Please find a range of blogs below:
23 December 2018
Step #1. Agree.
We can’t win an argument.
Plus, while we are explaining our good points, the prospect isn’t listening anyway. Why? Because he is thinking of what he will say when we shut up.
If we agree, there is no need for the prospect to think of additional points to support his position. So his mind thinks, "You agreed. So there is no need for additional points. Hmmm, nothing for my mind to do now. Might as well listen to what you have to say."
Then, we go on to rapport.
Rapport- Have a fact that our prospects agrees with. They...
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09 December 2018
The Doc - aka my daughter Emma who is only 10 - says that I'm prone to bouts of Irritable Male Syndrome.
My computer crashing, being kept waiting and poor service seem to trigger my IMS.
Whilst the occasional whinge and moan can be cathartic, research shows that just like passive smoking, passive moaning can damage your health.
Researchers at the University of California have found that when someone complains, it lowers the mood of others in a process called neuronal mirroring.
Complaining has also been found to be exponential in...
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25 November 2018
One morning several years ago I thought to myself……
"Every morning I woke up I was weighed down by emails, text messages and voice mails with the word "urgent" in.
Good morning had become good mourning for me.
I realized that I was spending less and less time doing what made me feel good.
I spoke with my coach, do you have a coach? He recommended that I change what I did.
So each morning, I now make sure that my diary is full of stuff that makes me feel good.
This usually involves talking to people that make me laugh and...
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11 November 2018
Here is an easy way to get an appointment and create an incredible bond.
Think about that tough prospect who doesn't allow appointments. Does he or she have an interest or hobby that you know of?
Go to a book store and find an appropriate book for your prospect's interests. Send the book to your prospect with a note that reads:
"Just saw this book and immediately thought of you. Hope you enjoy the book."
That's it.
The next time you call, the tough prospect will take the opportunity to thank you for your thoughtfulness. Then it will be...
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28 October 2018
Well, it is not really a "battle," but we need to know where to go to work.
If we are going in the wrong direction, it doesn't matter how hard we work, it's going to be ugly.
So where does the "battle" occur in our business?
In the six inches between our prospects' ears.
The flip chart, the online video, the glossy brochure ... all are meaningless unless we recognize that we must go to work inside our prospects' minds.
What do I mean? We have to fight to get our good...
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14 October 2018
Did you know that during our lifetime, we spend more time speaking to ourselves than we do to any other person.
Harvard psychologist Shawn Achor says that the most important conversations we ever have, are the ones that we have with our self. Primarily, because the relationship we have with our self, influences the relationships that we have with others.
In Achor's research for his bestselling book "Before Happiness", he reveals that we often speak to ourselves more negatively than we speak to our worst enemy.
Achor asks, "Ever loved someone so...
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30 September 2018
In sales we often hear the importance of using the client or prospect's name. Despite this, it seems that often this is overlooked. Here's a reminder as to the importance of this massively significant communication tool...
1 It’s the number one attention getter, consciously or sub consciously.
2 It creates instant rapport.
3 It makes you feel more like a friend to the other person.
4 It’s still the 'sweetest sound' to the human ear.
5 It personalises the conversation.
6 It makes us take the interaction...
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16 September 2018
Have you seen the film Jerry Maguire? the famous line where Tom Cruise comes to Renee Zellweger's house while she's with a group of friends and launches into a long speech about why he wants to be with her. When Cruise is in full flow she says "Shut up. You had me at hello." (2 min video clip)
Research shows that people make judgements within the first 8 to 15 seconds of meeting someone.
We humans form opinions just as quickly using a part of our brain called the adaptive unconscious which processes large amounts of data very quickly, warns us of...
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02 September 2018
Many financial advisers have read about the value of active listening, yet do they then automatically do it?
In my opinion they don’t, for 3 reasons:
1 - It doesn’t sound like a life changing habit
2 - There are too many rules and suggestions offered
3 - We don't always remember to do it
Here’s what Active Listening could bring you…
Chances to create better client relationships
More respect from the people you meet
Greater Professionalism
More personal introductions
Ability to identify more client needs
Three Ways...
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19 August 2018
'Using an Adapting Question'
When professionals ask questions, particularly in sales, you would expect them to know how to word questions for maximum sales advantage.
However, this is hardly ever the case. What's more likely is that they simply ask the first question that pops in their head... which is a great shame because they're failing to be effective.
One type of question that's often overlooked is the Adapting Question. When you realise what this is and how easy it is to use one, you may well wonder why you've not picked up on this...
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