Blogs

Please find a range of blogs below:

Where the battle with your prospect really takes place.

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... Read full article

Who do we speak the most?

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... Read full article

What's in a Name?

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... Read full article

You had me at hello......

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... Read full article

Making Active Listening Really Work

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... Read full article

Great Question Tips

'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... Read full article

Great Question Tips - Using a Rhetorical Question

A very safe way to ask a question is to make it more like a statement. In other words, a Rhetorical Question. In sales, you would generally not want to ask a rhetorical question because it doesn't demand any answer. For example in a store: "I'm never sure why these cameras are so popular and I often wonder if it's because of the price tag?" Here the sales person is saying two things: 1 - this is a popular product 2 - it isn't expensive However, the difference is that the sales person is not officially telling the prospect... Read full article

Elon Musk's Rules for Success

In the last newsletter we promised you access to the secret 10 rules of success that Elon Musk believes in. You may have read successful entrepreneur Elon Musk's 10 Rules for Success before. However, which ones are particularly related to getting new clients and sales? No surprise that they all do. 1. Never Give Up The most successful sales people keep improving and keep going forward until they make it. 2. Really Like What You Do If you like your product and love your market you will always be more successful 3. Don't listen to the... Read full article

Most successful people do this, do you?

The New York Times recently called Elon Musk "arguably the most successful and important entrepreneur in the world." It's an easy case to make: He's probably the only person who has started four billion-dollar companies - PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX and Solar City.  Musk says, "I know sometimes I'll lose. You don't hear about my failures, because I know when to quit. I'm good at quitting. Sure it’s important to be persistent and continually innovate, but you also have to know when you're beaten." It reminds me of being... Read full article

More Sales Through Added Value

Is 'Offering Added Value' just a Bunch of Words?   Businesses talk about giving added value. Some even achieve this massive profit catalyst, but what is added value in real terms and how do you deliver it?   Added Value: What is “Value added “ ? A totally unexpected additional benefit that transforms the feelings of the buyer. (Who will now want to do business with you again).   It just needs to be these three things:   1 - Genuine. As opposed to a gimmick or bribe. 2 - Individual. Something that is done in... Read full article

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