Enclothed Cognition

Transcript

I talked a lot earlier in this course about getting dressed and getting ready for the day and why that's so important. I talked about it's important to brush your hair and brush your teeth and put on your clothes, even if you're not actually going to an office and even if nobody is actually going to see you during the business day. Believe it or not, there's science behind this.

There's a concept called enclothed cognition, which psychologists have used to describe the concept that when you are prepared physically, it makes you feel better about yourself. It makes you feel more prepared. So for example, for me, I know that what I need to do in order to stay confident when I'm making sales calls, this is going to sound ridiculous, but it's true: I have to be fully dressed and wearing shoes. For whatever reason, if I don't put on my shoes, I feel like I'm not quite ready for my sales call. That's totally silly.

Nobody on the other end of the phone will ever know whether I'm wearing shoes or not. Or even if I'm having a video conference, they'll never see my feet. But I know, and therefore that little extra nudge of confidence helps me to be a better salesman, which helps me to do a better job. It helps me feel better about myself. And of course, when I win more business, I feel a lot better.

So, as I mentioned in your daily routine, do whatever those things are that you need to do to make you feel prepared. If you need to brush your hair a particular way or wear a special shirt that's really colorful or put on your favorite shoes or do some thing that seems really minuscule, but makes you feel better, the science is out that you will do better. And people I think can tell whether you're smiling, for example, on the other end of a phone. If they can't see it, they can hear it.

And the same thing goes for video conferences. If I do something that makes me just a little bit happier, then I will probably be a little bit more excited when I talk to you, which means that we will probably have that much more of a relationship and a little bit more trust which results in a better connection. So whatever you need to do to help yourself feel good about yourself. I know sometimes some women feel a little bit more confident when they cut their hair a certain way, or when they just make some change, like they color their hair from one color to another.

Whatever it is for you that makes you feel just that much more excited and prepared for the day, even if it seems completely silly, do it! You will connect more with people which ultimately results in more closed deals, better projects and better relationships.