Fake it till you make it. You have probably heard this a thousand times in your sales journey. If you are anything like me, you are probably wondering what this saying means?
Does it mean that I need to pretend to be someone that I am not? Does it mean that I need to pretend to know something that I don’t and make up the answers as I go? Fake it till you make it. What does it mean, and how do I do it?
The answer can be found in the story of Galatea. A long time ago; Pygmalion, the king of Crete, was searching for the perfect woman. Since he couldn’t find her, he made a sculpture with all the attributes he was looking for in a woman.
The sculpture represented physical attributes and values that he was seeking. The figure embodied beauty, nobility, wisdom, and many other virtues. It was so perfect that he fell madly in love with his handiwork. He named it “Galatea”.
As the story goes, the Goddess Aphrodite was moved when she saw the love Pygmalion had for his creation. She made the statue come to life. Pygmalion had finally found his ideal wife and they lived happily ever after. Pygmalion’s strong desire made Galatea come to life. That willpower to succeed is called the Galatea effect.
The Galatea effect is the idea that when we have a strong desire to succeed and if we really believe in our abilities then we are more likely to achieve our goals. Our success depends on our belief.
What does the Galatea effect have to do with faking it to make it? The key to succeeding is in “making it.” What does it mean to “make it” for you? Is it to close more sales? Is it to make a certain amount of money? Is it to build a team?
The Galatea effect depends on vision. Top athletes understand this. They spend hours in practice and reviewing tape. They meditate about gametime scenarios and plays. They have taken millions of reps before they hit that key last second shot or caught the game winning hail mary.
When you see these moments in sports you are seeing the Galatea effect in action. It is the perfect mix of desire, hard work, and intense focus.
Faking it till you make it doesn’t mean performing without preparation. Many people make this mistake. They go into their sales presentations with very little preparation, wing it, or worse make it up as they go along. This shows very little desire and can cause sales professionals to question their skills and their opportunity.
So, what is it that you need to fake? If you are putting the Galatea effect into practice then you have the desire and the will to put in the work of mentally creating the reality that you wish to be living in. The only thing left to fake to make your vision a reality is your confidence.
