The Sales Thermostat: How to Break Through Your Financial Ceiling in Video Production
An important part of building a successful production company is skill acquisition—learning the sequence of steps that you need to take and then doing them consistently.
But what's just as important, and often overlooked, is understanding how your mind works. What unconscious beliefs or thought patterns do you have? How are they influencing the actions you take in your production business and the results you get?
One of the most interesting psychological concepts in sales and business is something called the sales thermostat, and today, we’re going to explore what it is and how it might be affecting your video production business.
Understanding the Sales Thermostat
I just received confirmation from a client about a decent-sized new project, and it feels great. Even after doing this work for 20 years, I still get the same buzz when a new job comes through. It validates our marketing and video production sales process, ensures more work for me and my team, and, most importantly, it means that my prospect has found a solution to their challenge.
But do you know what happens next? I often get an automatic, instinctual response that goes something like this:
“Well, that's great. You've done well today. You’ve made a sale, so the pressure is off. You can just relax and enjoy yourself now.”
Does this sound familiar? Have you ever made a sale and then rewarded yourself by taking the rest of the day off or slowing down your efforts?
I believe this reaction is deeply rooted in human evolution. Imagine our ancestors: they had one core purpose—survival. This meant securing food, staying safe, and ensuring the continuation of their species.
A caveman who successfully hunted for food would return to the tribe, eat, and relax. Their instinct was not to burn any unnecessary energy because they had already met their immediate needs. The body and brain rewarded them for this because, from a survival perspective, there was no point in overexerting themselves.
Fast forward to today, and our world is very different—but our instincts haven’t changed. Making a sale in our video production business is the modern-day equivalent of bringing home food to the tribe. Our brains tell us we’ve done enough and can take a break.
But here’s the problem: this instinct is holding us back.
Your Financial Thermostat: Are You Capping Your Own Success?
The concept of the sales thermostat (also known as the financial thermostat) is based on the idea that we each have an internal comfort level when it comes to money, success, and sales.
Imagine that your income is like the temperature in a room. You have a thermostat set to a certain level—let’s say 22 degrees Celsius. If the temperature drops below that, the heater kicks in, and you start taking action to get more work, make more sales, and raise your income back to your normal level.
However, when the temperature rises above your set point, what happens? You instinctively slow down, back off, and stop pushing forward.
This is why some video production business owners experience income plateaus. No matter how much they try to grow, they keep hitting the same revenue numbers over and over again. Their internal thermostat is set at a particular level, and anytime they exceed it, they unconsciously pull back.
Have you ever had a great month in sales, only to notice that the next month is unusually slow? That’s the sales thermostat in action.
The good news? You have control over it.
How to Reset Your Sales Thermostat and Keep Growing
Once you’re aware of this phenomenon, you can actively fight against it. The key is to recognise the instinct and override it—to push through the ceiling instead of allowing yourself to settle at your comfortable financial level.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Recognize When It’s Happening
The first step is to become aware of when your sales thermostat kicks in. If you make a sale and suddenly feel like taking the afternoon off, pause and ask yourself: Am I slowing down because I truly need a break, or is my thermostat limiting me?
Awareness is powerful. Once you can recognise the pattern, you can start making conscious decisions instead of reacting on autopilot.
2. Use Your Success as a Tailwind
Instead of backing off after a sale, use that energy to push even harder.
If you’ve just sold a series of social media videos, use that momentum to reach out to more prospects.
If a corporate client just confirmed a big project, follow up with other leads who have shown interest.
Make those follow-up calls that you’ve been resisting. Pitch new ideas.
Your brain might be telling you to slow down, but this is actually the best time to double down.
3. Reframe Your Wins: “Playing with House Money”
A client of mine from the U.S. used to use a phrase that I found really useful: “playing with house money.”
This term comes from gambling and refers to a situation where you’ve already made money from the casino, so anything you continue to play with is a bonus.
In sales, this means that once you’ve made a sale, you’re ahead—you’re “playing with house money.” This should make you bolder, more confident, and more willing to take risks.
When you operate from this mindset, you’re not desperate for the next sale. You’re coming from a place of strength and abundance, and prospects will pick up on that energy.
4. Change Your Financial Set Point
If your sales thermostat is currently set at making, let’s say, $5,000 per month, and you want to earn $10,000 per month, you need to gradually increase your internal financial comfort level.
One way to do this is by surrounding yourself with examples of what’s possible. Follow and learn from video production business owners who are making more than you. Seeing it as achievable will help reset your subconscious expectations.
Another way is to create a new normal by consistently pushing past your current ceiling. Over time, as you continue to make sales and not back off, your thermostat will naturally adjust to a higher set point.
Final Thoughts: Take Control of Your Sales Mindset
Your financial thermostat is real, and it’s probably holding you back more than you realise. But the great thing about this phenomenon is that once you recognise it, you can break through it.
So, next time you make a sale, pay attention to how you feel. If you notice the instinct to slow down, fight against it. Use your success as fuel. Push forward instead of backing off.
The video production business isn’t just about technical skills—it’s about mindset. And the people who master their mindset will always outperform those who don’t.
I hope this post has given you some insight and practical ideas to implement in your business. The next time you close a deal, don’t take your foot off the gas—use it to drive even faster toward your next goal.