In a number of conversations this last few weeks - on a personal and professional level - a common theme was the importance of taking time...time 'out', time to prepare, time to think and the benefits of not rushing. The control of our subconscious / unconscious in what we do and how we do things is evident but only when we stop to think.
Take a breath, a moment too get some clarity and perspective.

How often do you stop and think - about the unimportant stuff? about the important stuff? About the critical stuff?

Taking control of unconscious behaviours

A different episode to the usual - about going to a fundraiser for Palestine at the Dockers Club in Belfast, music supplied by Irish DJ, David Holmes, Roisin El Sherif and Bernadette Devlin McAliskey. 

At the age of 78, Bernadette can hold court now just as well as she did in 1969, on her maiden speech in Westminster.

She read out some poetry on the evening from an Irish Poet, Dorothy Cullen from her book of poems "300 days and counting" - available on Amazon.

I have posted a copy of her maiden HOC speech on my website here: https://www.shift-control.co.uk/words-maiden-speech-bernadette-devlin/




Never meet your idols - the night I didn't meet Bernadette Devlin McAliskey

I came across the following quote from a post on Instagram:
“It doesn’t make sense to continue wanting something if you’re not willing to do what it takes to get it.
If you don’t want to live the lifestyle then release yourself from the desire.
To crave the result but not the process is to guarantee disappointment.”

The journy of 1,000 miles doesnt begin with the first step - it begins with awareness. In sales performance that 'awareness" is critical - it is a level of self awarenes that might be beyond many - it certainly was beyond me for a long time.

A line from their most famous song, David Byrne in Talking Heads asks YOU to ask the question: "you may ask yourself, how did i get here?"

In trying to improve your sales performance you need to understand where you are, how you got there, where you wnat to go and more importantly are youy aware of what changing for success looks like?

I have included a little clip at the end from Eric Thomas - the bane of every young sportstar's life....I hope you enjoy

You may ask yourself, how did I get here?

I was making plans for this coming weekend - Tyrone V Kerry in Dublin. Should I or shouldn't I?
Weather isn't all that relevant but I looked at the forecast and found another reason to go.
The importance of being able to predict something accurately. (It was in 2008 that Croke park was flooded after one of the quarter finals - so accurate is the operative word.)

And so to sales forecasting - the devils business. So critical to all other parts of the business, planning, buying, HR, logistics and so difficult for sales people to get it right every time - because it matters every time.

Some thoughts on forecasting from the world of the sales person and the sales manager.

Forecasting for sales success

Plenty of the recent episodes focus on the importance of process, from pipeline management to presentation formats. We can get caught up with the lure of CRM, believing that data and data management is everything.

It gets tiring, sat in another sales meeting, discussing pipeline and nothing has moved from the previous meeting. A slow agonising death. 

Data is important, process is important but when it comes to influencing sales decisions, awareness and emotional intelligence matter most.

In this episode I talk about the importance of awareness and being present when it comes to closing out on deals in your pipeline.

Sales Isn’t About Activity — It’s About Awareness

Having invited guests over last week, I found myself without some key ingredients for a vegetarian dish I had planned to make. Taking the list of ingredients I challenged CHAT GPT to create a recipe for a similar meal - and it did.

At no point did I question the recipe and it made me realise how much trust I have placed in this technology in such a short space of time.

Research suggests that almost 60% of people in sales believe that AI tools sometimes provide inaccurate or misleading information.

The big question to sales leaders becomes are you constantly regulating the veracity and quality of the information used by your sales people (and lets face it, yourselves)? 

If not giving you a competitive edge just yet, AI has given you the chance to reclaim some of your time each day - if you are not integrating AI in your sales function you are missing out. If you haven't given your team the authority to use AI, work on the basis that they are already taking some short cuts - you need to make sure if those short cuts aren't going to case long term damage. 

Who do you trust?

I used to work with a business man who was as good at coaching as he was at growing a multi-million pound business.

“I really pity the man that doesn’t know he doesn’t know.” He said to me one day, almost 20 years ago. It took a while to land but he was talking about that thing everyone is afflicted with – a blind spot.

The phrase ‘blind spot’ comes from the Johari Window, a psychological model developed in 1955 by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham — the name “Johari,” comes from a blend of their first names.

It was originally created as a framework for understanding and improving interpersonal communication, particularly within group dynamics and team settings.

As a coach, a manager to as a sales person intent on improving, it's important to spend some time looking for that which is harder to see - or those characteristics that you have been spending a lifetime trying to avoid

It's hard to fix what you cannot see

Paradise 23

Joy Mantra

Beginning a new learning journey and I have picked up some valuable insights already - one being the use of the word 'why' in sales and the importance of finding a different way of asking that question without it.

This podcast suggests a rethink on your questioning / information gathering techniques. I also talk about the value of learning later in life and starting the journey of getting to know yourself better.

When not to ask why

Helping ambitious SMEs and sales leaders unlock performance through strategic coaching, sales training, and practical growth advice rooted in 20 years of real-world experience.

I’m Paul McAnallen, founder of Shift Control, a consultancy that works with SMEs, sales leaders, and founders across Ireland to improve sales performance and leadership effectiveness.

Over the last 20 years, I’ve helped hundreds of businesses accelerate sales through strategy, coaching, and leadership development. From creating go-to-market strategies to developing SDR teams and mentoring senior sales professionals, I bring a no-nonsense, high-impact approach to driving commercial growth.

With deep cross-industry experience and a commitment to clarity and action, I work as a trusted growth partner — not just a trainer — helping businesses turn potential into performance.

Taking control of unconscious behaviours

The Shift Control Podcast