and the main provider in his home. He was dealing with debt and an overdrawn bank account after several investments had failed. Recently, he had been hired for a sales position with the potential for high earnings through commission.

We met in the morning before work, and he told me that in the six months since starting the job, he had tried with all his strength but had not managed to make even a single sale. He was afraid for his future there, and this was creating a great deal of stress in his life.

As I wrote above, the subconscious often steers the ship of our lives. So when someone genuinely wants to succeed and still cannot, the reason will often be found in the unconscious.

The subconscious protects us

The subconscious is not against us. It is deeply tied to survival and protection. So if it blocks something, there is usually a reason that feels, on some level, even more important than the thing we are trying to achieve.

This man was making a real effort and still getting nowhere, despite having the skills for the job. As often happens when we work hard toward a goal and fail to reach it, his confidence was beginning to suffer.

Self-confidence and the subconscious

Self-confidence is an inner sense of being able to meet life and its challenges. It is a central part of our emotional and mental well-being. When confidence is low, it can affect every area of life, from relationships to performance at work or in study.

The subconscious plays a major role here. The beliefs, perceptions, and emotional impressions we carry beneath awareness shape the way we see ourselves and the world around us. Meeting those deeper layers can help us uncover limiting beliefs, understand where they come from, and begin replacing them with more supportive ones.

Revealing what is driving us through inquiry

One way to trace a conscious or partly unconscious line of thinking is through a simple inquiry based on extremes.

You can ask:

• “What is the worst thing that could happen if this happens?”
• Or from the other end: “What is the best thing that could happen if this happens?”

From there, you keep going:

• “And then what would happen?”
• “And if that happened, then what?”

This can lead us toward the root of the inner movement we are experiencing in reality.

For the answers to be accurate, they need to come from within rather than from the analytical mind. When I guide this kind of inquiry, I ask the person to answer quickly, simply letting the words come out through the mouth—without overthinking, analyzing, or trying to give the “right” answer. If something comes out that does not feel true, it can always be corrected.

Revealing the unconscious thought in a session about sales ability

So I asked him, “What is the worst thing that could happen if you start selling?”

He answered that nothing bad would happen. On the contrary, it would only be good. He said he really wanted it to happen, that he was constantly trying and working hard, and that this was exactly why he had come.

This was a clear reflection of what was present in his conscious mind. It reflected the pressure and tension he was carrying every day—the gap between what he wanted and what was actually happening in his life. There was financial strain, fear of being fired, heaviness at home, and above all the helplessness of not being able to achieve something he felt he needed in order to keep his household functioning.

And as often happens, the conscious and unconscious were in conflict.

So I went to the opposite pole. Working through either pole can lead to the same point.

I asked him, “What is the best thing that could happen if you succeed in selling?”

He answered, “I’ll be able to keep my job.”

I asked, “And then what will happen?”

“I’ll be able to advance at work and work more hours.”

“And then what will happen?”

“I’ll support the household through this job and move forward in it.”

“And then what will happen?”

And then he said: “I’ll see my children even less than I do now—which is basically only when I put them to bed. I won’t be able to find different work that would let me be home more, spend more time with them, or do the things I love.”

The dominant feeling is what decides

From the perspective of the subconscious, the dominant feeling is what carries the most weight.

What emerged was that he felt he was missing precious time with his small children. Deep down, that mattered more to him than the job. In truth, he would have preferred from the beginning to work closer to home, to be with them more, and to leave more room for himself, his interests, and his life.

But because of financial pressure, he had looked for work that would pay more, and found a job that required long travel and long days.

Consciously, he suffered over every missed sale. The pressure of rent and ongoing expenses was exhausting him. At the same time, unconsciously, he was creating a block against selling—so that he could protect what mattered most to him: time with his family and with himself.

Conscious, unconscious, and fate

The unconscious steers most of the inner ship, because it holds such a large part of our awareness. In this man’s story, although he was making enormous conscious effort, he was not getting the results he wanted.

Even though he told himself he wanted to sell and succeed in the job, unconsciously it was not worth the price he felt he was paying. So he was blocked from within.

As Carl Jung said: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

From that point, the way forward became shorter. Once we truly see what is operating inside us, it no longer controls us in the same hidden way.

He could no longer ignore his own inner priorities. He understood that it would be wiser to listen to what was genuinely meaningful for him, and to consciously make room—whenever possible—for time with his children, for the things he loves, and for himself.

Most importantly, he could begin to see that it might be possible to sell and succeed without losing himself in the process—to create a healthier balance between home and work, even in the presence of financial challenge.

A short path in self-healing

When we uncover what is truly managing us from within, we are released not only from helplessness, but also into a more mature relationship with our lives.

This kind of seeing is often a short path in self-healing.