--- title: How to Avoid Having Your Beliefs Become Dogma | The Sales Blog description: Today's selling environment is always changing. If you don't stay flexible, you will get left behind. Here's how you can avoid becoming dogmatic and[...] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_25785022-copy.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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It’s an ideology so stubbornly held that it doesn’t allow for any new evidence or ideas to change it. It especially resists conflicting ideas from the outside world. [![sales-accelerator-individual](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/dd5a3b06-f705-4732-885d-7e700d447815.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/dd5a3b06-f705-4732-885d-7e700d447815) Your dogmatic beliefs might be around your [sales process](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/09/14/the-difference-between-a-sales-process-and-a-methodology/). Or maybe you have a dogmatic attachment to some sales methodology. Maybe you are dogmatic in your belief that you shouldn’t have to prospect in this age of inbound marketing and social media. Or perhaps your dogma is something else. What makes dogma so dangerous is that it doesn’t allow for new and conflicting information. And in a world that is changing ever faster, holding onto to [old beliefs](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2011/04/27/the-natural-consequences-of-beliefs-and-actions/)—beliefs that may no longer serve you—is a dangerous business. Here’s a quick example. I have a deeply held belief that cold calling is the most effective method for prospecting. But if that belief were so strong that I believed that no other method of prospecting could be effective, that would be unhealthy. It would eliminate other effective methods of prospecting, maybe even my dream client’s preferred method of being approached. Here’s how you avoid dogma. [![Information Disparity 2-part video series](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/4247f96c-ae7f-48aa-a18b-74b3eaed168f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/4247f96c-ae7f-48aa-a18b-74b3eaed168f) #### Allow Your Beliefs to Be Questioned Anything that fails to grow dies. Anything that refuses to take in things from the outside world dies too. If you refuse to allow what you now believe to be questioned, you are refusing to take in information from the outside. Are your beliefs so strong that you bristle when you hear ideas that conflict with them? Does that ever happen to you? The first step in avoiding having your beliefs become dogma is not to judge all ideas by your existing beliefs. Instead, you remain open to [new ideas](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/10/12/people-ideas-and-technology-in-that-order/), especially ideas that conflict with your existing beliefs. You hear people out without making any judgments about right or wrong, truth or lie. It’s not easy, but there is power to be found in taking in new ideas, especially ideas that conflict with your existing beliefs. #### Purposely Seek Conflicting Ideas An even more powerful way to avoid having your beliefs become dogma is to purposely seek out conflicting ideas. Ideas that are in direct conflict with what you believe can be powerful in improving your results. Instead of reflexively rejecting ideas that conflict with your beliefs, try to find out why others value those ideas. Try to find the truth in the ideas that conflict with what you believe. Try to discover when those ideas could be valuable. [![sales-call-planner](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/950750ea-fa09-426b-b86a-35fa16a5f85e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/950750ea-fa09-426b-b86a-35fa16a5f85e) #### Become Agnostic The more tools you have in your toolkit, the more prepared you are to deal with different circumstances. Being [agnostic](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2011/03/23/improve-your-sales-by-being-more-promiscuous/) means being open to using whatever works and whatever the circumstances demand. In a rapidly changing world, you need ideas. Being agnostic doesn’t mean you don’t believe anything. It means you don’t have a religious devotion to something that you adhere to even when something else might work better. You use what works when it’s useful, and you discard what doesn’t work when it isn’t useful. If you are agnostic, you can remain open to new ideas. You judge them by their useful under some set of circumstances. #### Questions What beliefs do you hold so deeply that they’ve become dogma? How long has it been since you questioned those beliefs? Have you ever? How do you ensure that you are continually taking in new ideas? How do you react to ideas that conflict with your dogmatic beliefs? How much better would your results be if you were willing to shed some of your dogmas and open up to some new beliefs? [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/b244ccb3-3105-475e-add2-28052d55bd3e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/b244ccb3-3105-475e-add2-28052d55bd3e) ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2012](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2012) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on October 14, 2012 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2022-12-06T6:05:43 PM", "datePublished" : "2012-10-14 21:35:59", "description" : "Today's selling environment is always changing. If you don't stay flexible, you will get left behind. 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