Peter Shallard

The term “Lizard Brain” has been thrown around the blogosphere a whole bunch lately thanks to Seth Godin’s phenomenal new book Linchpin.

I first heard the term from international direct response marketing legend John Carlton, who has also been harping on and on about Lizard Brain Fear (and why entrepreneurs must overcome it) for years.

From a psychological point of view, Lizard Brain Fear is a fight or flight reaction sent by the most ancient part of our brain.

The reaction tends to pop up when we attempt to do something extraordinary…. in business or life.

Protection in the jungle:

In an effort to protect us from the dangerous predators of ancient times, the Lizard Brain pumps us full of fear as we attempt to leave our comfort zone. For us entrepreneurs, leaving our comfort zone can (and should) be a daily occurrence!

“Leaving our comfort zone” used to mean leaving the safety of our caves. In a dangerous jungle, Lizard Brain reactions were not just appropriate, but mighty useful.

In the concrete jungle of today, Lizard Brain Fear is seldom warranted or helpful.

Seth Godin’s big message (for Linchpins and entrepreneurs) is to feel the fear and do it anyway.

I want to take things once step further with a practical technique for understanding and overcoming Lizard Brain Fear.

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It doesn’t matter whether you’re involved in any kind of selling or not, this fourth step in my Sales Management series is useful for everyone.

Why? Because it’s all something both you and I all need all the time.

Sales people need to it the most. For every entrepreneur, or at least the successful ones, it is the fundamental ingredient in any given day, project or business!

Read on to discover why…

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Every year Time magazine (and your similar local publications) run a collaboration piece on what to expect in the upcoming year.

Various experts across a range of industries weigh in to share a pearl of wisdom or two.

Seth Godin decided to do the same (only better) this year, by publishing a free ebook collection of business leaders, bloggers and pundits expounding on the significance of a single, individually selected idea.

This ebook What Matters Now includes short (200 word) articles from around 70 authors.

It’s a must read for any entrepreneur and really, for anyone who cares about doing anything significant in business.

In an effort to share the book with five million readers, Seth is encouraging bloggers to add their own 200 words on a particular idea.

Check out my riff (and download your copy of the ebook) below:

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I’m always pushing my clients and readers (and myself) to shorten the gap between actually doing stuff (important business activity)… and just thinking about it.

As entrepreneurs, it’s a psychological game that we struggle with. The more “intellectual” our background, the more we tend to “plan” and over-analyse things before taking action.

Here’s a new angle you might not have considered: This Thinking-Action Gap affects our customers too!

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I’ve got a fantastic idea for my business. I bet you’ve got a couple too.

My idea is a stroke of marketing genius that could help me have fun connecting with a bunch of new clients… and earn a pile of well-deserved cash, quickly and easily.

… So today I got started on it by checking all my favourite news sites, making a snack and catching up with an old friend on the phone. Then it felt like I deserved to watch a little television.

Suddenly, what’s left of the day has gone. Business hours are over. As I drove home, I told myself I’ll get stuck in tomorrow, after a relaxing evening and a good nights sleep.

The Self Sabotage monster strikes again!

This article uncovers the psychology of self sabotage and gives you practical tips on how best to overcome it…

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My internet activity has taken a back seat in the last few days.

Unfortunately, this happens from time to time – due to the reality of “real world” business.

The cool thing is, real world busy-ness usually means there are some big profits around the corner.

Why?

It is still enormously easier to make money as an entrepreneur in the “real world”. If you’re struggling, then use these three tactics to bring in more profits:

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There is a psychological “a-ha” (I call it a “Eureka” moment) that every successful entrepreneur just “gets” at some point in their career. Usually just before they absolutely master the science of achievement.

Thing is, it isn’t easy to “get”… it fact, it is one of the most painful lessons you’ll ever learn.

The secret lies in knowing this, expecting the hurt… and then going for it anyway. Really, the lesson is all about embracing pain.

Let me explain…

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That massive thing that you’ve been contemplating?

Yeah, you know the one. That huge thing you’ve been procrastinating – hiding from even? (let’s be honest)

I know it’s scary… so much to be gained… and yet if you were to screw up and fail it could really hurt!

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