Sitting on eggshells....

....with a PB (Probable Buyer) and you get that old objection...

"I Want To Speak To My CEO, VP, Marketing Department, Wife, Dog….. "


Do you panic like a few of the delegates at my training course told me they do? What the hell is all that about?
They said they were sitting on eggshells terrified of losing the sale?
How can you lose a sale you haven't got yet?
Well, if you do that, STOP...and use this close from now on:


You: Let me ask you a question, Mr Brown. I have given you a lot of information in the last ________ and I am pleased that you have really taken all this on board. It’s great to be able to talk to someone who understands the benefits of what we do as well as the intricacy of making it happen. Over the last __________ I have told you who we are and what we do, how we get our information, who our target audience is, the process of how we put you in front of all the key players in your industry, the scope of the project, the subscription base, the rates and distribution and timeline. Tell me, if I had asked you at the very start of our conversation, without you knowing any of that info, to make a decision and place an ad with us, you would have said no, yes?

Them: Yes

You: Then I am right in saying that it doesn’t make sense to take advice from someone who knows less about this project than you or me, yes?

Them: Yes!

You: So, do you want to place a single page ad or do you want to include a second page with a company profile?


Ok...I admit it! It is ballsy and it is in your face but what have you got to lose? Nothing. You can't lose the sale because...you ain't got it yet!
This will do one of two things....it will either get the sale or it will expose the real objection they were hiding behind.

Now...go and have your best day ever!

Whatever happened to Privacy in this Country?

You remember, the condition human beings used to crave... just to be left alone, not prejudged, to take care of their own business without the interference of others,or the intrusions of others?

The simply fact is we gave it away. In the name of security, we gave it away. One of the most precious possessions we had, privacy, we gave away.

We gave it to the government. We gave it away to the retailers, insurance companies, the Revenue Service, the Census, and even the petrol station. (Next time you fill-uplook overhead. Chances are you will see a mini-camera pointed in your direction.

Smile, you're on Candid Camera!)

I'm from the old school. I believe that what is mine is mine and that includes my business. It really bugs me, no end, to have my picture taken without my knowledge or permission. I have left a number of stores with merchandise still in the checkout, or on the checkout counter,because they were going to take my photograph as I wrote them a cheque, or used my credit card.

I consider that an insult of the highest order. It pre-supposes that I am a criminal bent on stealing something or writing them a bad cheque (which is the same thing.). It is demeaning, and belittling. Not long ago, I stood in a car park of the local "Big Yellow Storage" and counted 22 cameras aimed at the car park.

No movement in that parking lot would go unnoticed, or unrecorded. I have no idea how many cameras there are in the store. They take some pain in concealing them, but they are in there by the dozens. I can only wonder how many are in the toilets!

Now, to really make it worse, to twist the knife, so to speak, are the stores which have the sign on the front door telling you the store uses "cameras for your protection". You've seen them, I'm sure.

Look, they have just lied to you before you even enter the store and you still want to go in there and give them your hard earned money???

Don't even get me started on Speed Cameras! Well, now that you have, I'll go ahead and rant. I hate 'em! Before, all we had to contend with was a cop sitting behind adboards and ambushing speedsters. When they came out from behind those adboards and the Police's revenue dropped. The answer? Install cameras all over the place to snap pictures of unsuspecting motorists as they breeze through red lights. The take is split with the Government. The owners of the cameras get the largest portion.

Anyway you slice it... Speed cameras are a dishonorable way to earn money. It is an electronic ambush. The honorable solution? They should put traffic cops back on the beat. You know, this country fought a war because we wanted to be "left alone"! You can tell we lost.

Feedback from the Training course

Being a trainer I am aware of how hard it can be sometimes to teach people skills. The reason for that is that you hear a lot of negativity.
People have a lot of negativity in their lives and occasionaly they get subliminal messages from peers, friends and loved ones that will, for whatever reason, make them question their abilities and hold them back.
Normally I shrug off negativity or destructive dialog because it is nothing to do with me and doesn't impact my life because I don't let it.

But, when you are involved in teaching, training or coaching you cannot ignore it because it impacts the people you are training and makes your job harder.

When a group of people talk about voices in their heads or peer pressure, it tends to cloud their judgement about what they are reading, and what they are learning. When I ask them what that voice tells them I tend to hear stuff like;
1. This doesn't work
2. I cant do that
3. I don't believe that this works
4. I already know that and its crap
5. I cant say that
6. These gurus are shit they all lie
7. Hypnosis is bad AND it doesn't exist!
8. NLP is rubbish and it doesn't work
9. Ross Jeffries is shit
10. You are friends with Ross Jeffries? Is he really nuts?
11. Wheres my comfort blanket?
12. I wanna go hooooommme!!!

Sometimes it feels like you are banging your head against a wall when you hear this crap. The reason it does work is because people pay me to teach them how it works. Why do people pay to learn something they then tell other people doesn't work? They are only showing that they make bad decisions. They also show people that they are in a loop of negation.
Truth is...Of course it works, otherwise we wouldn't all be getting the amazing results we are.

The people who say all of the crap listed above;
1. Don't get it.
2. They don't know how to get it
3. They don't know what to do to get it.
4. They wouldn't know what to do with it once they've got it.

That brings me to you soldier...do you get it? Do you understand it? Do you really, sincerely, understand what it is and how to get it?

There is this belief that there is a magic pill, a magic bullet, some hocus pocus spell you can cast, some dark hidden pattern that will make every person you speak to buy from you with little or no effort and I don't care if you are selling double glazing, insurance, cars or yourself.

Do you want the language pattern that will make people love you and admire you, every time you use it?
Do you want the pattern that will make every woman become a mad eyed Glenn Close-like stalker that watches your every move through some pretty impressive binoculars she bought on ebay?
Do you want that Magic Punch that will knock out your opponent, whether its Mike Tyson or Bruce Lee?
Thing is Shylock, I can teach you that punch, but by the time you have them in the position to land it, you will have spent more time on canvas than Leonardo Da Vinci.
Even if I teach you the punch you have to learn all the other aspects of martial art, or boxing, so that you can manoeuvre your opponent into a position to land it and protect yourself at the same time.

You need a shit load of other skills apart from the one magic punch.

So keep searching pal, you wont find it. You see, these embedded commands, language patterns etc all work to some extent but you need a load of other stuff to pull them off.
These magic pills/punches/bullets work, to an extent. Some of them work better than others. Some of them will not work on their own as long as you have a hole in your backside. You need to set them up and deliver the material the right way and not just launch a pattern.

Its easy to BS the tactics, ideas, techniques, tips and tools on here and the ones posted on the yahoo group by some really terrific people and say, IT DONT WORK, but you want the real answer??
Its about you!
You have no control over what anyone else thinks, feels or does to or for you. You only have control over yourself. When you have control over yourself you can then...influence.

Nothing has any meaning except the meaning you give it. You control how you react and feel.

1st option: If you have control over how you appear, carry yourself, your beliefs, your intent, your energy; you can influence other people to see you in a manner you decide you want to be seen in. If you act and really believe you are an authority, someone who is exciting and fun to be around, someone who can help, someone who 'they' should buy from guess what...they start to see you like that too.

2nd option: If you try (what a bad word that is) to convince people of all of that...you will crash and burn, badly, and then you will start saying, IT DONT WORK, ITS RUBBISH, ETC.

In the first option, you are living breathing proof that you are that person and other people choose to believe it.
In the second option you will be forever trying to prove you are that person and you will wait a long while for other people to believe it, if they ever do.

Its not JUST about what you say. Its about WHO YOU ARE WHEN YOU SAY IT, DO IT, FEEL IT AND GET IT!

If you want a short sharp lesson in what to do, how to get what you want and how to keep those multiple streams of business alive and well and living in your life then understand that all of those things you reckon dont work DO.
All those things you think cant be done CAN.
And that at the same time as you think things like THIS IS CRAP, IT DONT WORK, ITS SHIT, there are hundreds, thousands, of people living the life that you should be living. Be one of them.

Unfocused Selling

One of the things that always amazes me about salespeople is how they can get so bogged down and caught up in all of the things that have no relevance whatsoever in the sale. Not so much the red tape and procedure but in other intangible rubbish.

I am all for focus. My DNA program is based on the three principles of Decide – Navigate – Attitude. Decide what you want, navigate the way there and ensure that your attitude is one that will keep you focused. The challenge I have is in understanding some people’s preoccupation with misdirected focus.





Just like Bruce Lee says in Enter the Dragon: ‘it is like a finger pointing at the moon. Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all the heavenly glory’. That’s a very nice way of saying ‘you are concentrating on the wrong thing pal!’

Day after day salespeople the world over are wasting time attempting to bang a square peg in a round hole. And if that doesn’t work they will try any other shape but the one that fits the bill.

Years ago I was the Sales Manager for a Cable company in North London. From Hackney up to Camden we walked the streets selling cable services door to door. I was top salesman on a regular basis and worked my way up to having my own team within 10 months and six months later I was Field Sales Manager overseeing 5 teams, 60 salespeople in total. It was one year later I became National Sales Trainer and I was flying up and down the country to various offices in Scotland, northern England and down south.

When I was a salesperson, sitting in someone’s home, I never wasted time. I sold and sold and utilised the time I had with customers to consolidate the business. Then, when I was sure they were happy and I had answered every question they had, I moved on. I always questioned people in the early stages to confirm that they qualified for the service because my time was valuable.
I was always astounded at how much time, effort and energy some salespeople were willing to spend on a sale that wasn’t going to happen. Here is a case in point.

When I ran my own team of ten salespeople I had a guy working for me called Obi. He was a very polite, keen Indian guy of 35. He had a slight speech impediment that made him make a noise like ‘hurgh!’ every now and then but he was a good salesman but for one thing. He was a soft touch which resulted in him getting caught up in other peoples lives to such an extent that he would sit there ages talking about lots of different stuff that had no relevance to the deal. I believe that a salesperson should do that, don’t get me wrong, but always stay in control and never forget that you have a job to do. I did a field appraisal with Obi one evening and we went into a house Stoke Newington and we were still in there two hours later. We had been given two cups of tea and some cake, we had heard all about the couples holidays and jobs and family. It had got to the point where I had even forgotten what we were there for! I don’t think Obi actually told the couple what we wanted until I kicked him in the shin and nodded at the folder on his lap.

In those days we had pagers. We had mobile phones but we also had pagers because text messages hadn't been invented or, if they had, the pager was the messaging service. At the end of each nights work the salespeople in my team would text me their figures. You had to ring the pager number and an operator would answer and she would say, ‘David Moore’s (or whoever’s) paging service, your message please’, and you then read out your message.

I would get messages like, ‘Andy. 2 CATV and 2 telco.’ CATV stands for Community Antenna Television and you can still see it written on metal plates on the pavements. Telco is a telephone line. I might get a message like, ‘Albert. No sales.’ Or ‘James. 1 CATV and 0 telco’. One night I got a message saying ‘I’ll be God to Sales’. This confused me for a second. I thought whoever had sent it was obviously confident of hitting target but I didn’t understand it. What the girl at the paging service thought of it was a mystery. It was only next day I discovered that it was supposed to read, ‘Obi got 2 sales’.

One night I received a call from Obi. He was in customer’s house and this was a regular occurrence. Not him being in a customers house but him ringing me for advice. I didn’t mind in the slightest but if he had used a bit of common sense he could have answered the questions himself, he had the ability. He was always getting caught up in an issue or a problem and he was once described as someone who could start a fight in an empty room.

"Hello David, it is Obi."
"Hi Obi, how's it going?"
"David, I am with Mr and Mrs Collier."
"That’s good." I said, not having a clue as to whether he thought I knew them or not.
"David, Mr and Mrs Collier are wanting the full package with the telephone."
"That’s good news."
"Now David, they have a BT bill from last year, they have an electricity bill from their previous address."
"Obi, they need a utility bill from the last six months to pass credit control or a BT bill from the last six months with their account number on it if they want to keep their phone number."
"But David they have a BT bill from last year and an electricity bill from their old address. Mr Collier is a professional man, a Dentist and his wife; Mrs Collier is a teacher. They have recently moved here from Lambeth as Mr Collier has started his own practice. They have two children and they are decorating this house. They are having an extension built. Now, David..."
"Yes?"
"I need to know, what can we do for my customer?"
"What customer are you talking about?"
"Mr Collier!"
"Oh, you mean the man that hasn’t got the correct paperwork, the paperwork needed by credit control? Mr and Mrs Collier who, though they are probably very nice, do not have the correct documentation to qualify?"
"They are respectable people."
"They could be friends of Nelson Mandela Obi but they haven’t got the credit control required papers."
"But David, is there anything we can do for my customer."
"Obi, you haven’t got a customer!"
"But David, what can I do?"
"It’s simple Obi. Thank them for the tea and knock next door."
"But my customer David!"
"Obi, you haven’t got a customer. They are not customers. Do not waste your time. Go and find someone who has the correct paperwork."

This was 'criteria' selling. There was no such thing, in the late 90's as 'instant credit check' for this service. There is now. He knew exactly what was required but continued to try and submit all the stuff we couldn't take as that was all they had. No wonder he found so many people who wanted the service. It was just like the guy that says, 'yeah, it sounds like a great idea to me' only for you to find out he isn't the decision maker. Of course it sounds like a good idea to him.

Each week, Obi would call relating a catalogue of woe. Very nice people, Mr and Mrs Average who were upstanding members of the community that went to church, paid their taxes and had 2.4 children at school, drove environmentally friendly cars and took two weeks holiday every year. What they didn’t have was the correct paperwork and he spent ages with them. They cost him a fortune. They ended up costing him his job because he was always behind target.

Focus on what is required and don’t even bother thinking about bending the rules and squeezing a deal in. It will come back and cost you more than just commission. If you qualify the PB with a few questions early on you will tell whether or not they are going to be customers of yours. Your time is very valuable. It is more valuable than you think. If you are willing to spend prime selling time with people who are not going to be able to buy from you rather than people who can then you a devaluing yourself even further and, I am afraid to say, you deserve everything you get.

The Glasswalk

"It’s only when you are standing, barefoot, on a bed of razor sharp shards of broken glass, and you can feel the glass breaking and crunching under your feet, that you realise exactly what you are capable of, and things are never the same again."
© David Moore CES

The Glasswalk Experience is one of the most unreal and mind altering events run by Sleight of Mind. If you want an event that is fun, different and a cut above all others, one that is totally different from anything you have seen or experienced before: Then book this event now.
The reason that a Glasswalk event is so successful is because it is so unique. Whatever challenges you may face as an individual or as a company are far outweighed by the challenges you will face to walk on broken glass and that is the difference that makes the difference.
The training session is tailored to your participants needs, the venue, and any special requirements that you may have.

Glasswalking is absolutely astounding and thoroughly exhilarating. It is also deeply calming, due to the cutting edge relaxation techniques, which you can use in all areas of your life. Remember that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act in spite of fear.

So...

"Is it real glass? Is it sharp? Is it really 50lbs of broken glass?

Is the Glasswalk really 20ft long?"

The answer to all of those questions is a resounding ‘yes’ and thousands of people who have already walked on Glass will tell you.

Let me give you some information... It’s real glass and the glass bed itself is comprised of 10,000 broken bottles. The glass bed is twenty feet long and three feet wide. You will break some bottles yourself and place them wherever you like on the glass bed. You will pick some pieces of glass out and cut through plastic sheeting to see just how sharp it really is. You can feel the glass crunch and crack under your bare feet as you walk on it.

How is that possible?

The two-hour training seminar contains lessons and exercises in personal development that can be transferred into all areas of your life, not just for firewalking or glasswalking or any other event. It is all about state management, acting in spite of fear, reframing situations, transformation, eradicating limiting beliefs and designing the real you. No hypnosis is needed for this. The exercises are wild, unusual and mind altering in themselves. They are designed to give you a ‘shake up’ to get you to ‘step out of yourself’ and help you realise your real potential. You will also experience the state of the art relaxation technique pioneered by David Moore and Ross Jeffries which is revolutionary and like no other relaxation system on earth.

The reason that a Glasswalk event is so successful is because it is so unique. Whatever challenges you may face as an individual or as a company are far outweighed by the challenges you will face to walk on broken glass and that is the difference that makes the difference.
Walking on glass teaches us to be patient and attentive so we can negotiate life's path, which is sometimes smooth, sometimes jagged. The Glasswalk can be run indoors or outdoors at any time of the day or night. It really is a totally flexible event.

Over the last years Sleight of Mind trainers have run hundreds of these events and, in doing so, thousands of people have experienced this life changing, unusual and empowering experience. In doing so, thousands of pounds, Euros and dollars have been raised for charitable causes and countless companies and corporations have had their staff energized beyond belief. No crowd too big, no crowd too small. It makes no difference where you are. We have held events in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland, Europe, South Africa, Asia, Middle East and the USA.

Forget any other event you may have organised in the past. Prepare to be challenged, amazed and excited. Expect the unexpected. Commit yourself to one thing: listen. Listen to us, and feel safe in the knowledge that you will achieve everything that you want to with Sleight of Mind.
Intelligent and rational human beings always have questions, especially about things that sit outside the normal every day routine or comfort circle of their lives. You will have questions that need answers, and they will be very good ones. Call us immediately and we will be happy to answer them.

Call Sleight of Mind: 0700 5800723

WARNING
If you accept imitations...
...you will set limitations!

The Firewalk

"CRYSTALS AND RUNES MAY BEND SPOONS BUT FIRE WILL NEVER BURN ME"
© David Moore CES

The Firewalk Experience is one of the most talked about events run by Sleight of Mind. It is also one of the most popular and certainly THE most exciting event. The Firewalk is a metaphor for facing our fears.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act in spite of fear.
So...

"Can a man walk on burning red hot coals without burning his feet?"
Proverbs 6.28

The answer is ‘yes’ and hundreds of thousands of people who have already walked on fire will agree.

Let me give you some statistics... Aluminium burns at 1100 degrees. Paper burns at 451 degrees (remember the film and book Fahrenheit 451?). Human flesh burns at 300 degrees.
Imagine walking over red-hot coals, burning at a heat of 1500 degrees, How is that possible? 5 times the heat required to burn you.

The two-hour training seminar ‘Walk to Power’ contains lessons and exercises in personal development that can be transferred into all areas of your life, not just for firewalking or glasswalking or any other event. It is all about state management, acting in spite of fear, reframing situations, transformation, eradicating limiting beliefs and designing the real you. No hypnosis is needed for this. The exercises are wild, unusual and mind altering in themselves. They are designed to give you a ‘shake up’ to get you to ‘step out of yourself’ and help you realise your real potential. Walking on 1500 degrees of fire will be the most ‘normal’ thing you will do all evening.

The reason that a firewalk event is successful, whether it is a one night event or part of a training course is because it is so unique. Whatever challenges you may face as an individual or as a company are far outweighed by the challenges you will face to walk on fire and that is the difference that makes the difference. Once you have walked on fire, you will believe you can do anything you set your mind to and you will be right. Take back the control of your life.

"You gain strength, confidence and courage by the experience in which you really stop...and look fear in the face, and you must do the thing you think you cannot do."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Over the last years Sleight of Mind trainers have run hundreds of these events and, in doing so, thousands of people have experienced this life changing, unforgettable and empowering experience. In doing so, thousands of pounds, Euros and dollars have been raised for charitable causes and countless companies and corporations have had their staff energized beyond belief. No crowd too big, no crowd too small. It makes no difference where you are. We have held events in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland, Europe, South Africa, Asia, Middle East and the USA.

Forget any other event you may have organised in the past. Prepare to be challenged, amazed and excited. Expect the unexpected. Commit yourself to one thing: listen. Listen to us, and feel safe in the knowledge that you will achieve everything that you want to with Sleight of Mind.
Intelligent and rational human beings always have questions, especially about things that sit outside the normal every day routine or comfort circle of their lives. You will have questions that need answers, and they will be very good ones. Call us immediately and we will be happy to answer them

Call Sleight of Mind: 0700 5800723

WARNING
If you accept imitations...
...you will set limitations!

INFLUENTIAL SELLING

Sleight of Mind Training and Development
presents:
INFLUENTIAL SELLING

A SIX HOUR TRAINING SESSION
A PRELUDE TO THE HOLOGRAPHIC MIND* AND DNA* COURSES.
BRING A PEN, PAPER AND AN OPEN MIND!

Interactive sessions Including:
Opening statements
Foreplay with Voicemail
Bypassing Gatekeepers
Create desire
Combat objections
Auto Pilot vs. Logical Objection
Open/ Close Questions
Information, Information, Information!
Quality Qualifier
Transformational Vocabulary
Tommy (see me, hear me, feel me)
Rapport with Ease
The State of Objection
ABC
Features and Benefits
Criteria Selling
The sizzle not the sausage
ASK Matrix
Holographic Mind (excerpt)
And a lot more, including ‘The BoardBreak’!

The famous six hour training session that will take the basic formulas and strategies for selling and couple them with influence tips, language patterns and embedded commands.

You’ll discover:
How to maximize your time and pace and lead your prospect.
Navigate and keep control of the sale.
Learn what you should do before you even THINK of closing the sale.
Write scripts that sell.
Discover how to make someone ‘buy’ from you rather than you ‘sell’ to them.
Create your own peak state inducing rituals to use prior to making a call.
Discover what your customer wants to hear and how they want you to talk.
Rapidly increase your ability
Empty the recycle bin of your mind
Overcome roadblocks and barriers
Create and air of ‘uninsultability’
Listening as an active sport.
What to do when you have asked for the sale.
All this and a lot more!

"I used these techniques when I was selling and training cold calling salespeople, telesales teams and customer service reps. I used it in Cable, satellite, advertising, double glazing and Timeshare sales. It works! I upped my sales…so UP YOURS!"
David Moore CES

360 degrees is a complete turnaround.
These 360 minutes will be the same!

When you attend you will realise the value of these six hours.
Conversely, If you don’t attend you’ll realise how much it will have cost you!

Call Sleight of Mind: 0700 5800723

WARNING
If you accept imitations...
...you will set limitations!

*David Moore Sleight of Mind 1999

London Underground...

...is rubbish!
It's a rant again...so no apologies will be made.


I came into the office on the tube this morning. I do most days, mainly because:
1. I do not agree with the congestion charge as it costs too much to keep a car on the road before you even get in it, let alone pay to get into certain areas, and..
2. There is nowhere to park here without some doddery old police support/ traffic warden hiding in a doorway smoking a roll up spotting you and risking a heart attack by running over and slapping a ticket on your car. The amount of kit they carry would worry the SAS. The young ones are even worse. They are brain dead.
(Personally, I think these people are the lowest of the low and should be used as food but thats another matter!)


I got on the Jubilee Line which, if anyone reading this has had the bad luck to use, does not live up to its name. There has never been nor will there ever be a Jubilee held about this line.
We pulled into Bermondsey station only for the tannoy to bark out:
"Due to a suspected fire at London Bridge station, it has been evacuated. This train will not be stopping at London Bridge."
Tell me they didn't know that at Canada Water, the previous stop, where people could have got off and changed trains??
(I think everyone was a little shocked that we could understand what the voice was saying. Sometimes it is in a strange accent. Most of the time it sounds like one of those old russian cosmonaut broadcasts from space in the 60's. )
"This train will call next at Southwark Station."
The doors closed and we pulled away.


I, like many others thought that we would power on to Southwark, some people having bitten the bullet and got off at Bermondsey and gone back to Canada Water. We, the people on the tube, were content to go to Southwark, and then to infinity and beyond!
We hurtled through the tunnel, which was what we wanted to do but, what happened next?
We pulled into London Bridge and stopped for two minutes with the doors closed and then....pulled away. We hurtled again into Southwark Station and the doors opened.


What does this tell you?
Well, my mind is telling me this.
There is no sense in speeding through a tunnel and stopping at a station you think may be on fire.
It seems to me that the code of practice is:
If a station could be on fire, hurry up, stop the train there, cook the passengers and then...err...that's it.


Wonderful.
Thank you TFL.
With service like that we understand why you keep putting the fares up. Here's to the next strike action.

Next, Steve has just returned from lunch. He goes swimming at the local Gym in London Bridge. He has just told me that he had to be evacuated from the Gym in a security scare. He was standing in his swimming trunks while they were looking for a "suspicious package". You really can't make this stuff up.

Inside every cat is a Lion

Inside Every Cat is a Lion Waiting to Jump Out!


Just when you think you have seen everything, something comes along and surprises you.


A few years ago (back in 1999 in fact) I designed a program which I have been presenting ever since called:

DNA. Decision - Navigation - Attitude.

We Decide what we want.
We Navigate to where we want to get to.
We need the Attitude of success!
Check it out on www.david-moore.co.uk/courses

This is it...

The DNA program is a two day exploration of human behaviour and how what we attribute as 'normal' behaviour is not normal at all. The DNA program is designed to highlight what we do on a consistent basis and how, by re-focusing our energies in a more profitable way, we can not only change our focus but determine our outcome.
Decision - We explore the strategies, rituals and behaviours associated with decision-making and how we can make each decision an empowered one.
Navigation - How to get from where you are to where you want to be with absolute clarity and certainty.
Attitude - Everything you do is a minimum of 80% attitude. Right attitude equals best result. With attitudinal training we become empowered.

Decision + Navigation + Attitude = SUCCESS!

Well what do you know? I see DNA programs all over. I am off to Dubai in a few weeks and I sent some information over to the company in question and when I looked on the web to see if they had posted it on their website I found that it was on their Intranet. On the Internet was my DNA course under another company name!

Like I said before in an earlier post, I find it flattering, interesting, funny and stupid in equal measure that other people attempt to use my work. I dont believe in and I am not paranoid/vain enough to worry about 'intellectual property' and I have no challenge with other people looking and listening to my work with the intent to copy it. Everyone does it. Some use closes that other salespeople use. Some write songs that sound like other songs. Some decorate their houses in a style they have seen in a magazine. Some wear clothes like other people are wearing. We all copy and refine. The weird, and quite frankly staggering, thing is, some people dont even have the decency,sense, intelligence or energy to refine it and just go for the straight lift. Even using the logo that is on the DNA workbook. Duh!

That is just sheer lazyness!!

"I see dumb people...everywhere!"




The bottom line is this. Would you rather watch Al Pacino in Scarface or Fred Bloggs in the remake?

I have copyrighted my work and my programs and in doing so, although I find the stealing of ideas amusing and a half assed compliment, I can guarantee that anyone presenting my work OUTSIDE of Sleight of Mind is giving you a 'Happy Shopper', 'Bargain Bucket', diluted, watered down with snake oil version and you should not accept it, or even consider booking it.

Never judge a book by its cover. Inside every cat is a big cat,
And remember, inside every nice person :-) ...
...is a nasty one that can spring out at any time with a team of not-so-nice lawyers.

WARNING

If you accept imitations...

...you will set your limitations!

Customer Service and Marriott

Over the years I have spent a lot of time in hotels. I train in them, teach in them and stay in them. I spent over a year working with Telewest as their National Sales Trainer. It meant that I flew from London City Airport on Monday morning to Edinburgh and back on the Friday night. The following week I flew from Stanstead on the Monday morning to Newcastle upon Tyne and back on Friday night. I did that alternating routine for eighteen months. When I flew back from holiday in Cyprus the flight attendant gave me a form to fill in with the usual questions: what newspaper did I read, where did I book my holidays and, surprise, how often had I flown in the last year?
I thought about it for a while and did the math. Allowing for the occasional one-day return, it worked out at 123 times. It was more than the flight attendant I think.

I was always booked into a Hilton or the Holiday Inn. I was always welcomed and greeted like royalty, just like the other guests were. Efficient, nothing too much trouble and caring. They understood the rules.
Paying customers are great but repeat or returning regular customers are the lifeblood. When I first arrived at the Hilton in Edinburgh they didn’t know me from a hole in the road. I was treated as if I had stayed there before every week for the last five years. It was comfort all the way.

The thing about great service is that you tell five or ten people. The thing about bad service is; you tell fifty!

I was told one week that I would be staying at a very exclusive hotel near Edinburgh. It was an old manor house in landscaped grounds. I liked the sound of that.

I landed at Edinburgh, picked up my hire car, and drove through the snow to the big gates of the Hotel and as I made my way along the drive I looked up and saw the sign: The Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club. As I parked the car a doorman in a long coat and top hat came out and carried my suitcase into the hotel.

As I stood in the foyer I looked around at the décor. Yes, very classy and very gothic with a touch of the stately home about it. Behind the reception was a big sign. It said: Marriott. Then I noticed a big picture of old man Marriott smiling at me. It was a strange smile and made me feel uneasy. Like a turkey that had just caught Bernard Matthews grinning at it. I soon realised what he was smiling about. He was smiling at all of the gullible suckers that book into his hotels. Like PT Barnum is WRONGLY attributed as saying, ‘Theres a sucker born every minute’, old man Marriott must be thinking ‘Theres a sucker checking in every minute’. There was another sign on the wall next to it that said: We Are Dedicated To Your Service. Very funny.

The girl behind the desk looked up and greeted me by saying: ‘Yes?’
That was the customer service over with.

I told her my name and handed her the fax booking details with the reference numbers that stated that I was booked in for four nights in a suite on a company account with all meals and drinks included. Any other bills accrued by me were to be added to the company bill and charged to the company. The ‘company was ‘Telewest Communications’. Nevertheless, I tended to pay for my drinks in the bar myself as they only amounted to one beer a night or possibly more if I was watching football on the TV. In all my time in hotels, having presented a paper of authority like that it has been good enough, the hotel is not going to be stiffed and I am whisked away to my room and left to my own devices to get on with the job in hand.

‘Credit card.’
‘Excuse me?’ I thought she had asked me for my credit card for a second.
‘Credit card. Do you have a credit card?’
‘No.’
I waited.
‘Why not?’ she asked.
‘What’s it got to do with you?’ I answered. ‘In any case why would I need a credit card?’
‘We have to swipe your credit card to activate the premium TV service, activate the telephone and release the mini bar.’
‘Why, what's the mini bar done? Was it locked up for being drunk?’
‘The mini bar has a security door, electronic, which is released by us by taking a swipe of...’
‘Yes I get the picture. No, I do not have a credit card. If I did have a credit card I wouldn’t give it to you to swipe. You have a fax confirmation requesting that any and all charges I incur are sent to my company which, I think you will find, include activating TV channels I will not be able to understand, allowing me to make a phone call and giving the mini bar parole.’

I think it was her general demeanour and ‘I hate my job’ attitude that clinched my dislike of her. I had a credit card but I was damned if I was going to give it to her when I didn’t need to. I don’t like credit cards in any case and I see them as an emergency only item. I am and always have been a cash person. I have been standing in line when I have seen someone buying a can of coke and two bars of chocolate on a visa card. I have wanted to smack them over the head with the till.

‘Well, we need a credit card.’
‘You do realise that you are at risk by letting me have a room in which you have disabled the telephone, thus preventing me from making a call in an emergency, like to a doctor, etc?’

This fazed her slightly.

She kept on about credit cards for a while but then gave up after I told her I was getting fed up arguing the toss with her when I had business to attend to. I asked her for my key which she handed over after telling me that although she would release the minibar, the phone and the channels on the TV it was only ‘this once’ and if I returned I would need to make arrangements for a company credit card or pay £75 up front to cover any hidden extras!
‘Whose the old guy in the photograph?’ I asked, pointing at the wall behind her.
She looked around at it. It was about four-foot tall by two feet wide so I was surprised that she appeared not to have noticed it before.
‘That’s Mr Marriott.’
‘Is it? I bet you don’t see that very often here?’
‘What?’
‘A happy face.’ I picked up my suitcase and walked off to the lift.

The room was okay and had a very old world feel about it. I couldn’t fault the food either. I sat at breakfast with the snow falling heavily outside eating haggis, neeps and tatties. I looked out of the window and a stag met my gaze. This was wonderful and my earlier problem with the sales prevention officer behind reception was forgotten, until I went back to my room and found a note under my door asking me to let reception have my credit card details, the mini bar door electronically locked, the telephone not working and no SkyNews on the TV.

I went down to reception and there she was.

‘Have you ever read that sign?’ I pointed at the wall and old man Marriott’s motto.
‘Yes?’ She told me.
‘Well where is the service you are supposed to be dedicated to?’
She just stared at me.
I tore her note up into small pieces and placed it on the desktop.

‘Switch it all back on in room 301. If there is any bill send it to my company as your head office has agreed. Who knows? Old man Marriott may invest in some staff training.’

By the time I got back to my room it was all back on. This scenario happened two more times over the next few days. The minibar had sensors inside that could tell what you had taken out of it and automatically notified the bar to replenish it and reception to charge you for it. I made their life difficult by taking all of the bottles out one evening and putting them back in the morning. As I went down to the car to drive to Dundee on Thursday morning I passed a waiter carrying a box of small bottles of booze on his way to replenish my minibar, only to find it fully stocked.

One evening I was sitting watching TV in my suite eating my dinner when the phone rang. It was a pal of mine whom I needed to speak to, hence the room service. As we spoke I absent mindedly opened the drawer in the bedside cabinet. In place of the usual Gideon Bible was old man Marriott’s book ‘Marriott’s way’. The subtitle of the book is ‘The Spirit to Serve’ and if ever there was a case for trades description it is that statement. I took the book and have it today still. It is a catalogue of how great he thinks Marriott hotels are.

Well, Marriott, I don’t think you are great at all. I don’t think you are good enough to be called mediocre. Your customer service stinks and from what I hear, it hasn’t got better since I stayed in one of your hotels last, which was in Newcastle a few weeks after the above incidents. They had a credit card fixation too and made people feel like criminals.

When I told the Sales prevention officer in the Dalmahoy that I didn’t think service was high on their priorities she made a noise. It was, ‘Hmmph!’

That was a very expensive grunt for you, old man Marriott, and each day that passes is another one that costs him. Neither I, nor my staff and friends have ever spent a penny in a Marriott since and he missed a lot of knock on business from my courses.

Over the years I have stayed in a lot of Hotels and I have run seminars and training sessions in them and in my terms and conditions I actually state ‘not a Marriott hotel’. I would rather cancel the job than stay in one of old man Marriott’s hotels. I made a calculation that over the years, the treatment I received on those two occasions have cost old man Marriott over three hundred thousand pounds. I could have hired conference rooms on numerous occasions. That would have made other people, delegates, stay there. That would have put hundreds of people at a time in the hotel restaurant and bar. Instead, now they avoid the place too.

‘We are dedicated to your service’. Hmmph!

Marriott’s way is not my way and, boy, am I glad about that!

The Art of Selling

They say a salesperson is born, not made. I have heard that said lots of times. I have seen it on the walls of various boiler rooms and sales offices around the globe. This is known as ‘Deja Moo’. As in, ‘I have heard that bull before’. I think, in fact I know, that it is the biggest load of rubbish anyone can say or believe. It's almost as bad as being told, ‘when someone tells you they want to think about it, you should ask them “what is it you want to think about”’. Any sales trainer telling you to say that rubbish should be shot.

Let’s say that you have to sell to get your business off the ground, or so that you and your family can eat. If all you have is you, and you believe that statement about salespeople being born and not made, then you are in deep trouble if you aren't a born salesperson. I know a woman who used to be a man. She was born a man but she is now a woman. Some people say that's going against nature. Nature decreed that this is a man but he decided, no, and is now a woman. If you can take on nature then a little sign in an office is nothing. It's as simple as that. There are thousands of people around who have learnt skills and techniques to sell. They were not born with that ability; they learnt it, just like a language or playing the piano.
Selling is the oldest profession there is. Some say prostitution’s the oldest but even that is someone selling themselves to someone else. Over the years there have been lots of self-help books telling you how to sell. I have read most of them. Some with good ideas, some with great ideas. Many of them are rubbish and don’t deliver. Most of them written by people who have heard a few stories, spoken to a few people and become an expert. They haven't been in the trenches. They haven't been door to door, nose to nose, phone to phone like my team. The bottom line is that many of them are good but lots of them are a rehash of the same old hackneyed ideas. A self-help book is a contradiction in terms. It's not a self-help book. If you could help yourself you wouldn’t need the book. Self-help is like self-abuse; you have to do it, no one else. Those books should be called ‘I could help you if you could be bothered to read past page nineteen’ books. This is not a self-help blog. This blog tells you what you need to know and I expect you to go out and do it yourself. The blog and I will be here for you to pop back to and read up on but ultimately, it's down to you.

So you want to sell, you want to sell more than you are doing now and you want to be the best salesperson you know? Well, it’s possible of course. In fact it's a probability that you will sell more, and sell more easily, if you read and take on board what I lay out in this blog and then use it. Watching gangster films will not turn you into a gangster. Nor will a violent film make you a murderer. Nor will the books that deal with those subjects. There are a lot of people looking for an easy answer and they will say that reading or watching those things has a tendency to turn you into those kinds of people. They can never answer this question though. What was in Jack the Rippers DVD collection? See? It isn't what you read or watch. You need to have it in you first otherwise it doesn’t happen. You need the desire, the desire to take action on what you read, learn, see and hear because the blog or the seminars on their own will not do it for you; you need to take part. In other words, you must take action.

I will make you a personal guarantee here and now, (trust me, I’m a salesman):
If you do absolutely nothing with the information
in here,it will definitely not work.
Think about it.

I am good at what I do. I train and teach, motivate and inspire. I also sell. When I say I sell lots and make a lot of money, I mean it...lots. If that makes me sound conceited so what; it’s the truth. No point in beating around the bush...it’s a numbers game and if you haven’t done the numbers you don’t get paid. Haven't sold much? You don’t get paid. Haven't hit target? You don’t get paid. This is a tough racket and I thank God for that otherwise, every Joe and his wife would be doing it.

The fact is, there are lots of products out there. Lots of opportunities and lots of sales rooms. It’s a minefield and many a good Salesperson has come unstuck by climbing the corporate ladder only to find, when it was too late, that it was against the wrong wall. I made that mistake once, and I don’t think you should get stung by the same bee twice. It makes me mad when people devote so much of their life into a company, they live and breathe the job, only to find that the people above them don’t care a toss. That’s why the salesperson, even though they are focused on their own objectives, must keep the big picture in mind.

I spend my days with my nose to the grindstone, one ear to the ground and one eye over my shoulder. It isn’t a great look, I admit, but it hasn’t let me down yet.

In this day and age it is very rare to find anyone that’s been at a company for so long they get a gold watch. A long time ago when a young man or woman started at a company they had security, financial and business longevity. They knew that they could go out and get married, buy a house, have kids and look forward to the future. The company was always there and they would always be at the company. Those days are over! These days, the future is unclear, your financial and business longevity is down to one person; you.

There are a lot of strings to my bow. I teach people NLP, and how to walk on fire, on broken glass, Hypnosis, I train people in how to sell, close a sale and to manipulate people. I hold training sessions for up to three thousand people at a time in how to sell and I meet people from all walks of life. I also teach people about using embedded commands, language patterns and state management. So, you can imagine that life is not dull. Even though I keep busy I never stop watching my back. I never, ever, stop looking for the next opportunity or opening.

Life is a hard surface. Corporations and businesses really don’t care because they know that there are so many people out there looking for jobs that if you leave they can replace you with someone else before you hit the ground floor in the lift. They will replace you with a total android, eighteen years old, covered in spots and hair gel, mobile clamped to his ear talking to his skinny feral bird about the Beckhams, chavs and Designer labels. He couldn’t find his own ass with a funnel but they will throw him in at the deep end, train him and if he doesn’t cut the mustard, so what? There are hundreds behind him. Companies throw money at this. It's cheap labour. We have all seen it. Roll on roll off sales forces. But if you know what you are doing, and you have a bit more vision, you can make a very lucrative career in selling.

In the sales environment, especially face to face like double glazing, insurance or utilities, and selling by phone in advertising and media, it is likely that the majority of the sales people hitting and exceeding target can bank on making £130,000 a year. If you look in any Sunday Newspaper at the vacancies you will see a very different picture. Companies that place advertisements like this:
‘You are a graduate, with excellent communication and computer skills. You have achieved all of your goals up to now and are looking for a new challenge. You are fluent German and Chinese. You will oversee a sales team of 35 and you will motivate, coach and target your team to meet company projections. You must be able to work to a deadline and negotiate at corporate or boardroom level. You can expect to earn £18,000PA’
Eight-teen-thou? Per Annum? Tell me that’s supposed to be eighty? No? Yikes!!

I bet you are glad that you spent that time taking those exams now aren’t you? Think about it, if you want another thousand a year all you need to do is be willing to stand there all day and keep asking people, ‘Do you want fries with that?’ for a year and then you will get promoted and you’ll get your own chip fryer. The world has gone nuts. When I was in Cable, I was the national sales trainer, and I used to use those advertisements for effect at the sales meetings. I would have them on OHP and put them up on screen and cover the payoff. It really hits home to your people how lucky they are to be able to sell. When you put targets up, when you want more business written, when you want more from your salespeople, show them that the grass isn't always greener.

The people who write these ads have no idea that they are being used at sales meetings to drive home the fact that there are a lot of slave labour companies out there. What's all this crap about Graduates, anyway? Why do you want a graduate? There’s no guarantee they can do the job. I did a firewalk at Oxford. I ran the training session for 80 of the so-called highly educated people there. I always ask, at the start of the training, how people think firewalking is possible. One guy put his hand up and said that he thought that by having bare feet you built up condensation under your soles and you didn’t touch the fire but you...
"...Hover?" I asked.
“Yeah that’s right”.
I looked around the room and was amazed that quite a lot of them thought that this was a good possibility.
“Do you mean Ledenfrost?” I asked.
“No, just hover.”
“As in steam?” I asked. He nodded.
“Well, the guy that walks over it before all of you, is one of the fire team that built it. He weighs 18 stone. That’s a shedload of steam!”
Everyone, including him laughed. Stupid, idiotic but it made him think. I hope he doesn’t end up with his finger on the button one day. The graduate.

The reason for this blog is that I wanted something to read when I started out on the rocky road of selling that was written in my language, with experience, stories and above all proof. Evidence that the ideas worked. Something written from an angle of ‘I have been there and this happens’ and ‘I have seen this and this is what you should do’. In here you will find all the techniques, tools and ideas that not only worked for me, but the hundreds of people who worked for me. Things that took us from zero to hero. The scripts for door to door selling and selling over the phone (which is different to telesales, and I will tell you why another time) are in here. Team meeting exercises, how to break down a target, how to plan a territory management campaign; it's going to be in here. How to get around a gatekeeper or PA who think they are in charge of a Company. How to get a signature on a dotted line, how to get the fax back with the signature on it. How to steer a conversation in the direction you want it to go and how to get people to open up and give you all the information you need. How to get someone to tell you everything you need to know without opening your mouth. Words to use in a presentation and words to avoid. Involvement and social interaction techniques and how to get people to sit in the right positions to assist you in the sale. How to put people at ease within fifteen seconds of meeting them and how to get people you don’t know to invite you into their house.

Even with all of the above there is a stark fact. No one can do anything to you or for you without your consent. I can’t motivate you if you don’t want to be. I can give you the tips, the techniques and tools to make you motivated but if you don’t want to be motivated, it won’t happen. Likewise I can’t make you go out and use the ideas and strategies you have in this blog. You can only do that if you want to. Again, I go back to my guarantee, ‘If you do absolutely nothing with the information in here, it will definitely not work’.

I am only interested in a result. I don’t need you to like me as a person, I don’t need to validate what I tell you, I don’t need to be told that I am mad or sane, clever or stupid, or right or wrong. I am only interested in a result. I have mine, I know it works. When you get your results, write to me at the address on my website or email me and tell me about your success.

My advice to you is to read the blog, and then use it. However you decide to read it, one thing is for certain...your life and your bank balance will never be the same again.

ABC

Albert Einstein’s famous “Theory of Relativity” (e = mc2) is as familiar to many millions of people as a popular modern commercial for a soft drink or a jingle for a chocolate bar. Even though very few amongst these millions actually understand the scientific premise of the “Theory of Relativity”: people innately understand its import and relate it to its brilliant creator, the wild haired genius Albert Einstein. The famous equation is to energy, as H2O is to water. It has been seared into the collective mind of contemporary culture in even the most the most scientifically challenged people.
There is a similar equation that is as relevant, contemporary and important as it relates to the fading art and skill of selling: “ABC = Always Be Closing”!

The age of instant communication, computers, teleconferencing and electronic product submissions has caused the most important business skill ever employed to generate commerce to erode in spectacular fashion. The art of selling is dying. The ability to find, cultivate, qualify and close a sales transaction is being sacrificed on the altar of impersonal contact and fill-in-the-blank approaches.
Modernists might argue, “so what if sales is a dying art, look at the consistent growth of the economy, new companies, outsourcing and emerging markets. Modern technology has facilitated this growth in a spectacular fashion”. I agree. Technology is wonderful. The ability to call anywhere in the world on a cell phone, receive e-mails 24 hours a day and FedEx documents overnight is a huge advance in efficiency and productivity.
However, if sales skills, particular the art of closing the sale, were being honed, polished and continually perfected in every organization, no matter the size, how much more commerce would be generated? The aged axiom, “nothing happens in any business until someone sells something” is as true today as it has ever been. The mating of modern technology with the application of the time-tested art of closing sales is a prescription for even more amazing economic growth and enrichment for every area of our society.
There are many excellent, successful, very rich car, insurance and real estate sales people. However, a visit to most car dealers, or a house tour with an estate agent is all too often an exercise in frustration and an amazing window into the current poor state of the art of sales. The ability to ask questions, listen to answers, identify customer needs and supply answers to their needs is rarely exhibited. Sales people want to teach and tell before learning what the customer wants to be taught and told.
Sales people are not alone in needing to perfect selling skills. No matter what direction your career path takes you will be selling. The design engineer at an automobile company is selling his creative vision, designs and art to his supervisors and the managers that will decide whether his art makes it to showroom floors as auto product. He is competing for a finite amount of production capacity, marketing and funding money with other designers. Lee Iacocca, Harley Earl, John deLorean and Henry Ford were not just “car guys”: they were Salesmen!
Steve Jobs has launched Apple Computer twice. Once as a startup company, and in a phenomenal second act, he has resurrected the company he founded after it was left for dead a decade ago. How has he done it? Excellent product? Sure. Flair? Absolutely. But most importantly, as the face of Apple, he is always selling his brand.
To be a successful brand there has to be a businessman/woman who becomes the face of their company, product or brand and who bombards the public with sales messages, be they direct or subliminal. Often these businesses become regional and occasionally national in scope. The important point to remember is that they all started small and local. The owner, founder, or spokesperson has been able to cut through market clutter and succeed because he could identify customer needs, address those needs and sell the consumer that his product had unique benefits for them.

Frank Perdue, the “King of Chicken” started locally and became the face of his nationally successful company.

Californians will remember the clever auto dealer Cal Worthington. Mr. Worthington parlayed his animal-centric commercials, using dogs, lions and elephants into storied guest spots on the Tonight Show.

Do I need to tell you about Virgin? No, I didn't think so.
“Always Be Closing” is a mantra worn with pride by every successful business and sales person I have every known. From the initial contact with even the most disinterested possible client, to the actual closing of the sale, successful people are looking for ways to help fill an identified need. This is not about a hard sell. It is about providing a real benefit that the customer realises will offer excellent value for money.
It feels great to close a sale. It is especially rewarding when you have provided a good or a service that is needed, valued and appreciated. People do not like to be sold. They like to purchase when they see how a product will benefit them. ABC is crucial in learning the REAL, not perceived or stated, needs of the client. Every question asked, every answer listened to, qualifying question offered and detail provided about a product or service is key to laying the groundwork for a successful transaction.
A key part of any application of ABC is the “discovery”. The “discovery” is so elemental, so crucial to fulfilling customer needs that any lack of attention to the discovery process is almost always the reason for failure. “Discovery” must be practiced, it is not easily taught, and certainly not taught in a formulaic process. Establishing rapport, conversational, relaxed, learning about the prospect is the door that must be entered before ever discussing the product on offer. Listening during a good “discovery” will provide endless morsels of information that can be utilized to provide the correct product to fit client needs.
Whether selling insurance*, cars*, double glazing*, cable*/satellite* systems, timeshare*, adspace*, utilities*, working as a clerk in a bank, a waiter in a restaurant, a travel agent or a park attendant, there are constant opportunities to enhance your career by practicing ABC. The practitioner of this sales commandment will succeed.

The practitioner of ABC will also discover that when it is time for the final close, the answer is so obvious to the client, that there is not much deciding required.

Whether we are citing Occam’s Razor, Moore’s Law, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the Lords Commandments, ABC = “Always Be Closing” it is wise to note the simplicity of the interred logic. Adherence to intent of these words is invaluable in enhancing performance whether in science, business, sales or life.

ABC will be used daily by most people; it is only a shame that more people do not recognize that fact and strive to perfect its application.

David Moore CES

*Been there and sold it!

The Aristotle Onassis Model

Ever since I was a child I have been interested in the life of Aristotle Onassis.

Aristotle Onassis was one of the most successful, publicized and examined people in the world during the middle of the 20th century. Today, 32 years after his death, he is principally remembered as an ultra-rich shipping magnate, touring the world on his magnificent yacht and for his romance with the diva soprano Maria Callas and marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy. Before he attained business and social heights, however, he was a very rough, uncultured, non-work of art. His effort to change a dim future is worth a look: and is instructional as a teaching aid that anyone can utilize in pursuit of success.

Onassis was born in Smyrna of Greek parents. At the end of World War I he, along with millions of others, was forced into refugee status and arrived in Argentina as a penniless immigrant. His Spanish was minimal, his education limited and his skills on offer were not highly prized. Nevertheless, he examined his circumstance realistically and with deep analysis. He recognized that out of post-war chaos would come opportunity for the agile and creative entrepreneur. Being broke was just an obstacle, not a closed, door to Onassis.

As Onassis learned the ways of Argentine society and business he noticed that there were specific clubs, restaurants, hotels and theatres that were almost exclusively frequented by the successful business and political class. Always a keen observer of human nature, he realized that contacts and friendships of value to an ambitious fellow like himself could only be nurtured in this rarified realm. Onassis was determined to find a way in.

He worked mundane jobs, including a stint as a telephone operator. However, he was different from co-workers and other immigrants. He immersed himself in all things Argentine and he saved every cent he earned that was not needed for basic sustenance. Most importantly, he recognized the old saying; “the rich are different from you and me” was so true. He needed to emulate the rich in order to become rich. He never looked at successful people as the enemy. He had aspirations, not jealousy in his heart.

Onassis became addicted to quality in all areas of life. While still poor, he saved every peso until he could afford a Saville Row hand cut suit. He only had one suit, but it was elegant. He also observed that the rich seemed to appear healthier, happier. They seemed to sport suntan skin as a badge of their fortunate lifestyle. Onassis developed a lifetime addiction to pursuit of the perfect suntan. His tan was internationally famous long before the actor George Hamilton gained similar fame. To this day, a suntan is an emblem of the good life for the successful class.

A Saville Row suit, quality personal furnishings and a suntan that reeked of idle leisure and success were only a start. Onassis was still a rough diamond. Nevertheless, he believed in his ultimate destiny. He would have a drink every night at the bar of the Intercontinental Hotel in Buenos Aires, the cities finest. Only one drink, because that was all he could afford. He still worked as a telephone operator, but he kept his parallel lives as a blue-collar worker and social status seeker firmly differentiated.

His nightly visits to the Intercontinental Hotel bar gradually lead to his building a network of business and social contacts. The famous Argentine soprano Claudia Musa frequently visited the hotel. She was an adored opera star and a cultured beauty. Onassis was basically a nobody and a poser. And yet, he pursued the beautiful singer, and with his usual tenacity he won her heart. This drive to win would be displayed in every area of his long and exciting life.

Onassis recognized that Argentine women preferred a type of sweet Turkish tobacco that was not widely available in South America. Utilizing his newly found relationships; he brokered an import deal for an inventory of the tobacco. He assembled the capital necessary to organize a small factory and began to market several brands of Turkish cigarettes. This small, but successful deal was the basis for his later international business prominence.

Onassis recognized that World War II was imminent. The movement of war materiel was going to become crucial to the Allies winning the war. Shipping would be highly profitable, if he could find an inventory of ships to purchase. With customary elan, he found a small fleet of sturdy but well used freighters on the St. Lawrence Waterway and arranged a tight line of credit to purchase the motley flotilla. He was on his way to becoming the most famous shipping magnate in history.

Entrepreneurs, in order to succeed, often must change elements of their personal lifestyle. We have all heard the old adage, “success breeds success”. No one practiced this truism more fully and instructively than Aristotle Onassis. He bought one high quality suit. He squired beautiful women. He went to the finest clubs, even though he could not afford much more than one drink. He used his new environment, new contacts and network to benefit his single-minded pursuit of success. Why did Willy Sutton rob banks: because that was where the money was! Onassis also made the elemental decision to hang out where the money was.

One of the most difficult aspects of the entrepreneurial process that must be overcome is the need to adjust lifestyle. Sacrifice today will pay dividends tomorrow. Venture capital usually will not be found in a pool hall. The necessity to improve one’s self-presentation and to network continually is paramount. You must be constantly closing the sale, improving your skills and totally focus on achieving your goal.

Aristotle Onassis worked blue-collar jobs, spoke Spanish as a third language, was a displaced immigrant on a strange continent and had zero personal assets. Nevertheless, he organized a personal plan to overcome his obstacles and lead a life of legendary accomplishment.

I spend a great deal of time training and coaching people and corporations to overcome hurdles. Some easily recognize the need to change habits and to utilize pieces of the Onassis template. They often have the ability to succeed. Many more unfortunately, decide that they know best, markets will adapt to their wants and a shortcut to success can be taken. They always fail. This is an absolute observation.

At the harbour of Nidri is a statue of the man who has inspired me and, through my work, inspires others. You can also see Skorpios from there. There is no way I can visit his grave as he is entombed with his two children on the private island but the statue is the nearest I can get to 'The Great Onassis.

Quotes:

“To be successful, keep looking tanned, live in an elegant building (even if you're in the cellar), be seen in smart restaurants (even if you only nurse one drink) and if you borrow, borrow big.”

“If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning.”

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.”

“The secret of business is to know something nobody else knows”

“After a certain point, money is meaningless. It ceases to be the goal. The game is what counts.”

“I have no friends and no enemies -- only competitors.”

“Get a sun lamp to keep you looking as if you have just come back from somewhere expensive”

“Find a priest who understands English and doesn't look like Rasputin.”

“The more you own, the more you know you don't own.”

“Always carry a notebook. Write down ideas and information. Write down everything you know and hear about a person you meet. That way, next time you meet them, you know how much time to give them.”

Consequences

Like a miserable plague, the educated, experienced buyer confronts and confounds us. What happened? How did buyers get better at buying than we are at selling? How can we adjust to this epidemic of enlightenment that is taking money out of our pockets? First, let's look at three ways that buyers are kicking our sales tails.

Buyers know all of our closes
Sales training evolved from techniques developed in the '70s and '80s. We learned to work buyers with the alternate choice, reduce to the ridiculous, the Ben Franklin and many more closes. My favorite old close was one I experienced recently after test-driving a new car. The salesman warned me that the car colour and model I'd driven was so popular that if I didn't put a deposit down today, it would be gone tomorrow. "Hey! That's the impending event close," I said. "If I don't buy from you now, circumstances will change and I won't be able to buy from you. That's a very manipulative thing to say now, isn't it?" At that point he asked what I did for a living and accurately guessed that I wasn't going to buy a car from him that day.
Since buyers have endured these sales ploys for decades, is it any wonder that they recognize and are irritated by them?
Once a buyer identifies a tactic, it becomes a trick. And nobody wants to be tricked.

Buyers gather information before they talk to us
My whacked-out World Wide Web theory is this - the Internet is merely an outgrowth of Consumer Reports Magazine. Think about it. Before buying, prospects can go online to look at alternatives, gather users' opinions and compare pricing. The popularity of Consumer Reports is rooted in the fact that it educates and prepares buyers. The web and our tendency to send literature first (before qualifying) are educating and preparing our buyers. Think about how many times this past month you bounced around the web or phoned for literature before you went forward with a decision, large or small.
I recently spoke to a company and noticed a man who lingered until all the attendees had left the room. He introduced himself as a buyer and said he regularly attended meetings like this to find out what to expect from salespeople. Like many others, he's a professional buyer. Companies, like his employer, are paying loads of money to train these buyers how to beat up salespeople to get the best prices. Who's training them and giving away all of our secrets? It made me think of the convicts who get out of prison and help police and consumers to fight crime by giving away their criminal insiders' strategies. We now need to be prepared to deal with buyers who are armed and dangerous.

Buyers have been trained by our bad selling practices
We've done things like push them to hurry up and buy. They respond by pushing us away and stalling. We whip out our laundry list of benefits, and then employ something like the Ben Franklin close, but we don't discover what motivates them to buy. They receive the message that we don't care and mentally mark us off their list.
Another poor selling practice is dumping loads of information on prospects without qualifying them. I worked for an executive search firm in the '80s where one of the people posted almost £1000 a month in classy, expensive literature to anyone who said something like "sounds interesting, mail me your information." The problem with these bad selling practices is they've set a weak standard for the selling environment and created a monster.

Teaching consequences to your prospects
Here's a revelation for you: You already know all about consequences, you just need to figure out how and when to apply them.
Remember when you were a small child and adults had to teach you things like don't touch a hot stove, and look both ways before crossing the street? The adults would conclude their warning with a consequence: you'll burn your hand or, you'll get hit by a car. This was meant to etch into your brain the seriousness of your mistake. Let's move forward a few years. If you steal a banana, later steal a book, then later steal a BMW, you'll awaken one morning surrounded by steel bars and a new set of friends.
Consequences reveal that the initial problem, snatching that banana, is not the real problem. The real problem is the many repercussions of that little banana grab, the eventual conclusion is a life behind bars. While that example seems dramatic, you do want to use similar language that nurtures your buyer while warning them of danger. You're going to play the adult to your child/prospect. Learn to engage in discussions that will prevent your prospects from burning their butts on the job or getting run over by the competition.
In selling, you want to talk about how the repercussions of not buying from you can damage the prospect's business in some way. Consequences might include a slowdown in sales, diminished production, angry shareholders, or serious damage to the future of the business. Your job is to point the prospect to the real aftermath of his or her unsolved problem.