Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 5 - Show everyone how great you really are

Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 5 - Show everyone how great you really are 

This step for me is something I found to be a key driver, in self-confidence and personal development as a whole. Showing others how great you are, is life changing.

How I personally do this, I try to do often what I am good at doing for self-satisfaction and personal respect. Now, lets not get mistaken with showing off because we can beat others at a race or competition. This is done by helping others, people around us - when someone is stuck, confused or needing some assistance, we help them. They themselves see your sincerity and generosity, whilst others around see too 'what a awesome person you really are'.

The 5 simple steps to be liked are well ‘simple’ yet effective, we can all start doing these now.

Tomorrow, when you leave in the morning remember this - other people are like you, have feelings and worries so let’s be kind and nice and like I said before 'Treat others and you would have them treat you'.

One more thing, I said to my friend whilst driving today, if you can pay one person a compliment in a day, no matter how small, it makes an impact on someone’s life. Remember, this compliment could make that persons day and the best thing about it, cost nothing! Without realising more people will begin to like you!

If you have any more ideas on being liked, Get in touch!

Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 4 - Get Out There

Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 4 – Get Out There

It's simple to understand that being liked by more people, we have to meet more 'like-minded' people. Much of being liked is surrounding yourself with people who enjoy doing the same things as you.

When I have joined local football teams, clubs and organisations over the years - something happened! without realising I was liking others around me and in turn they liked me. I did not really think about this at the time. It does make common sense when we think about it! 

So, if we get out there and meet others who are interested in activities we are, one thing is for sure. We will be liked. My advice to you is write down 3 interests and/or hobbies - one will stand out, choose this one and then action now. Look on-line for local clubs and have an interest.

This will make a massive difference to your life. You will also start being liked by more people, instantly.

“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” - William Shakespeare

   

Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 3 - Be Nice

Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 3 – Be Nice

 

This is probably the most important part of being liked. We all want to be around people who are nice and have a gentle friendly nature, simple! Now, if we can be nice to others generally they will be nice in return and you become a likable person.

 

Like it says in the bible, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12)

 

I say this a lot to people, I think we can just start by being as patient and polite as you can with people, yet casual. Listen, and try to help if you can. Do things for people because you want to, not to get something in return.

 

A good way we can be nice at work is, each day give someone different a compliment, make someone a drink, and ask someone what they are doing this weekend. People love talking about themselves, this is VERY important to remember.

 

Lastly, I always remember this quote from ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ - You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. – Dale Carnegie.

 

 

Always Be Nice!



Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 2 - Be Yourself

Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 2 - Be Yourself

 

Now, if you are behaving false and you keep pretending to be someone you aren't, people are eventually going to get irritated, or like you for someone you aren't. This will only result in one thing!

So just be yourself. Don't be afraid to speak your mind and do as you feel, even if nobody else is in it with you. It will earn you respect and people will know who the real you is. Then they automatically begin to like you, relate to you and have common interests with you.

During my time over the years, in many instances I have met many people where instantly they look uncomfortable and I can tell they’re out to impress with false behaviour.

Also, being yourself is a hell of a lot easier than being someone you are not, how difficult it must be to act totally out of character for a prolonged period of time. Must be tiring to say the least!

Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it. - Bruce Lee

Always be yourself, you are UNIQUE and GREAT!

Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 1 - Be Confident

Being liked made easy in 5 simple steps, Step 1 -  Be Confident

This is one of the most important parts of being a better person, others will notice the confidence within you – notice when you have none and pick up when it is glowing and radiant!

We still need to show people that we aren't afraid to face the world. So work on your self-esteem, here is a GREAT way to make a difference now; Write down a list of good things about you that you have, about your character. Tell me once you have done this you don’t feel more confident?

I always find doing something off the list helps me feel more confident instantly, don’t be afraid to try something new and scary as it will only help you. Sometimes throwing yourself into these positions makes the difference straight away.

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

― Eleanor Roosevelt

Remember - Be Confident, Starting From Now!

The Good Leader

The Good Leader

 

Being a good Leader is never easy, it requires you to keep your edge and have the motivation that is contagious to those around you. For most of us, like me leading comes very natural, as it is programmed into our mind's and we automatically inspire others without realising.

To be a great leader it requires many different attributes of your personality, most of the skills we need are learnable, however- I believe some lead from the front - which can be very hard to do, when leading this is very important.

 

Managers have employees, leaders have followers

- Unknown

The image below shows all the key qualities to be a good leader, if we can all be honest with ourselves as leaders - we all can work on 2 or more of the qualities below. Lets all get improving and being the best we can be!

 

 

 

 .

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader - John Quincy Adams

 

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way

-  John C. Maxwell

1 - Get Happy!

1 - Get Happy! 

I was speaking with someone today and something dawned on me about being happy whilst at work, this is something many of us find hard to be – happy at work! 

Don’t forget, we spend most of our working life at work and for this reason we have to be happy or we will spend our lives being unhappy. Finding happiness at work is easy for many of us; we have to look at our career from a different angle and/ or find contentment in our daily activities. 

Personally, I am grateful to be in a position where I am happy – If I wasn't my advice to you would be this, if you are not happy and you cannot ‘imagine’ yourself being happy where you are, Leave! Go find another job, this is important for you, as I said earlier we spend 40 hours a week plus at work, being miserable and clock watching till you finish at the end of the day – is NOT healthy. Is this a way you want to live, I wouldn't and neither would you.

This word ‘engagement’ is powerful for creating a better work environment for all of us, if we engage with our superior’s and show respect , we in-turn get respect. If we again, hold our colleague’s in high regards, we can expect to be held in high regards from others. We must create a community at work where we feel a part of it, when we achieve this, we begin to enjoy ourselves and feel some gratification immediately.

• This is something I read a few years back and is very useful; 

      Say ‘Hello, how are you?’ to someone new every day... 

This is a good way to engage and to feel different at work. You will instantly feel more engaged and feel better about yourself when you begin your work. This little addition to your daily routine will subconsciously put you in a better state of mind, on a high! As a result, starting to be happy at work. 

Remember, you spend most of your ‘waking’ life at work, be happy or get happy. Getting happy will improve all other areas of your life with it, personal and home life.

My Top 10 Leadership Quotes

My Top 10 Leadership Quotes
 

Sometimes during the day I often read inspiring and motivational quotes which give me a lift and that 'extra bit' if you will to get going at full steam again.

Below I have listed some of the ones I have saved and found and often read on leadership.

 

Favourite Leadership Quote #1

 

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.
Peter F. Drucker

 

Favourite Leadership Quotes #2 

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
George S. Patton

Favourite Leadership Quotes #3

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.
Dwight Eisenhower

Favourite Leadership Quotes #4

 

A leader is a dealer in hope. 
Napoleon Bonaparte

 

Favourite Leadership Quotes #5

 

I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?
Benjamin Disraeli

Favourite Leadership Quotes #6

 

The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.
Elaine Agather

Favourite Leadership Quotes #7

 

Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.
Robert Half

Favourite Leadership Quotes #8

 

Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men -- the other 999 follow women.

Groucho Marx

Favourite Leadership Quotes #9

 

The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.
Theodore M. Hesburgh

 

Favourite Leadership Quotes #10

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.
Theodore Roosevelt

 

Getting past the competition

Getting past the competition

We would all love to say some very colourful things about our competition, we often get annoyed when they undercut us or come into our customer with a price aggressive deal. People have always asked me a way in which we can tell our prospects/ customers that our competitions are ‘Not As Good As Us’ (worded politely!).

A few years ago I read an article and for the life of me cannot think of who said it; this simple technique is very effective in planting a seed of doubt and encouraging the other person to think twice about our competition.            

Next time you are told about a competitor use this;

                Oh yes, I know who they are, I have heard of them. Although, I don’t really hear much of them in recent times mind…

This plants doubt as they will be thinking; How come? Are they going under? Are they losing customers? Have they a bad reputation? This is a great way of giving you the advantage and giving yourself the upper hand.


Try this next time you come against a competitor and you would be amazed to the curiosity it arouses and the doubt that creeps in. We retrain our professionalism as we have said nothing ill of our competition we have merely just said what is the truth, “We don’t hear much of them in recent times”


If you have any questions please email me at; nobusinesslikenewbusiness@gmail.com

Using the Mirror

Using the Mirror

I was told a long time ago that the best way to get someone to come round to your way of thinking is simply this, creating a sub-conscious connection between you and the other person. This is done by observing the other person's body language and the way they are talking to you, such as tone and even words.

“When people are like each other, they tend to like each other”

Now, when speaking to people over the telephone you can almost get into your own routine, ways of doing things and pace of what you are saying. This is something I was guilty of for very a long time I would speak at a fast tempo. Whereas the other person maybe much more calm and relaxed than me, So they might miss what I am saying. They may not share my enthusiasm or maybe just think I am speaking so fast, that I am trying to sell them something they don't want to buy!

What I started to do differently was practice this technique, however someone greeted me over the phone I would use a similar tone and personality they have shown with me, truth of the matter is, people feel comfortable speaking to people who are like themselves, this does not mean we need to try and put on our very best South African accent on or try to sound Scottish to relate. We need to do this the best we can without sounding false and/or patronizing. After adopting this 'mirroring' technique I began to get engaged with more people, open up more prospects and well, they began to talk more openly and needless to say it has increased sales. 

This simple 'Mirroring' trick is something you can use to get people to be more open during a face to face meeting, take for example; "when I started doing door to door sales over 10 years ago I was faced with objections, people not really wanting to talk with me and sometimes to be honest, slam the door in my face! What I did was, I wondered how can I get more time with them to get my message across and get them to talk and ask me a question, I tried this little technique that when they opened the door with a closed image, such as arms crossed etc. I then held my hands together and started speaking to them whilst I did this, I opened my hands to a relaxed posture and lot more people followed suit" After this, I had a much better success rate through mirroring and then leading them into a much more comfortable state. 


Next time you notice that someone is closed with you and you want to get them more engaged, use this little technique as it will give you the best possible chance of opening them up and getting them to become a lot more interesting in what you are staying or presenting. 

Motivational video "Change your mind in just 2.50 mins"

Motivational video "Change your mind in just 2.50 mins"

I often keep talking about Motivation and how it is important to us all to stay inspired and motivated. Sometimes throughout my working day I look for an extra bit of motivation and I was recommended this video and I want to share it with you.

It’s a video from YouTube and has well over 1 Million views; it’s a motivational video for success. When you feel depressed and failed its good to have something like this to tune into. Change your mind in 2.50 mins. (This is what it says!) I have to agree it’s somewhat uplifting and a very inspirational story.

Please visit the link below tell me that you don’t feel inspired

 

 

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If you have any material that inspires and motivates you please get in touch!

3 Main Drivers in Sales

3 Main Drivers in Sales

Now, what gives me the 'kick up the backside' if you like, it is the fact that I get recognition for being the best I can be and getting results, the success that I feel when I am doing great numbers, which always comes with, you got it... Commission! 

It has been said that some people are driven by money and the opportunity to write their own pay checks, others simply want to be known as the best in their company or the chosen field of which they work. Some even want the self gratification of being successful which will also, have the cash rolling in!

Firstly, Money, Now this is the reason we all go to work in the first place, the best thing about our careers is we get the opportunity to earn extra money with commission. I remember reading some years ago that '20% of Sales People earn 80% of the money' this is good to remember and to aim for as it's all possible.

Secondly, Success, this is very much linked to the first reason money, as we all want to be successful and when we are successful, we keep up the consistency and thrive to improve year upon year. This will give us self gratification and the confidence we need to be the best we can be. Many say, this is what to aim for and the rest falls into place, I have to say myself - I believe them it's got to be true, hasn't it?

Lastly, recognition, whether we work for companies big or small, we all want to be counted for, feel appreciated and needed by our employer. I have found that the best way to become recognised is to over achieve, break records and be the top performer in your company. When we get recognised for our achievements we feel GREAT! We LOVE ourselves even more. 

Think which one of these makes you tick, might be all 3, what gives you the big boot up the rear to do your very best. Personally, in my team we all have an mixture of wanting all 3, does this work? I guess if we find the right balance and achieve to be the best then we can have a slice of all 3 cakes! 

Now, let's all smash it and be the best we can be starting from now!

 

Practice What You Preach

Practice What You Preach

As Leaders in our fields we have to remember to 'Practice What We Preach' and we often forget this in our working lives and even our private lives. We hold little value to others when we do not do what we ask of them. 

It's one thing we all like helping people and pointing people in the right direction, but as leaders in our fields we have to be seen to be doing what we are saying and this is often forgot about. 

'Practice What You Preach' comes from an old American Proverb, it is very much the same as 'Walk the Walk' or 'Actions speak Louder than Words' they all have the same meaning. When we preach to people it holds little value to them when we are not doing it ourselves and really, why should they? I mean if we want someone to do something and we are not doing it ourselves we can't really expect anything more!

Personally, I and other leaders in my team right now often discuss this and we can all fall down here, when we take our eye off the ball and really not do as we say.

Now, I always find that when I do a good job others follow, this is without even speaking or asking anyone to do anything. Reason this works for me is because i believe leaders should (well) lead! This means that when we are doing a good job or a task in a different way, which is bearing more fruit or getting the job done much quicker people will follow suit. This, I find is the best way to get others to again 'Practice what You Preach'.

Next time we want someone else to do something differently why don't we have a look at ourselves and say, are we doing this? If not, we really need to think why they should. I mean, if someone asked you to do something different and they was not doing what they are asking, would you do it? I am guessing, No!

This works well for me and you will be amazed by the results, I have people in my team, family and private life that follow particular attributes of mine as they see results it gets for me! 

Good Luck and remember, Practice What You Preach! 

Thank you for putting me through!

Thank you for putting me through! 

People often come to me and ask me the best way to get past a gatekeeper, the receptionist that is screening your calls because they are told not to put ‘sales calls’ through to senior people within their organisations. 

Something we often don’t realise is that if we cannot speak to the decision maker to present our offering we cannot sell our products or services. So getting through to the key person is somewhat important and what I am about to share with you is something I was told a while back and when I am making prospecting calls I use this technique and it works wonders. 

Now, when making your next call try this;

Steve - Good morning, could you put me through to Mr Gates please? Thank you! 

What I have done here is asked them to put me through to Mr Gates (likely you would get through to ‘THE’ Mr Gates mind!!) whilst closing it off with Thank you! This is important as it’s the assumption that you have spoken to him before and you’re thanking them for putting you through before they have had the chance to ask you any challenging questions.

Granted, this will not work all the time, however, if you can speak to more decision makers by closing the gatekeeper on your initial opening request you will be able get in front of more prospects and in turn you will sell more.

Remember though, it’s very much of a loose saying of ‘Thank you’ at the end of your opening statement. Try saying it to yourself and/ or a colleague to get the hang of it. Then try it, you will be amazed at the amount of gatekeepers that will automatically put you through.

Let me know how you get on and hope this helps you like it has helped me and many other using this simple yet effective technique, Thank you!

Attitude Makes All the Difference

Attitude Makes All the Difference

When looking for some good material to give me a lift and some inspiration I turn to some of the best world’s best life coaches, teachers, and philanthropists. We have people like Brian Tracy, Anthony Robbins, Seth Godin, Zig Ziglar and many more....

Now, I remember watching a short clip of Zig Ziglar where he was speaking to an audience about 'Attitude' where it makes all the difference in life. This clip is brilliant and powerful.

Even though this Video I am going to share with you is a few years old the points Zig makes are fantastic and it's definitely worth 10 minutes of anybody's time. 

I remember reading that his first book, “See You At The Top“, was rejected 39 times before being published in 1975. He went on to write and publish more than two dozen additional best-selling books.

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” 

– Zig Ziglar

Was that not just a brilliant clip on Attitude.

If you have any other videos on Inspiration or Motivation that you would recommend please get in touch.

Power of the pause

Power of the pause

In our professional selling career we get advised many techniques to help us achieve a greater result, even when we think at first they won’t work....

Listening without speaking actually runs counter to the instincts of most sales training. It’s almost a habit for many people to interrupt. How do you feel when you’re interrupted before you finish your thoughts? Do you feel frustrated? Annoyed?

Listening carefully to customers isn’t easy but the rewards are great.

Here’s a powerful sales tip I have read about and heard many time which is superb – the pause. This means waiting, and not jumping in at the first opportunity.

Here are some reasons to pause:

•      They may be gauging your interest in their point of view, to see if you’re listening or simply waiting to jump in. When you resist the urge to jump in, you are often pleasantly surprised to hear that there’s more, and it is important.

•      Most people feel uncomfortable with silence, so they rush in to fill the void.

•      Instead of you rushing in, why not let your customer fill the void? This can often be something rewarding. An invitation to come and meet with them.

•      Your customers feel validated and important when you give them a chance to elaborate on their thoughts. This takes me back to something a former CEO of mine taught me some years back. Two ears, one mouth use them to that ratio. So we listen to allow them to elaborate and uncover buying signals.

•      Pausing gives you time to think before you respond to a question or objection.

The best way to pause is to use the most natural reason, which is curiosity. If you really want to hear what your customer has to say you will pause naturally as you wait for them to talk.

So, the next time you ask a question, pause and wait for the answer. And really listen to the answer. When the speaker stops for a moment, pause again instead of rushing in.

You’ll both win, because they get a chance to finish their thoughts, and feel like you have fulfilled this call to its maximum.

Remember ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’. Try it – I use this a lot in my daily work routine and also in my personal life. Works wonders...

If you have any more tips and techniques on the Power of the Pause, please get in touch!

Looking at the reason why we are great!

Looking at the reason why we are great!

 

Sometimes when I am having a challenging day or finding it difficult to find new business I occasionally can sit here thinking to myself – What am I going to do? How can I drum up some business? What can I do differently?    

We can all answer those questions but what I do to instantly change my mental thought process is look at previous successes and business wins from recent times – This triggers an instant motivation from within and you can inspire you to go on and make the next few hours a lot more than the last.

Its human nature we all like to feel good about ourselves and when we see we have done a good job, like we adore those who give us praise or again – Tell us we done a great job we feel GREAT!

So next time we find ourselves knocking on many closed doors we look at some of the prosperous times we have had doing exactly what we are doing today and make a difference to our mind set. As we all know selling success is 80& psychological and 20% skills and techniques.   

I remember reading that people make decisions emotionally and with this we make decisions ourselves emotionally. That’s why we decide based on a feeling, need, or emotion, not though a logical thought process. That’s why intangible benefits are the keys to persuasion. When you’re talking, you should think to yourself, “What is the emotional hot button here?”                 

Of course, this barely scratches the surface. Psychology is a deep and eternally revealing line of study. And while I don’t believe in making things more complicated than they have to be, I think there is great benefit in knowing not only what people do and what we do, but also why we all do it.

Top 5 Skills Every Leader Must Have

Top 5 Skills Every Leader Must Have

 

I come across this great post on Leadership this morning and wanted to re-post. Its an article from Steve Tobak - He talks about the skills that we need to become great leaders and goes into detail with some really good content.

Steve Tell's us that the world moves fast and if you can't keep up, your company is doomed. Here are five skills that every leader must have to run a company in today's culture.

A few years ago, I saw a video by a Harvard professor on competences for adapting to a changing world. Frankly, it was embarrassing. It was the biggest load of pseudo-intellectual garbage I’d ever heard.

Still, the world is changing. It’s becoming a more complex place. I guess that’s always been the case, but the rate of change appears to be accelerating. Given that’s the case, then what are the real capabilities will people need to distinguish themselves--to become the leaders, the innovators, the success stories of a new age?

Fortunately, as a veteran of the high-tech industry, I’ve known and worked with some of the most capable and accomplished folks around. Here are five competences that not only set them apart, but are becoming more and more important all the time. No, they’re not new-age business school jargon. Some aren’t even new. But what’s important is that they work.  

Please follow the link to the Top 5 Skills Every Leader Must Have

If you have any other relevant skills, tips or information please share on a comment below.

 

Here are some of my most favorite quotes (Top 10)

Here are some of my most favorite quotes (Top 10)

 

I often read quotes at times during the day for a little inspiration.

Have a read of these and if you think of any please add a comment!

Napoleon Hill
Reduce your plan to writing. The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.

Roger Von Oech
Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn't work; and second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach.

Zig Ziglar
Remember, what you get by reaching your destination isn't nearly as important as what you become by reaching your goals - what you will become is the winner you were born to be!

Anonymous
Reputation is the shell a man discards when he leaves life for immortality. His character he takes with him.

Josiah Gilbert Holland
Responsibility walks hand in hand with capacity and power.

William Penn
Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.

Mario Fernandez
Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.

Horace
Rule your mind or it will rule you.

Helen Keller
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

Horace
Seize the day, put no trust in tomorrow.

Enjoy...

The Alone Zone

The Alone Zone

This ‘alone zone’ is something I have utilised during my working day, it allows me to have absolute focus on the task at hand with no interruptions or distractions. This is what I often call having a little (SMD) which means ‘single minded determination’. This discipline is so powerful for getting ‘things done’ and ‘adding a little focus and passion’ to the cause. 

Now, when I put ‘alone zone’ to practice it is often when I need to get something done or I have been pulled away from my ‘to do’ list or when I got to get the most important task done that day. 

During this time, I am utterly focused and to be honest ‘being rude to the world’ in making sure I get what I have to get done, DONE!!

I once heard someone whilst in a ‘SMD’ mindset say to a colleague who wanted to discuss the latest on the weekends football, ‘Hey I have to get this done, if you want to go and speak to someone else about the footie please do, however, I have to get this done, sorry!’ Now to me...that is psychologically winning the battle, as you have explained you are other wised engaged in a polite, assertive and driven way? 

This ‘alone zone’ can be your best friend and can help you, I made reference to getting busy and SMD in my earlier post Sales Motivation is the key where I quote ‘it is natural for you to sit back and chat with the other people in your office. We all know that gossip can be counterproductive to motivation. This is where we require some (SMD) Single Minded Determination.’ 

If you create your ‘alone zone’ you can be very productive in getting things done! Now – getting things done is something we often lose control of, what I mean is; we are all sometimes guilty of starting something and then getting distracted, then moving onto something else and creating numerous ‘open projects’ on our desk. Focusing efforts in this way can make sure you knock all the most important tasks over and become instantly more efficient. 
Hope this helps you as much as it has helped me...

Alec Baldwin - Best Performance (Glengarry Glen Ross) 1992 Classic

Alec Baldwin - Best Performance (Glengarry Glen Ross) 1992 Classic

'A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing'.

Everyone should at once in their lives watch the independent black comedy Glengarry Glen Ross from 1992.

It has so many humorous but relevant quotes from the outset – It starts like “We’re adding a little something to this month’s sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you’re fired,” says the character Blake, setting the mood early on.

This film in my opinion is made by a fantastic scene from ‘Alec Baldwin’ where he comes from downtown to deliver some news and the new leads.

So many Sales Manager/ Directors who have watched this film have to say that to give a speech like this every so often would be so self rewarding!

This film was a critically-acclaimed box office bust that earned a Best Actor nomination at the Oscar’s for Al Pacino, who was joined by Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin and other familiar faces.

I remember going back a few years now an old boss of mine used to send this link across to us all as its coarse language and oh, if you’re easily offended by a ‘little’ foul language then you may not want to watch is – especially the clip I have posted below. 

The film, dubbed ‘Death of the F***in’ Salesman’ because of its similar themes to Arthur Miller’s classic play and its coarse language, is an actor’s film destined to be a cult classic... well shot, smartly lit, full of quotes,(which I think are brilliant) a simple plot with deeper themes, filled with younger versions of top-flight actors. Awesome!

If you have any quotes from this classic post below?

Remember My Name

Remember My Name

Have you ever met someone for the first time,that hardly looked at you and said the standard 'hello, nice to meet you' etc...then couldn't remember your name five seconds later? 
What impression did this person make on you? It often makes you feel less important to them and we all like to feel important even if we do not know the other person! 

In fact, in my favourite book ‘Dale Carnegie’s’ timeless How to Win Friends and Influence People he wrote, ‘If you want to win friends, make it a point to remember them. If you remember my name, you pay me a subtle compliment; you indicate that I have made an impression on you. Remember my name and you add to my feeling of importance.’ 
When you meet and greet people, regardless if it’s the first or the tenth time, make it a point of saying their names in your initial greeting. For example; ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you Debbie’ or ‘Stuart, it’s great to see you again.’ And then, when the conversation comes to the end, use their name again. ‘Stuart, I really enjoyed our time together,’ or ‘Debbie, it was a real pleasure getting to know you.’ Remembering someone’s name is a difficult skill to master but if you make it part of your daily routine, you will stand out from the crowd in personal and business relationships. 

Here are some simple ways that can help you remember people’s names:

• Make it of high importance to remember people’s names. The only way you will be consistent is if remembering people’s names is a priority to you. You got to want to be able to do it, then it will soon enough become easy.

• This is a common technique used by many when remembering people’s names, we make a habit of repeating the name in our heads when meeting them for the first time. If you will make this a routine, you will be forced to pay attention to their names when they are introduced to you, thus creating a warmer relationship. 

• Try to think of someone else with the same name. As I repeat people’s names in my mind I try to think of someone else with the same name and then make the connection between the two people. Similarities in the way they look and even in doing this you will subconsciously remember the name.  

If you don’t understand the pronunciation of someone’s name, kindly ask the person to repeat it. If you still don’t understand, ask how it is spelled and then try to say it. People with hard to pronounce names are very much used to people mispronouncing them and will appreciate those who show an interest in getting it right. Also, the psychological advantage to this is people love talking about themselves, then may go on to tell you a little bit of history to why their name is different and maybe who they are named after, perhaps a distant relative or a meaning of some description. 

If you put into practice some of the techniques above, I am very confident you can start to remember peoples names. Many people in senior positions in their companies have this skill – how special do you feel when your CEO who you met once at the Christmas party, see’s you in corridor and says ‘Good Morning Ian, How are you?’ or ‘Afternoon Julie, how was your holiday to the Caribbean?’ Instantly you feel special and more often than not these people are in the position they are in through practicing and learning many skills like this one in dealing with people. 

One more thing – I will often make reference to this book in this post and future posts to come...It has changed the lives of many for the better and it can change yours too. Once again...How to Win Friends and Influence People

Any questions or if you would like to add any techniques or tips on remembering names please comment below.

Sales Motivation is the key

Key to Staying Motivated

Selling is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Whether you sell insurance, homes, cars, toothbrushes, fridges or telephone systems you have to deal with irate and unrealistic customers on a daily basis as well as meet the demands and targets by your employer. I read that you receive more rejection in one day than an average 9-5 person sees in one month. So staying motivated is pretty tough!?

Here are some ways I personally use and others I have read which are key to staying motivated.

·         Eat Breakfast - This sounds a little silly, but having enough energy to carry you into the working day is important. If you are not energized to take an early morning call or visit then you will miss an opportunity.

·         Build A To Do List - Know what you are going to do that day. Fill out a blank sheet so you know where you are and where you are headed. If you are off track from where you want to be then you know what you need to sell that day to get back on track. (Can also allow us to work smart and effective)

·         Get Busy- If you are not on a site visit, it is natural for you to sit back and chat with the other people in your office. We all know that gossip can be counterproductive to motivation. This is where we require some SMD (As an old MD quoted often to me) Single Minded Determination.

·         Remember The Money - We all come to work to earn some. Keep the vision by remembering the reward for all of those mundane calls, Keep telling yourself – One more sale away from that holiday, car or milestone.

·         Work in a Happy Environment- A happy environment is a productive environment. What do you do when you are not in one? Ignore the people who I like to say ‘bring you down’ Get away from them. Tell them to go away! They are just taking up your time and trying to bring you down with them.

·         LET IT GO- If a negative situation happens- don't take it personally. Brush it off and move on. Don't dwell on it. STUFF HAPPENS! This is key that bad call or visit early morning can often ruin your day and determine your mood thereon after. Thick skin is why we do this job. Pick yourself up and move on.

Getting motivated and staying motivated is all up to you. I think its mental strength. No one can motivate you. A boss or manager can shout and scream and threaten you but, only you can get yourself going and keep the momentum needed to sustain a great sales career! Chin up, smile and keep going forward!

GET GOING! STAY MOTIVATED! 

Best Sales Interview Ever! - Boiler Room (Ben Affleck)

Boiler Room Group Interview (Ben Affleck)

I do not know if any of you have ever seen Boiler Room - Fantastic sales film if you have not I strongly recommend getting your hands on it.

The group interview scene, which I have posted in a YouTube link below is brilliant and somewhat inspiring and ruthless may I add....incredible quotes in the Ben Affleck interview scene, where he gives a great speech! I think even from the start of the interview when he says...

'Okay, here's the deal, I'm not here to waste your time. Okay, I certainly hope you're not here to waste mine, so I'm gonna keep this short...'

If you do the recruiting for your company you have got to think that it would be brilliant to see the reactions on candidates faces when you tell them what's required. Granted, this is just a film but the concepts and the requirements for the job applies to everyone in selling.

Isn't that just brilliant...?

If you haven't seen the film go get it...fantastic watch...One more memorable quote is from the opening scene where Seth Davis - (main character) said...

'I read this article a while back, that said that Microsoft employs more millionaire secretary's that any other company in the world. They took stock options over Christmas bonuses. It was a good move. I remember there was this picture, of one of the groundskeepers next to his Ferrari. Blew my mind.'

When a film starts like this you know it's going to be a great watch.

Click the link below to Amazon website where you can buy it*

Boiler Room

Let me know your thoughts - Be interested to hear what you make of it!