Have you ever wondered why it is that you find some activities easy to do and you have great skill in that area? Conversely, have you ever been frustrated at being weak at some things. Not seeming to ‘get it’ and failing or not performing well?

Why is it that some people are skillful in some areas and apparently ‘stupid’ in others?

It’s all to do with the fact that we are unique individuals and we all have skills somewhere. What determines our natural ability includes our experiences and the decisions we make about them.

Here’s an interesting observation. Have you noticed you seem to like those activities that you are good at and tend to avoid those you do not like? Those activities you do not like are, co-incidentally those you have less competence at.

Whether you like something because you are good at it or are good at it because you like it is not important. What is important is to recognize that the relationship exists.

If you think of something you are really good at you will find you tend to feel a certain way. Think for a moment and recreate the way you feel. What is the feeling like?

Observe your level of confidence about the activity? Yes, that’s right, you have a high level of certainty. What is that certainty based on? It’s based on previous successful actions.

When you do something successfully what were you thinking at the time? It varies according to the individual and the activity, but be assured, you will find that your were learning or realizing something as you went along.

The main reason we have a low level of ability in any area is that, firstly, we have in place a negative decision regarding the likelihood of success. This negative decision is the result of past negative experience.

The end result of past failure is often confusion and confusion is the result of unknowns. In other words there is something to learn that you did not learn.

Skill in any area of life operates on a gradient scale. The more you know the more you can do, the less you know the greater the difficulty and so your application of the skill suffers.

What is the answer? How can you get over the negatives that face you? The answer is quite simple. If you are having difficulty in an area of your life and you feel negative or unsure of whether you can succeed, recognize that you simply have a learning opportunity.

THERE IS SOMETHING TO KNOW YOU DON’T CURRENTLY KNOW. – THAT’S ALL THAT IS PREVENTING YOU FROM SUCCESS.

So, how do you address this? Whenever you need to learn you must:

ASK QUESTIONS

Go to someone who is successful in the area you are struggling with and ask them how they do it.

So many of us are unwilling to say, “I don’t know.” Please recognize that until you do you cannot progress in improving your skill, knowledge or ability.

The only thing standing in your way of improving your ability is you.

The pathway to increasing your ability in any area is as follows.

OBSERVE

Look realistically at the results of your actions.

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

The only one you will fool is yourself.

BE PREPARED TO ADMIT YOU DON’T KNOW

The first step to understanding is this recognition.

ASK QUESTIONS

Be prepared to learn from others.

TRY A DIFFERENT WAY

Try things and be prepared to fail. When you do, try something else until you find what works for you.

RECOGNISE THAT FAILURE IS AN EVENT –
IT IS NOT YOU

Failure is simply the opportunity to do things better next time

ABOVE ALL – PERSIST

The difference between a champion and an also ran is that the champion never gives up.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP

He started to go into a slump, literally. His shoulders slumped along with his results. He just couldn’t seem to get it together and take the positive road so vital to sales. I spent some time with him and it became obvious to me he had, for some reason that escapes me, taken on a negative view of himself. He ended up say to me that he couldn’t see why people would respect him because he was so young and what did he know anyway?

When he told me this I burst out laughing. He was aghast. His face dropped and you would have thought that the end of the world had come. I looked him in the eye and said. “What people think of you is simply a reflection of what you think of yourself. You can change what you think in an instant.”

He looked at me as if I was mad. I simply asked him to recall the first time he could remember someone telling him he was too young. He protested that it had never happened. With some coaxing he came up with a time. I asked him if he believed it when he was told. he nodded. I then asked him if he had a licence, was he old enough to drink alcohol and vote.

He started to grin and nodded. I then said, “You’re old enough to start living. Try it.” We both laughed and he straightened his shoulders. “I’m going to give it a real go.”

I decided to make one of the questions, “How can I win respect?” I got on a roll and titled another “How can I make a good impression?” Finally, I made one for sales called, “How can I get the appointment?”

You can guess by now that the questions will be about life and living, with sales tips thrown in. We will do quite a few over the coming months. My gift to you. What do you have to do in return? If you like what you see, buy a DVD. If not, then…

Live well,

Ollie Lind

For example, the sales person may see what they do as reaching quota to hold onto their job, or as a means to increase commission and enhance their survival. Some customers may even see the sales effort as a threat to their survival. You know, if the sales person wins, everyone else loses.

Voltaire

Maybe we should, as the renowned French Philosopher Voltaire was so fond of doing, define our terms to reach a common understanding, Once this is achieved, then some sense may be made of the subject. Let’s look at the term ‘Sales.’

It could be termed “A method of exchanging goods and services for money or kind where both parties achieve a particular benefit that is balanced.”

That sounds pretty reasonable, wouldn’t you agree?

Aha, there I go, selling to you. How? By eliciting agreement. A sale is achieved by achieving a continuing and growing number of agreements. If you look further you see that the agreements must enhance the survival of both parties. Once achieved, you have an exchange that both parties are happy with.

How does this translate into a sales tip?

EASY

All you have to focus on when you approach a prospective client is that your concern must be to provide a benefit that is recognised by the prospect as such. That’s all.

If you focus on how whatever you are selling provides a benefit for the client, and make sure you receive fair exchange, you will sell.

People are intuitive beings and they will pick up on any lack of ethics or uncertainty on your part. People buy from people they trust, not necessarily those they like. If you honestly believe in your product you will sell. If you do not you will find ways to fail.

Be honest, firstly with yourself, then in all your dealings and you will be successful. The degree of your success will depend on you.

Live well,

Ollie Lind

I am a great believer in the unspoken messages we all send. I call it subtext. It is a powerful medium that, if understood and used ethically, can be very beneficial to both the sales consultant and the prospect. Now,  when you are on the telephone you are at something of a disadvantage as opposed to a face to face meeting. When you are in front of the prospect you have many opportunities to make a positive impression. Over the telephone you have only your voice.

I have noticed over the years that the greatest barriers any sales person faces is the negative opinion a person has of themselves. That actually applies to people in general. Well, how do you overcome the butterflies in the stomach when faced with trying to get an appointment with someone you have never met, who doesn’t know you and, to all intents and purposes, doesn’t want to.

What I tell my people is that, firstly, they have the right to exist in the situation. As a sales consultant they are entitled to ask for information and an appointment. After all, they are simply trying to help the prospect. The second thing I say is that they, as people, are very acceptable and they should simply be themselves on the telephone.

How can you do that when you don’t know the person and are unsure of the reception you will receive? My answer to that is to tell them to simply act as they would when conversing with a friend. What is the first thing you do when you see a friend; you smile. A positive response that sets the tone for the subsequent conversation. The important thing to recognise here is the effect a smile has on your voice. Somehow your voice reflects what is happening inside you and communicates this to the other party.

Often you only need one word from your significant other over the telephone to know something is wrong. The voice betrays it. Well, if you smile when you speak with a prospect it conveys a positive impression and invites a positive response. I recognise that a smile alone will not win you the appointment, but a positive start to any communication will set you on the path to success.

If you don’t believe me, just try speaking on the telephone with a scowl on your face and then replace it with a smile. The difference in response from the other end is magical.

Live well,

Ollie Lind

Build rapport in face to face sales

Yet there are more ex sales people than anything else. Why is this so? Well, the greatest challenge facing most people is making friends, facing new people and developing rapport. Why is this? Because life didn’t come with an instruction book and most people learn by the hit and miss method. Try something, if it doesn’t work, try something else. If that doesn’t work, give up.

I’m joking, I’m joking. The one thing you should never ever do is give up. By all means vary your approach, but keep trying. How often do we see two competitors battling it out on the sports field. Very often one individual is obviously more talented that the other, and yet so often the underdog wins. Why? He doesn’t know how to give up.

I believe that tenacity is the greatest single attribute any individual can possess. it will overcome any shortfall in talent or skill. Then, if you combine it with the ability to learn, you have the makings of a champion.

I have spent a lot of time training sales people with a deal of success. What I will do is issue a Sales Tip of the Week each week for the foreseeable future. I won’t give you some rehashed, tired old quote from another source, I will give you conclusions I have reached as a result of training courses I have run and results my people have achieved.

Here is the first SALES TIP OF THE WEEK:

DEVELOPING RAPPORT IN A FACE TO FACE SITUATION

Find something about the other person you can like or admire. Just be aware of it. You do not have to comment on it, or compliment the person on it. Just be aware of the favourable feature whenever you are speaking with them. Your admiration will communicate and the other person will feel better and not know why. We communicate on many levels and simply being well disposed towards another shines through.

Try it with anyone you meet. life will be smoother and easier. it’s like magic.

Live well,

Ollie Lind

We are too busy on day to day living to focus on the really important things that might just make the changes we all want and are, in the main, wishes that don’t come true.

Do you want this next year to be different?

It can be.

Plato said that the most important aspect of life was the beginning. In our case it means goal setting.

Oh, I can hear you say, “Boring, too complicated, a waste of time. I’ve set goals in the past and they haven’t come true.” Yes, that has occured with all of us.

I want to share a couple of strategies with you that will help. Bear with me a moment and I will show you a way of distinguishing between wishes and rock solid intentions that WILL happen. It is a philosophic process that many successful people use, although most of them would scoff if you accused them of applying philosophy.

Here we go.

Firstly, give yourself an hour or so of time alone. Have plenty of paper, a pen that works and an open mind. (The last one is pretty tough)

Write down all the good things you want to happen in your life, no matter how fanciful. You should get a couple of pages. If not, write down the most fanciful ideas you can think of that would give you pleasure and delight in your life.

When you have done that, put your pen down and close your eyes. (I’m not kidding) Look at the first desire then, with your eyes closed, visualise yourself having achieved that desire. (Make sure you see a clear picture of the outcome, this is vital)

If you cannot picture the outcome then you are not ready to achieve that particular goal. Cross it off the list. Go through the list and you will eliminate about eighty percent of the goals. These were the wishes.

Look at the remaining goals and jot down next to each the PURPOSE of the goal, the reason why. Those you cannot find a clear purpose for, cross off the list.

With the remainder you must now rank in IMPORTANCE. Mark them 1,2,3, etc. Once you have done that you are now ready to really make some achievable goals.

Now visualize again each goal. The pictures will now be much clearer. Now comes the real essence of success.

Note how each visualisation makes you feel.

Then you must DECIDE.

Base your decision on the intensity of your feeling towards the goal. The more intense the feeling, the greater chance of success.

Now you will have two or three goals, with a clear purpose that make you alive when you think of them.

You now have REAL GOALS.

Take the most important and make a plan of action. It must be SMART.

SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

ATTAINABLE

RESULTS ORIENTATED

TIME BOUNDED

Then look at the first step on the first plan and START. It doesn’t matter if the first step is tiny. It is the fact of starting that matters. Do the same for each of the remaining goals and you will be on your way.

The rest is up to you. If you have a real goal that is important to you, you simply have to follow the process and it will happen for you. It will happen because of the power you possess. The power of DECISION.

Believe me, if you decide and you persist, you will win. That is not to say it will all be smooth sailing. But each challenge will teach you something and, with wisdom, anything is possible.

Live Well

Ollie Lind

PS, If you want to know more about goals and achievement, go to my goals report and download your free copy.

The accident was absolutely stupid. I was playing squash and collided with a wall. I struck it with my elbow. The wall didn’t budge. A couple of days later I played three competition matches in a row. At the end of the night I couldn’t even hold a racquet. Next day the elbow was up twice the size of the other one.

Since that time I have done no martial arts, no gym, except some aerobic work and no squash. Apart from a couple of occasions I tried to reach myself to play squash left handed. It was ugly. About the heaviest thing I lifted was a fork.

My treatment was just about complete and I started very light weights and I decided to play squash last night. (The team was short) I went on the court and very gingerly hit the ball a few times in the warmup. My opponent looked to be a very good player. Normally I am a fierce competitor and have, on occasions, ‘lost it’ as emotion got the better of me in my anxiety to win.

I had decided that, not having picked up a racquet for six weeks I was no hope. I decided to simply hit the ball as best I could and just play the game. Sure enough I lost the first game 15 – 4. (A hiding) But I didn’t get upset and found, to my surprise, that I was enjoying just competing. The second game I lost 15 – 13. I walked off the court feeling great. I was actually enjoying myself.

The third game came along and I won it 15 – 8. I was amazed. I came back to earth in the next game and lost it 15 – 12. As we walked off the court I turned to my opponent and thanked him for the great game. He commented that he wouldn’t want to play me if I was fully fit.

I then realized that it wasn’t about winning. It was about competing and enjoying just playing. I was so grateful to be on the court that the importance of winning receded. I haven’t enjoyed a game so much in years.

Later that night I was thinking about the whole episode and I had the most profound realization. We all know that life is a game. We also know that no one wins all the time. I certainly would have liked to win last night, but the enjoyment I got from competing and just playing the game underscored that being in the game is the most important thing.

How would it be if we all had the spirit of play as we live, faced our daily challenges and were simply grateful for the opportunity to compete? Last night my defeat taught me an important lesson and I suffered no disappointment at all. My defeat became a victory on a different level. I am going to try to turn my defeats into lessons and my wins into celebrations of playing the game of life.

I hope this is as uplifting for you as it was for me.

Life is a game. Go ahead, play.

Regards,

Ollie Lind

I read a great deal. There is a great deal of wisdom in the world and I try to avail myself of as much of it as I can. I find the best material is that taking a holistic approach to training and development.

You notice I said “Training AND Development”?

I believe that, if you are training someone in any skill, knowledge or ability, you must train the WHOLE PERSON. What do I mean by that? I believe in viewing life as a pond of still water. If you make a change in one area (toss a pebble) the effect ripples through the entire pond.

So, if you are training sales consultants (as I do so much) you had better make sure that what you teach can be applied to the person’s life as well.

For example, developing rapport. Much has been written on the subject and I won’t try to go into it here. Suffice to say that effective rapport training is not about fiinding engaging things to say to put the prospect at ease so that you can now present, present, present.

It’s about being there for the prospect, it’s about actually caring about what they are saying, it’s about being interested in just THEM. In a nutshell, it’s about being yourself and being honest and genuine.

What is the result of all the above? A relationship based on truth, honesty and credibility begins to emerge.

Let me ask you this, doesn’t that sound like making a friend? Who, in this world couldn’t do with more genuine friends?

So, when I train sales consultants it’s about making them more effective beings in all of their life.

That way, everyone wins.
Not a bad way to live. What do you think?

Regards,
Ollie