This is sort of an expansion on what I wrote last week on the NLP topic. But we will focus more on your belief system and the mental process of making a clear picture of the result that you want.
I have an old audio recording of this production called “The One Minute Salesman”. It is a skit illustrating how the technique is used in a number of ways and boils down to a simple principle of what you picture, if what you will get. If you walk into an appointment thinking about all the things that can go wrong, you will inevitably bring them upon yourself and attract them to your life. One example was a man describing his mental thought process a few minutes before he goes into a sales call. He described in detail what he went through every time he was about to go in the door to an appointment and he would mentally prepare for all the things that could go wrong and how he would react. In the skit he described how much fun it was when he began selling and when the going got tough he called upon his self discipline and worked harder, however after a period of time he became burned out and it became more difficult and was no longer fun. The turning point in the role play was where the salesman learned to picture a positive outcome instead of a negative one and to really “care” about how his product would help the buyer.
To me is goes without saying that if you do not believe in what you are selling or it does not offer any real benefit to the end user, you are simply a peddler. If you are selling something you don't believe in, or wouldn't sell it to a family member, then find something you do believe in. The consumer is more educated and sophisticated today and we must respect that. We cannot sell something simply for the sake of making a buck because a smart consumer will be able to sense it. I have made a lot of friends that I have done business with over the years because I have learned to put myself in their shoes and see things from their perspective.
Here are a couple of things that have made a difference for me and will for you too if you use them.
• The Two Minute Think: Before you go into any situation (whether professional or personal), think only positive things and go through it in detail. Think about all the transitions, see the other person benefitting, and imagine every step in a clear positive, relaxed way. Before you go into your next situation, STOP! Take 2 minutes to run through it in your mind. Close your eyes and get clear on all the positive steps that will take place. See the other person reacting in a positive way and yourself exuding confidence. Picture all your preparation paying off. Then go and execute.
• The “Caring” Piece: I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, that a CFO I sold said to me that he meets with a lot of salesman and that the reason he chose to do business with me was because he believed in me and I was obviously not a peddler. When we care (for lack of a better term), we will invariably relate to the buyer in a way that we will connect with them and truly understand how they think and how we can help them. And if we cannot really add significant benefit to them, then move on.
These two things have made an impact on those who applied the principles. There are tons of people out there selling stuff and many of them are good at what they do. And YOU can make a difference because of what you bring to the table by doing the extra and involving yourself.
Give everything you’ve got and…
Ignite your passion!
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