Showing posts with label Objections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Objections. Show all posts

Sunday, 4 March 2012

Dynamic- Life Academy Taster

Have you ever read a blogpost and wondered what it was about and then, for whatever mysterious reason, you started to think differently and realise that this is one of the most relevant blogposts to you? I find that when I, think about the other possibilities these teachings will give you, and you open your mind, to me, its as if this is going to help take you to the next stage.


I am an NLP trainer. That’s what I do. I teach people how to sell, how to Firewalk, Glasswalk and smash wood Karate style. I also teach people how to communicate effectively. I have done this all over the world. In all that time I see a common thread throughout all of those seminars. The successful people are the ones who study, listen, learn and then go out and do it. The Mega-Successful are the ones who do it without thinking about it. It has become part of them, its second nature. That's because they do it on a consistent basis.


Selling is the oldest profession there is. Some say prostitution is the oldest but even that is someone selling themselves to someone else. Wherever you are reading this, if you are at work, in an Internet cafĂ© or at home, look around you. Apart from nature, everything you see was sold to someone by someone else. If you have skill in selling you can sell yourself and that’s what we do with the opposite sex. We put ourselves in the market and we make ourselves a hot commodity. We have all the tools we need within us.


I run workshops and seminars on a number of subjects and all the time I hear of ‘rejection’ and ‘objection’. These are related, you reject because you object and vica versa. In a sale, in a pick up, if they object, what do you do? I spent years looking at and learning different ways to counter objections, what to say when they say...etc. These were really good but they didn’t work well in the real world and then I had what is known as a BGO. A Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious.

Objections are state related. I hear people like Richard Bandler and Ross Jeffries saying the same thing. If you don’t like the answer, change the state! The objection is now over there, they can’t cling onto it. The point I am making is that in the teaching of all of these tools and techniques you have to take them on and make them second nature.


The basic facts of approaching anyone, be it conversation or to sell them something (yourself?) are:
  • Never take the first response as being something written in stone.
  • Anything they offer is a toy for me to play with. Like Jeet Kune Do.
  • They can say and do what they want; I control where my energy goes.
  • Anything they offer is information I can use.
  • 90% of people are running on autopilot 90% of the time.
  • Never attach excessive meaning. Nothing has any meaning except the meaning you give it
  • Never think by your own agenda. Don’t bait your hook with food you like.

That is the 7-step rule that will allow you to walk through the world getting the best of anything you want. Do not make the mistake that these tips are exclusively for sales. You can use them on anyone to get anything. You will have the tools and techniques at hand and you can call on them without thinking. Once you have the techniques, don’t stress about them. Don’t even attempt to remember them. Just use them. It’s like a new language. After a while you think in two ways.

We have 2 brains. We have 2 different kinds of intelligence; rational and emotional. When we cannot decide we say we are ‘in 2 minds’. The techniques you are learning form a part of your EQ. That’s your Emotional Intelligence. Your EQ is more important than your IQ. The IQ test may help you get a job but your personal EQ will help you keep it. A high IQ is around 135. Many people with IQ’s of 135 and above work for people with IQ’s of 100 or less. Why? Because the person with the high EQ, the one who knows how to relate to other people, talk to other people and interact with other people in a manner they like, is always going to be way ahead of the game and have people following him, more so than the guy who knows how long it will take for two men to fill a bath up with water in the dark at 22,000ft. Because they interact naturally and in a manner that is second nature.

I always, now, describe the techniques, tools, patterns, closes, etc as a raft. A raft is very handy if you want to get from one side of a river to another. You may want to get from the unsuccessful side of the river to the side where infinite power and success are available. But once you have reached the other side, you no longer need the raft itself. In fact, if you want to grow, and continue your journey, you have to leave the raft behind. The challenge that we have, as humans, is that we tend to fall in love with the raft.

We start to think, “This raft has been good. It’s a useful raft. It’s served me well. This raft is tip top!”

But if we hang on to the raft, or the teachings, they will become a hindrance. No words, anyone’s, can help you more than you. You must do that yourself.

The trick is this. By integrating the raft, or what we took on board while on the journey, into our being and into our unconsciousness it becomes second nature and we see opportunity, we hear opportunity and we create opportunity all around us. Being awake to openings, opportunity and life is the best way to be. Your energy level is high, your awareness is at peak level and your state is at a higher level. You become a magnet for opportunity. It seeks you out. And once you become one with the teachings, you will always be ready.

Each of us has a success blueprint already embedded in our unconscious mind. This blueprint, more than any one other thing, will determine your destiny.

We live in a world of duality: up and down, light and dark, hot and cold, in and out, fast and slow, left and right. These are a few examples of the thousands of opposite poles. For one pole to exist, the other pole must also exist. You cannot believe in God without believing in the devil, and vice versa.

Consequently, just as there are outer laws for living, there must be inner laws. The outer laws include things like knowledge, Skill, state management and belief strategies. These are essential. But the inner game is just as important.

Having top quality tools is imperative to a carpenter but he must be able to use those tools in a masterful fashion.

It’s not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You have to create the right time AND be the right person in that right place at the right time.

So who are you? How do you think? What are your beliefs? What are your habits and traits? How do you really feel about yourself? How confident are you in yourself? How well do you relate to others? How much do you trust others? How do you rate your ability? How do you rate your ability to act in spite of fear, worry, inconvenience and discomfort?

Can you act or function at your highest level even when you are not in the mood?

The bottom line is that your character, your thinking, and your beliefs are a critical part of what determines the level of your success and how your blueprint pans out...

Stuart Wilde puts it this way: "The key to success in anything is to raise your own energy; when you do, people will naturally be attracted to you. And when they show up, bill them!" For ‘bill them’ substitute with ‘sell them’.

Most people do not reach their full potential. Most people are not successful in what they choose to do.

Research shows that 80% of individuals will never be free in the way they would like to be.80% of people will never claim to be truly happy.

The reason is simple. Most people are on autopilot. They are unconscious at the wheel. They work, think and behave on a superficial level of life – based on what they can see. They live in the visible world.

Imagine a tree. Let’s suppose that this tree represents the tree of Selling. On this tree are fruits. In life, our fruits are called our results. So we look at the fruits (our results) and we don't like them; there aren’t enough, and they are too small, or they don't taste good.

What do we tend to do? Most people put more attention and focus on the fruit, the results. They will clean the fruit, spray the fruit and nurture the fruit.

But what is it that actually creates those particular fruits? It's the seeds and the roots that create the fruit.

It’s what's underground that creates what's above ground.

It’s what's invisible that creates the visible.

So what does that mean?

It means if you want to change the fruits, you have to change the roots. If you want to change the visible, you must first change the invisible.

In my experience, what you cannot see in this world is far more powerful than anything you can see.

Try electricity. You can’t see it, but you can see its effect when you turn on a light. How do you know electricity exists? Because of the light? Put your finger in the socket and test if it really exists. I guarantee your doubts will disappear.

You may not agree with the statement about what you can’t see being more powerful than what you can see but you will suffer if you don't apply this principle.

Why?

The law of nature determines that what's underground creates what's above ground. As humans, we are a part of nature, not above it. Consequently, when we align with the law and work on the roots – our inner game – our life flows smoothly and we are a magnet to opportunity. We bear fresh fruit.

We do not work or exist on just one plane of existence. We work in four.

Physical – Mental – Emotional – Spiritual

Most people never ever realise that the physical realm, what we call reality, is only a printout of the other three.

Let’s suppose you have written a letter. You hit print and out it comes. Whoops...typo! You hit delete on the pc and press print again. Out comes the letter with the same typo.Whoa! I just deleted that. You now study the six hundred page manual called effective deleting. You now have the tools and the knowledge you need. You hit delete. You hit print. You look. Shit! The typo is still there.The real problem cannot be changed in the printout, the physical world; it can only be changed in the program, the mental, emotional and spiritual world.

Whatever results you are getting, be they great or bad, positive or negative, always remember that your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. If things are not going well in your outer game, it’s because things are not going well in you inner game.

It’s that simple.

What you hear, you remember; what you see, you remember; what you do, you understand. Forget the magic bullets, potions, punches and pills you seek. You are just victim of Loch Ness Monster disease.

‘I have heard of this (pitch, pattern, command) but no one has seen it or heard it. It's a great (pitch, pattern, command) which, if you say it, you get everything you want. If I could get hold of that I would make it'.

"Can you teach me that magic punch because I could beat Bruce Lee/ Mike Tyson etc blah blah?"

Wrong. I can teach you that magic punch but unless I teach you how to box or how to do Kung Fu your would be on the floor before you landed it.
Once you sort out your inner game and realise that you control your energy, your state and your focus then you will get what you want. You will have your cake and you will eat it. What is the use of having cake if you can’t eat it anyway? What are you supposed to do with it? Put it on the mantelpiece and look at it?

There is a major difference between rich people, wealthy people and poor people just as there is between Dynamic-Life people, auto pilots and AFC's...(Average Frustrated Chumps)

Dynamic-Life people believe `I can have my cake and eat it'.
Auto pilot people believe `Cake is too rich, so I will only have a little piece'
AFC's don't believe they deserve cake, so they order a donut, focus on the hole and wonder why they have nothing.

If you want to step up to the Dynamic-Life Academy challenge....stay tuned.....

Saturday, 3 March 2012

Dynamic-Life

Launching in May...
All under one banner...
All available from one source...
All online...and in person.....


Stay tuned...
INVITES FOR THE LAUNCH PARTY IN
LONDON WILL BE AVAILABLE ON
TWITTER AND FACEBOOK

Monday, 27 February 2012

The Difference...

What is the Difference that MAKES the Difference?

To me it's got to be attitude.  That self assuredness, that energy, that belief that no matter what happens, no matter what obstacles appear, you will achieve what you want to achieve.

People always look for cop outs. Excuses.  They have a but!

"I could have done that...BUT!"
"I would have done that...BUT!"
"I should have done that...BUT!"

That's the old 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' scenario.  At the heart of that scenario is another word.  'Didna'.

I know that if you have the right attitude you can achieve anything. 

I use myself as an example.
  • I have an air of uninsultability.  I don't care what people say about me.  Why should I?  They don't know what they are talking about! They must get my name right though!
  • I decide where my energy goes, nobody else.
  • Everything people say or do to me is energy, and it's just a toy for me to play with.
  • I don't take anything that people say to me at first to be written in stone.  In other words, what people say first can be changed. 
  • Nothing in life has any meaning except the meaning I give it.
  • I never hate people who are obviously jealous of me.  I respect their jealousy because they must think I am better than them!
  • 90% of people are running on autopilot 90% of the time
  • If I am told something can't be done it's because the person telling me doesn't know how to do it.  So I go and do it.
It is also important to think different. A case in point.


I had a conversation the other day regarding work. Someone was looking for a change of career. It seemed that working from home might be better than going out to work. I made a quick suggestion.

"What about some form of MLM? Multi Level Marketing is booming. You could get on the vitamin and herbal remedy market. There are a lot of companies looking for people to sell products and you could have vitamin evenings and sell the products at home to people who come around for the evening party?"

What was the response...? Well...objection.....?

Before I tell you the response/ objection let me reframe it....

Throughout my career I have advised people on what to do for a business venture, in what to sell, and how to sell. In all of those areas I get the same response as I got here. The same! What amazes me is how the same reply from me always makes them realises what a stupid, dumbass objection it is...

The response/ objection?...

"Do you know how many companies there are out there selling that?"

Duh! Yes I do. Maybe not to the exact figure but I can hazzard a guess...

My reply?

"Do you know how many people there are out there buying that stuff?"

Simple.  There are millions of people out there.  BILLIONS of people in the world.  Are you telling me that they are ALL buying from these companies.  No.  They are not.

Advertising either works or it doesn't.  If it didn't work then people wouldn't advertise.

We all know Louis Vuitton, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Rolex, Breitling and all manner of stuff that we desire and /or buy.  Why do they advertise?  Why do they HAVE to advertise?  Because it works.

Then I got this...

"If people want things like that then they would just go down to the supermaket and buy them."

People have to be TOLD what to buy.  They have to be given options. 

That's why you sell someone a years supply rather than a months.

What's more, selling things on the internet or at home is designed to undercut the big stores as well as the small exclusive ones.  These MLM companies market stuff that you cannot buy in stores.  The opportunity is there!
It's a matter of doing things Differently.  Thinking Differently.  Selling Differently.  Being Different.  And that's the difference that MAKES the difference!

If you let NOTHING get in the way of your target, nothing get in the way of your dream and nothing get in the way of achieving what you want then nothing will.

You have to change your beliefs, change your attitude and change your mind set.

You must not let anything get in your way.

Here's an example...This is someone who never let anything get in their way, never let anything stop them, adapted situations to suit and changed themselves...they know the meaning of the difference that makes the difference.

The man is Chaim Weitz.
Though he is from a Hungarian family he was born in Isreal and his Mother took him, at the age of 8, to live in America even though he was unable to speak English.
When older he made money selling comic books at conventions.  He learnt to speak English, German and Hebrew as well as his native Hungarian and taught in schools in America under the name Gene Klein.
A few years later he picked up a guitar, changed his name to Gene Simmons and morphed into the guy in the pic at the top of this blog!

If he can achieve a personal metamorphosis like that...anything is possible.  That's the Difference that MAKES the Difference!


Tuesday, 6 April 2010

The Raft of Knowledge


Have you ever read a post on here and wondered what it was about and then, for whatever mysterious reason, you started to think differently and realise that this is one of the most relevant posts to you?

I find that when I, think about the other possibilities these teachings will give you, and you open your mind, to me, its as if this is going to help take you to the next stage.

For all the new fish out there, the leap from “new to sales” to “Experienced Salsperson” is a small but difficult leap. There are a lot of patterns, exercises, beliefs, understandings and attitudinal work that you need to take on board. There are lots of people who have a wealth of knowledge and there is lot to be said for reading tons of information before even thinking of saying something yourself.
In my career I have trained people in how to sell. That's what I do. I teach people how to Firewalk, Glasswalk and smash wood Karate style. I have done this all over the world. In all that time I see common thread throughout all of those seminars. The successful people are the ones who study, listen, learn and then go out and do it. The Mega-Successful are the ones who do it without thinking about it. It has become part of them, its second nature.

Selling is the oldest profession there is. Some say prostitution is the oldest but even that is someone selling themselves to someone else. Wherever you are reading this, if you are at work, in an Internet cafe or at home, look around you. Apart from nature, everything you see was sold to someone by someone else. If you have skill in selling you can sell yourself and that's what allows you to sell the product. We put ourselves in the market and we make ourselves a hot commodity. We have all the tools we need within us. I run workshops and seminars on a number of subjects and all the time I hear of "rejection" and "objection". These are related, you reject because you object and vica versa. In a sale if they object, what do you do? I spent years looking at and learning different ways to counter objections, what to say when they say...etc. These were really good but they didn't work well in the real world and then I had what is known as a BGO. A Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious. Objections are state related. I hear people like Bandler and Ross Jeffries saying the same thing. If you don't like the answer, change the state! The objection is now over there, they can't cling onto it.

The point I am making is that in the teaching of all of these tools and techniques you have to take them on and make them second nature.

Basic facts of approaching anyone to sell them something are:

1. Never take their first response as being something written in stone.

2. Anything they offer is a toy for me to play with. Like Jeet Kune Do.

3. They can say and do what they want; I control where my energy goes.

4. Anything they offer is information I can use.

5. 90% of people are running on autopilot 90% of the time.

6. Never attach excessive meaning. Nothing has any meaning except the meaning you give it

7. Never think by your own agenda. Don't bait your hook with food you like.


That is the 7-step rule that will allow you to walk through the world getting the best of anything you want. Do not make the mistake that these tips are exclusively for sales. You can use them on anyone to get anything. You will have the tools and techniques at hand and you can call on them without thinking. Once you have the techniques, don't stress about them. Don't even attempt to remember them. Just use them. It’s like a new language. After a while you think in two ways.

We have 2 brains. We have 2 different kinds of intelligence; rational and emotional. When we cannot decide we say we are 'in 2 minds'.

The techniques you are learning form a part of your EQ. That's your Emotional Intelligence. Your EQ is more important than your IQ. The IQ test may help you get a job but your EQ will help you keep it. A high IQ is around 135. Many people with IQ's of 135 and above work for people with IQ's of 100 or less. Why? Because the person with the high EQ, the one who knows how to relate to other people, talk to other people and interact with other people in a manner they like, is always going to be way ahead of the game and have people following him. Because they do it naturally. Far better than knowing how long it takes three men to fill a bath with water halfway up a mountain in a thunderstorm. That IQ. You put people at ease and have them jumping through hoops. That’s EQ. That’s where the results are.

I always, now, describe the techniques, tools, patterns, closes, etc as a raft. A raft is very handy if you want to get from one side of a river to another. You may want to get from the unsuccessful side of the river to the side where infinite power and success are available. But once you have reached the other side, you no longer need the raft itself. In fact, if you want to grow, and continue your journey, you have to leave the raft behind.

The challenge that we have, as humans, is that we tend to fall in love with the raft. We start to think, "This raft has been good. It's a useful raft. It's served me well. This raft is tip top!" But if we hang on to the teachings they will become a hindrance. No words, anyone's, can see for you. You must do that yourself

The trick is this. By integrating the raft, or what we took on board while on the journey, into our being and into our unconsciousness it becomes second nature and we see opportunity, we hear opportunity and we create opportunity all around us.

Being awake to openings, opportunity and life is the best way to be. Your energy level is high, your awareness is at peak level and your state is at optimum level. You become a magnet for opportunity. It seeks you out. And once you become one with the teachings, you will always be ready.

Keep the Faith

Thursday, 7 January 2010

10 Things to remember about Cold-Calling

1. SHUT UP AND LISTEN MORE TO YOUR PROSPECT - It's really amazing how much you canlearn from prospects by just letting them do all the talking. Here’s a clue: The letters in the word LISTEN also spell the word SILENT.
2. STOP CALLING LOW-LEVEL EXECUTIVES - Start at the top of the food chain and makeyour first contact with the Business Owner! As they say in the Guggenheim Museum...Start At The Top. Your top level prospect will chime in with ‘Actually you should talk to (someone) who heads up my marketing here’. You have a choice. You can always call them on it and say, ‘Hold on, he will only refer it back to you. YOU are the one who can cut through the red tape and make this happen’. Or you could say, ‘thanks, can you transfer me?’ and then tell this Marketing guy that his boss recommends He talks to YOU!
3. CONTACT PROSPECTS THAT SAID NO TO YOU SIX MONTHS AGO! Remember, all prospect decisions are not set in stone. Also the person who told you no may have moved on, died or come to their senses. They said NO in a situation that was ‘then’. This is ‘now!’
4. IF YOU DON"T DO ANY RESEARCH ON YOUR PROSPECT PRIOR TO PICKING UP THE TELEPHONE THEN YOU'RE STUPID. At least take a minute or two and do some homework. The moreeffort you make when researching your prospect then the more effort your prospect will make to speak with you on the telephone. Don’t do too much. You don’t need to be an expert on what they do. That’s their job. Be an expert on what you do and let them tell you how great they are.
5. NEVER EVER GIVE UP AFTER THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH CONTACT! Keep calling your prospect till they say NO. Don’t hang up unless they either buy or die. You would be amazed at how close people are to a yes when they give up.
6. BE ENTHUSIASTIC - HAVE SOME PERSONALITY ON THE TELEPHONE. If you're not excitingto speak with on the telephone than how can you expect your prospect to even give you a millisecond of their time? You have to believe in yourself and your product and convey that over the phone. If you sound like you don’t care, they will assume you don’t care and guess what...neither will they!
7. PAUSE LIKE A BROKEN CLOCK - Pausing after your prospect's name and while your interacting with your prospects lets your prospect know they're important. It lets them know that you have a genuine interest in them. Pausing is a powerful sales tool. Most people find silence uncomfortable. You need to learn to embrace silence. When you ask for the money, STFU! That stands for Shut The Fuck Up. The first one to speak loses. My record on the phone is 3:27 minutes. Face to face? 12:47 minutes.
8. KNOW YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE LIKE YOU KNOW HOW TO WALK. The more you know about what you sell helps to create an atmosphere of consultative selling rather than product or service pushing. People buy from confident people. If you are confident about your business then you will convey that. People feel safe if they are spending money with someone who is confident. That said, don’t bluff if you don’t know the answer to something. Say so and tell them you will find out. They will like that. Not only because you will appear confident but also because you want to make sure that have the right information and you recognise that the point is important to them.
9. FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR PROSPECTS. Most sales are lost because you don't go the distanceto follow up with your prospect. You will be amazed at the amount of repeat business that isn't done. Follow up with a reason. If you sent information and you told them you were going to follow up in a couple of day then call them and remind them why you are calling. Don’t just call and pass the time of day. The girl in starbucks is there for that when they buy their latte in the morning. When they buy, and you deliver, call them and thank them and ask for more business. If you don’t ask you don’t get.
10. IT'S OK TO FAIL - If something doesn't work then just try something else. If you fail, learn why and DONT DO IT AGAIN. Cold Calling is not about throwing darts, it's about strategy and being innovative. And failure isn't failure. It's something else. Just like Broke is temporary but Poor is a condition. Failure isn't forever. Fail is feedback. When a person says no, that’s when your job as a salesperson starts.

Saturday, 2 January 2010

Resolutions


Happy New Year
New Year's Resolutions are a great way to set your intent for a positive, fulfilling year of growth and accomplishment. But, on the other hand, when the year ends, if you haven't completely fulfilled your resolutions, it can be frustrating.
This usually happens because New Year's resolutions are often too vague, and don't include practical steps that lead to a clearly defined goal.
So today, by all means, make your usual big-picture resolutions. But, in addition, I'm going to suggest you make some sub-resolutions.
Each of these sub-resolutions is designed to give you a long-term benefit (some of them even for a lifetime) with a minimum amount of time and effort. In fact, each of these sub-resolutions can be completed in anything from a few minutes to, at the very most, a few hours. And they're all either free or very cheap .For most of you, many of these items fall into the category of things you've "been meaning to do." Since chances are that you have already accomplished at least a few of the items on the list below, there's no reason why you can't take half a day this week and get at least six more of the items below done.
So, in the interest of the betterment of your future, the management of your life, and the fresh start of a new year, here are
THINGS YOU CAN DO IN ONE DAY TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE
1. Register your full name as a web domain if you haven't yet. You never know when you're going to want your personal website. If www.[yourname].com is already taken, don't worry - there are alternatives. For example, who owns jamesjoyce.com? Answer: A bar in Dublin beat the author's estate to it. But there are always other options, like hyphenating the name and getting james-joyce.net or james-joyce.org (check those sites now if you'd like), or choosing less common TLDs (or end letters) like .ws or .me.
For more information, homestead.com is a great site to register and design your own website.
2. Call your mobile phone provider. Ask if you can get a better calling plan based on your usage. This way you can afford to do the next item on this list.
3. Subscribe to a newspaper or magazine. Choose a topic that you don't know about - be it politics, fashion, culture, or technology- and sign up for the best periodical covering that topic. Rather than choosing the most popular magazine, select one that offers the most in-depth and interesting coverage, like Wired for technology or Foreign Affairs for politics or Mental Floss for culture. Yes, you could read it all online, but it's great to have a physical magazine to read when you're on the subway or on an aeroplane or waiting in line somewhere.
4. Get a passport if you don't have one. If yours has expired, get it renewed now. You never know when that great travel opportunity is going to occur, and you don't want to get stuck at home while your friends are at some great concert at the Acropolis in Greece.
5. Back it up. Most people don't take the time to do this, and regret it later. So copy your entire hard drive onto an external drive or USB stick immediately; if possible, download a program like Acronis True Image that will simplify the restoring process and regularly make backups (or for Mac owners, start using Time Machine or SuperDuper). Also backup your mobile phone, PDA, and any other personal-information-storing device.
6. While you're at it, make photocopies of your credit cards, passport, drivers license, birth certificate, and other important papers. If you keep a journal or anything similarly irreplaceable, photocopy that. Keep these in a safe deposit box, parent's house, locked file cabinet, or any other secure location, preferably outside your own house. They'll be invaluable in the event of theft, loss, fire, or any other unplanned incident.
7. Look through your refrigerator and cabinets. Read the labels on the food. Stop buying anything high in saturated fats, trans fats,cholesterol, and sodium. And start shopping healthier today.
8. Get business cards. Don't have a business? It doesn't matter. Sites like vistaprint.com will send you 250 free ones (though there's a shipping fee of under £6). Never hurts to look professional
9. Learn how you work: I'm often asked what books I found the most useful for learning Sales, NLP and Business. I will be posting my recommendations next.
10. This is not for everyone, but some of you--and you know who you are--definitely need to do this: Throw out all your socks. Every last one. Now go buy new pairs that actually match and don't have holes in them. You'll feel like a new man. Remember, get black socks. White socks are for athletic activities only. I don't want to catch any of you guys here wearing white socks in the boardroom!
11. Buy a suit. (Or a dress if you're a woman.) But don't just get any suit or dress. Get one that's slightly closer to the size you want to be this year, whether it be a little bigger or a little smaller than your current measurements. Try it on every Saturday morning as a reminder to yourself to get in shape this year; until, one day, it fits perfectly, and you wear it out and feel like a million pounds
12. Decide to actually become a millionaire.

Thursday, 3 December 2009

Is Your Sales Manager An Idiot?

Yes, its true, if you're a sales manager and encourage or require your sales reps to make more than 25 calls a day then I personally think youre completely nuts! Youre crazy and you know nothing about the sales cycle. For you, achieving your sales numbers is all about the quantity of calls, but not the quality of the call itself. You want the best of both worlds, but the reality is you cannot have both.
With "too much" quantity, you sacrifice quality and as a result, you're actually creating limitations on the success of both you and your sales team.
The sales cycle begins with research. Research allows you as a salesperson to engage your prospect with qualifying questions to uncover needs. How can you take a genuine interest in your prospect with the expectation of making more than 25 calls a day? It's just not realistic.
Making more than 25 cold calls doesnt preposition you for sales success, it positions you for sales failure. Such an unrealistic sales goal of 25 or more calls is a myth. It's a belief system that is incorrect. Its a 'DISBELIEF' system. It makes you less effective, leads to job dissatisfaction and contributes to false beliefs that cold calling is an ineffective way to generate new business.
Many years ago, I became a victim to this school of sales thought. It made sense to me. It was my world. I was told that I could not be successful with less calls and that the only way to make my sales quota was to fire up my telephone and make from 50 to 65 or more cold calls a day. If you had told me to make less than 25 cold calls then my first reaction would have been, "Well, its all a numbers game and how can I make my sales quota by dialing less than half the required cold calls?" That was my thought process then, but today, its the reverse. It's a whole different story.
How did I go from one extreme to another extreme?
Its actually a simple answer. I learned the hard way. This article will hopefully be an eye opener for many and you can use this information to speed up your sales success! The reason why I was a former believer was because I didnt have a clear understanding of the entire sales process. I didnt fully understand each stage of the sales process. As a result, I was more focused on the mechanics of picking up the telephone and how fast I could get to the next call rather than on the exchange of engaging dialogue with my prospect. I was not taking a genuine interest in my prospect, but rather, I bought into an unhealthy belief system that started with my sales manager.
This unhealthy belief system (more calls equals more sales) removes the most important part of the sales process and this missing element is called consultative selling. This type of selling requires research, engaging dialogue and makes you put the prospect first. It's a more productive way to earn new business and with the expectation of some Sales Managers that you need to make more than 25 calls a day to make your numbers is just not true. It's not realistic. Don't buy into their misunderstandings and fears. Your success is not about quantity, it's about finding a healthy and realistic balance between quantity and quality.

Wednesday, 2 December 2009

Fantastic response

I just spoke to a potential client and she said. "Sorry, I cant think and I cant TALK until February!"
"I said "When in February shall I call you?"
Silence at the other end...
"Have you started already?" I asked.

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

Responses

Sometimes it is like pulling teeth. You email the confirmation over to your client and you write 'Please reply with "I AGREE TO YOUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS" and that is all I need to secure your position.'
What comes back more often than not?
"OK"
"GO AHEAD"
"YES WE WOULD LIKE TO"
"PLEASE TAKE THIS AS A GO AHEAD"
and the best one of all...
"WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME TO BOOK THIS?"

Christ on a bike!!!!! What do you have to do to get through to some people?????

Wednesday, 11 November 2009

Advertising - does it work? Yes, if done right!

I am amazed at how advertisers, when they get no response from an ad they have placed, always blame the magazine. this is wrong.
The fault lies with the advertiser. plain and simple.
The reason? their advert was rubbish.
Tottenham Court Road is the biggest collection of electrical shops outside of Hong Kong. They all do business.
Lets imagine you open up an electrical shop in that road but nobody comes in, nobody buys. Are you gonna call Camden council and say "Tottenham Court Road is rubbish for selling electrical goods. i wanna move!" No. I think your first thought would be "What the hell have I got in my shop window?"
The advert in a magazine is the shop window. Make sure your customers realise that if they get it right it will work. If they get it wrong, its not your fault. You delivered to them. They didn't deliver to themselves.

Monday, 19 October 2009

Increase your Chances of Talking to a Prospect

10 Tips to immediately increase your chances of talking to someone!!!

1. Prospect: "We're not interested."
You: "What exactly are you not interested in?"
(This is a great response to use with prospects and gatekeepers when they've given a response before you've even made a pitch. Many of them will stop and ask you what you're offering. )

2. Prospect: "How did you get my name?"
You: "Um, I'm not sure. I think you attended a trade show a while ago and we got your card."
You (#2): "I asked the receptionist who I should speak with."
(When cold calling, don't say you're just calling names in your database. Prospects hate being treated as a number. Knowing that their name is in some database is equally disturbing. Try to personalize your call as best you can.)

3. Prospect: "Can you call me back in 6 months (or later)?"
You: "Sure. What's going to change by then?"
(Your prospect may have a legitimate reason for pushing back or she may just be brushing you off. Don't waste time chasing prospects who will never buy. Asking what's going to chance will let you know for sure.)

4. Prospect: "Can you send me some information?"
You: "You know, a lot of people tell me that just to get me off the phone. Is that what's happening here?"
(Use this response only if you feel you the prospect is just trying to get rid of you. Don't waste time and money sending information to prospects who have no intention of buying what you're selling. How will you know? Use your gut.)
You (#2): "Sure, where should I send the info? (Get the address). "You know, we're actually going to be over in that area in a few days. Can we give you the information in person?"
(Great response for appointment setters or salespeople whose goal is to set up a meeting.)

5. Prospect: "We're happy with our current vendor."

You: "That's not a problem. A lot of our current customers started off with your vendor but once we proved our value they switched."
(This gets the prospect thinking that maybe there are better products or services than what they're using.)

6. Prospect: "We handle everything in house."
You: "That's great because our product (or service) doesn't replace your internal staff. We work with them to make their lives easier."
(Many people fear what you're selling will eliminate jobs. This response will put them at ease.)

7. Prospect: "You'll have to call our corporate office."

You: "Who should I ask for?"
(Don't cold call if you don't have to. Get a name and when you call let the prospect know who referred you.)

8. Gatekeeper: "Can I take a message?"
You: "No. Don't worry about it. I'll try him later."
You (#2): "Does he have voice mail?"
(Some gatekeepers will actually take a message. Others use taking a message as an excuse to qualify you. As soon as you tell her what the message is regarding, she may tell you your prospect is not interested. Use your gut and determine if taking a message is really the gatekeeper's motive.)

9. Gatekeeper: "She's on another call."
You: "I'll hold."
(Do this only if you really have the time to hold and are not bogged down with a dial quota. Waiting for your prospect to get on the line is better than trying to catch her in the office.)

10. Gatekeeper: "May I tell him what it's regarding?"
You: "Just tell him it's (say your name). He'll know."
(This works well when you're speaking with gatekeepers who are just weeding out salespeople. In many instances they will put the call through because it sounds like you already know the prospect.)

Friday, 16 October 2009

Steve Jobs




In the last month I have found myself more and more interested in the whole Steve Jobs thing. By “"Steve Jobs thing” I mean the management model used. It rages against the normal protocolic (is that a word? If not, then its © me) systems of management. I read and hear reports that he is a nice guy, friendly, supportive and a people person. I also read reports that he is a megalomaniac, control freak, thief of other people’s ideas, tyrannical bully.


Whatever he is, what he does works. He has a great team behind him and I can only assume that he instils loyalty. Either that it is a form of Stockholm syndrome, like when the kidnapped people start to empathise and side with their captors. The Apple seminars are like a motivational rally. He is supposed to have an aura about him, which is known at Apple as a reality distortion field. Basically he has charisma. Nearly all of the powerful people you meet, or the ones perceived to have power, will have that. I don’t think or believe that they have it. I think we create it through our apprehension or interest.

The basic tenets of the Steve Jobs business model are strange, but they are effective. Some of them look out of place, or questionable. Nevertheless, they work.

Get Busy.
Face hard decisions Head On!
Don’t get emotional.
Be firm.
Get Informed – don’t guess.
Reach out for help.
Focus means saying NO.
Stay focused.
Focus on what you are good at; Delegate everything else.
Be a despot.
Generate alternatives and then pick the best.
Design pixel by pixel.
Simplify.
Don’t be afraid to start from scratch.
Avoid the Osborne effect.
Don’t shit on your own doorstep.
When it comes to ideas, anything is game.
Don’t listen to your customers.
Find an easy way to present new ideas.
Don’t compromise.
Design is it's function, not just looks, sound and touch.
Thrash it out.
Include everyone.
Partner with ‘A’ players, fire Bozos.
Seek out the highest quality.
Invest in people.
Work in small teams.
Don’t listen to “yes” men.
Engage in intellectual combat.
It's OK to be an asshole as long as you are passionate about it.
Find passion.
Use the carrot and the stick to get great work.
Put boot to ass to get things done.
Celebrate accomplishments with unusual flair.
Insist on what seems impossible.
Become a great intimidator.
Be a part time ingratiator.
Work people hard and yourself harder.
Don’t lose sight of the customer.
Study the market and the industry first.
Don’t consciously think of innovation.
Concentrate of products.
Remember that motives make a difference.
Steal.
Connect.
Study.
Be flexible.
Burn the boats.
If you miss the boat, make sure you catch it.
Look for big changes in the world that can be used to your advantage.
Set a deadline.
Don’t worry where the ideas come from.
Don’t worry where the tech comes from.
Leverage your expertise
Trust your process.
Don’t be afraid of trial and error.
Embrace the team.

As you can see, there are a few rules here that make you think, ‘WTF?’ but these are the basic rules of Steve Jobs’ management/ business style.

Whether or not we agree with them, they work for him. Mention Apple and you see Steve Jobs. Mention iPod and you think of Apple and then Steve Jobs. His seminars for Apple are like a self help guru spouting technobabble. Apple is fast becoming, or has become, the company everyone would like to work for instead of Google, or if Google were not recruiting. I read that Jobs has had some organ replacement procedure after a tumour on his pancreas. He is now back at work and I wish him well, though I doubt he is reading this. Jobs is a buddhist, interested in Zen who hardly drinks and doesn't smoke. His background involves hallucinatory drugs so he has tried it, didn’t like it. Or if he did, he realised that drugs and running a major corporation doesn't mix. I read he has a passion for pineapple Pizza.

The thing I like and respect about Steve Jobs is that he appears to be a kick-ass, take no bullshit, kinda guy. Remember. He started Apple, got downsized (which is French for getting F*%ked and then sacked) and then came back on his own terms and now runs it. Ya gotta admire that...