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The Truth Behind Linear Selling : Why It Can Make Prospects Run The Other Way

Sean works for a major telecom company.

During one of our coaching sessions on how to master Unlock The Game™, he told me, "I've been diligent about following the sales process that my company believes is required to make a sale -- but, for some strange reason, my prospects don't want to fit into that process.

Here are some suggestions about what to say and do in a sales situation.

* Integrate trust-building language into your conversations with prospects so they'll feel comfortable telling you where they are at in their process.

For example, saying "Where do you think we should go from here?" invites them to tell you the truth, while "Why don't we set up a next appointment to discuss our next steps" gives the impression that you're trying to take control.

* Rather than asking prospects overtly what their decision making process is, use softer language that they can understand from their perspective.

For example, "What specific gates do you anticipate you'll need to go through as you consider the proposition of purchasing the software to solve the business issues we discussed?"

* Don't probe or "fish" for prospects' "pain" as part of your sales process. Prospects have learned through long experience that the appearance of caring is usually a verbal ploy designed to move the sale forward according to the salesperson's agenda. Instead, speak genuinely and with sincerity to what you know their core business issues are. You can find out what these are by getting in touch with customers who have already bought your product or service and asking, "What three or four business issues drove your decision to buy our product?"

Chances are, your new prospect will be dealing with similar concerns.

Consider these ideas, and try these practical suggestions. They helped Sean feel better about letting go of the old ideas he'd been taught.

Maybe they'll do the same for you.

Businesses Need Money To Grow. Is Venture Capital Right For You?

The goal of every business is to be successful in their efforts and continue to grow. However, they often come to a crossroads where they are going to have to invest more money if they want to experience growth and additional profits. It may be money needed for new equipment, a larger building, or a number of other items that can be found to keep a business operating at its very best.

Many business owner’s turn to venture capital in order to finance the such ventures for their business. This is a type of loan that comes from a private investor rather than a traditional lending institution. The lender offers the necessary cash and in return they receive shares of ownership in the business.

They often ask for 2% of the profits during the time it takes to repay the funds as well so venture capital lending can be very profitable. In addition you will still be paying the principal balance and the interest on it. However, this 2% is to cover their risk on such an investment.

Business owner’s may have no choice but to look into venture capital options if they are considered to be too high of a risk for a traditional lender to offer them the funding they need. It could be due to the business being new, the business owes too much money to other lenders, or they have a poor credit history that traditional lenders can’t accept.

There are also times when a business needs funding in order to purchase items that aren’t tangible. Since the lender can’t use them as collateral they find the venture to be just too high of a risk. Some common items that may be involved are software programs for operating computers in the business and research that is necessary for the business to successfully grow.

However, it is important to realize that venture capital may not be a good option for your particular business and financial needs. You are going to have to be able to present information that shows there is a very high chance that your business will be quite profitable if you are allowed to access the funds necessary for your business to expand.

Keep in mind that your information also has to show that these additional earnings will be evident in the allotted time frame. In most instances the investors of venture capital will give you a minimum of three years and a maximum of seven years for that growth to occur and be profitable.

Venture capital should always be a last resort when all other options of securing funding have failed. In those instances it can be a very valuable tool which can decide whether you get the funding you need to expand your business or not. It is estimated that more than $6 trillion in loans under the category of venture capital take place each year in the United States. The process is available in many other countries as well but not nearly to the same extreme as in the United States.

Three Secrets to Mega-Success (Part 1 of 3)

I'll be the first to admit it...

I'm not a genius. My SAT scores weren't the highest. I didn't have a perfect 4.0 GPA in college (but I was pretty close). And I don't even have a formal "business degree."

So - how the heck did I graduate at the top of my class, start my first (profitable!) business at 14, go on to become successful in MLM, work and perform at venues like the Kennedy Center and Signature Theatre and even start my own marketing company serving MLMers?

Glad you asked. 😉

I've finally decided to let you in on my secrets.

You see, for years my friends and family always called me "lucky". But the kicker is - I don't believe in luck.

I think it was Earl Nightingale who said "luck is when opportunity meets preparation", right? So instead of calling someone "lucky" - we should just say they've been prepared to spot opportunities.

How? By having the right mindset.

Let me explain...

Recently, I was asked to speak for a group of hand-picked entrepreneurs in a special apprenticeship program (some of them paying up to $7,000.00 to be part of the year-long home business program).

And in preparing for that talk, I was forced to look at my daily success activities that allow me to play games, travel and keep the alarm clock turned off.

Now, fortunately for you - you don't have to pay $7,000.00 to hear what I came up with. You're going to get my top 3 "secrets" for FREE right here in "Instant MLM Profit Secrets"!

(Note: I sure as heck didn't invent any of these secrets, but instead picked them up from MY mentors over the years. Just because they may seem simple, don't mistake the fatal mistake of discounting their power. Use them and profit from them.)

SUCCESS SECRET #1: One Pro-Active Thing A Day

I learned from one of my mentors, Dan Kennedy, to always do one pro-active thing a day. Every single day of the year. And when I follow that advice - it always has a great impact on my sales and bottom line.

You know - it doesn't even matter if you have a 9-5 job or work full-time from home. EVERY person can do one pro-active thing a day.

I know, I know. This may sound TOO easy to do...but that makes it just as easy not to do.

Take this advice to heart. Not a day goes by (okay, maybe one or two do!) where I'm not doing something to bring in new customers and clients for my businesses. Whether it's doing a sit-down presentation or finding a new affiliate - it doesn't matter.

Like clockwork. Every single day.

But BEWARE! The danger here is to SKIP it one day and tell yourself you'll double up on the next day. Don't do it! The temptation is great, I know - but you're programming your mind for procrastination and indecision.

Instead, get up each morning and give yourself ONE important activity to do for that day for your business. It could be calling a prospect, finding a new affiliate, one 3-way call. Almost anything. Don't let yourself go to bed until you've done it.

And what's the end result?

You'll program your mind for action and success. That's what makes this so powerful! Even if you're having a "bad" day, you've still reached your one goal and had a win by the time you go to bed. Believe me, your subconscious is taking note!

Do this for just 30 days and you'll be amazed how you feel and the results you can accomplish.

----- Side Bar: Want to be super-successful? Include READING and LISTENING as part of your daily activities. Every single day read 10 pages of a good book and listen to 15 minutes of a tape or CD. (It's the closest you can come to barely doing any real work and still improving yourself.)

It was Michael Clouse who taught me to stick a CD player in my bathroom on top of my toilet. And I'll tell you - it's one of the greatest self-improvement tips I've picked up! Every day when showering and getting dressed, all you'll have to do is push "play" and better yourself. Doesn't get much easier than that. -----

I know I just gave you a potpourri of things to think about, so here's how you can immediately apply this to YOUR daily routine...

1) Buy a stack of 3x5 cards. In the morning, write down your ONE goal for the day. Carry it around with you. And don't go to bed until it's done.

2) READ each day. 10 pages. Or one chapter. Or 30 minutes. It doesn't matter the amount as long as you're consistent and regular. (And when I said read - it's not the tabloids or the negative news. It's something that improves your skills and expands your thinking!)

3) Buy yourself a cheap boom-box for your bathroom. Stick it on the toilet. And listen to a positive tape or CD each day. Again, it's the consistent action that will get you the results.

And there you have it - the first of my three success secrets that'll give you "magic" results.

Now, I promise you, there are people who are reading this saying "oh yeah, that, I've heard that before" but they won't do a damn thing with the information....and most likely they are the same people NOT achieving the mega-success.

Don't be one of them.

Try these quick and easy activities until I send you Success Secret #2 and see how you feel!

Your business (and bank account) will thank you!

Irish Whisky

The fact that there are only three distilleries in Ireland would suggest that this has always been a small-scale industry. Take time to visit the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin or the Jameson Heritage Centre in Midleton, County Cork and another truth is immediately apparent. These are distilleries built on a grand scale. Both sites are long silent, but give a glimpse of a time when Irish whiskey rather than Scotch was the world's favourite style.

No wonder distillers like Jameson and Power rejected the column still; the world wanted their pot-still whiskey. By the end of the 19th century, Jameson's Bow St. plant was employing 300 people and 2 million gallons were sleeping beneath the Dublin streets. But history stepped in and five years after the formation of Irish Distillers, the Bow St. site closed. Production was switched to Power's equally grand John's Lane distillery for three years, before the new plant at Midleton started up in 1975.

Much the same happened in Cork Distilleries' massive 'Old' Midleton distillery now (slightly confusingly) called The Jameson Heritage Centre. It's undoubtedly impressive, but like all silent distilleries, slightly sad and ghostly. Wandering round this vast plant you can imagine the scrape of the shovels in the malting barns, the creak of the pulleys, the hiss and rattle of the stills, the clatter of hooves in the cobbled courtyard, the cries and laughter of the men, the calming splash of the water wheel which powered the plant.

Then in 1975 the wheel stopped, the largest pot still in the world (at 31,648 gallons big enough to hold a party in) produced its last spirit. But the ending of the old world ushered in a new one of high-tech whiskey making. 'New' Midleton, carefully hidden from the tourists' gaze, may look unimpressively industrial from the outside, but is the most remarkable distillery in the world.

So why haven't we heard about it? Maybe the industry had been so badly beaten up that it lost confidence in selling to the world. Until recently that is. Jameson is currently the fastest-growing whiskey brand in the world, new lines are appearing at a rate of knots. But we skip ahead.

How can you make 30-plus different whiskies (and gin and vodka) in one site? The few visitors who are allowed into the Midleton still room spend an age shaking their heads in wonder at the four massive pot stills sitting opposite the seven columns that shoot up to the roof. 'Effectively, what we have here is two distilleries rolled into one - a pot still/malt whiskey distillery and a column still light/grain whiskey distillery,' says master distiller Barry Crockett, looking down into the cavernous stillhouse.

'What's unique is the way the distillate streams can be diverted from the pot still side to the column still side, and vice versa. Actually, I can use any combination that takes my fancy!' In other words, he can make a triple distilled pot still spirit, or pot-column-pot, or column-pot-pot, or ... well, you get the idea. Just through distillation, different flavour profiles are created. There's more. 'The cut points for each component whiskey will vary,' he says.

'Say we're making one for Jameson 15-year-old. It will have a different cut point to the standard Jameson. Power's and Paddy will also have their own different cut points, distillation techniques - and mashbills.' Most of the pot still whiskeys use a percentage of unmalted barley - giving them a distinctive crunchy, spicy quality. 'It's hard to describe.

Becoming Wealthy through the Home-Based Business Opportunity

Thanks to the Internet, more people than ever before are discovering that they can launch their own home-based business. Essentially, all you need is a computer, an Internet connection, and the right home-based business opportunity. The question then becomes, how to you select the best home based business opportunity? Here are four steps you can take to help you decide which opportunity is right for you.

Determine Your Goals

Before committing to an income opportunity at home, you first need to determine your goals. Are you interested in supplementing your income from your current job? Do you wish to stay at home with your children, but bring in a second income? Are you retired and want to supplement your pension or social security? Or are you tired of the nine-to-five grind and want to make a full time income by working only part time? Perhaps you have a specific financial goal in mind, such as a vacation or college fund, or maybe you want to harness the power of the Internet and become genuinely wealthy. Determining your financial goals will help you find the best home based business opportunity.

Can You Sell?

Many times, a home-based business opportunity requires you to sell products. Are you a salesperson at heart, or does the thought of calling people and selling products make you cringe? If you're a born salesperson, there are any number of opportunities that allow you to excel. However, if you're not a natural salesperson, there's no reason to go outside your comfort zone. Even if you try, you probably won't succeed.

Instead, find a home-based business opportunity that harnesses the power of the Internet to provide you with an automated, hands-off lead generation and sales system. Typically, these kinds of opportunities offer products - such as software or information products - that essentially sell themselves. The companies that offer these kinds of business opportunities will provide you with the tools you need to help you succeed, such as your own website, training, and marketing support.

Seek Out Flexibility

You may be in the position to work predetermined hours from home, but the majority of people who seek an income opportunity at home need flexibility. Perhaps you have school-age children, or maybe you are a night owl and want to work from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. The best home based business opportunity enables you to work the hours that are convenient to you and that allows you to access the vital information you need 24-7-365.

The Right Compensation Plan

There are almost as many compensation plans as there are home-based business opportunities. When you're reviewing opportunities, make sure to compare apples to apples. Generally speaking, the best compensation plans give you 100% of every sale after your first two sales (which go to your immediate upline). You then receive the sales from the first two sales of each person in your downline, and their downline, and so forth to infinity. This type of compensation plan generally outperforms those that are commission-based because commission-based compensation plans typically are of greatest benefit to those at the top and leave relatively little profit for you.

When you find the best home based business opportunity, you can maximize your earning potential and truly become wealthy.

How to Build Great Relationships through Cold Calling

Sometimes the finest solutions are the simplest. Focusing on relationships when making cold calls is one of them. It keeps us genuine, and eliminates our dread of making cold calls. We’re real people talking about real things. We’re interested in the conversation, and it shows.

Most of us dislike putting on our "salesperson persona" when we make cold calls. We think it’s needed, however, because we’ve been trained to make the sale. And yet we’re interacting with a live, breathing person without having any real connection to him or her. It often feels fake, and it often is.

This artificial role puts a great stress on us, and sabotages our cold calling conversations. When we aren’t genuine, it’s a red flag to the other person that we have a sales agenda. This puts nearly everyone "on guard." They’ve never met us and are wary of possibly being manipulated.

Have you ever noticed that most cold calls break down the moment we try to "move" things along towards a sale? It’s as if we’re getting ready for battle, and the tension pushes us along.

But the person we’ve called doesn’t know us. The momentum we’re trying to impose puts him or her in a defensive position. They’re protecting themselves from a potential "intruder" who might have a self-serving agenda.

So how can we to shift into something more positive? We begin by focusing on the relationship rather than salesmanship.  We call with the anticipation of meeting someone new, and looking forward to a pleasant conversation to find out whether we can be of service. This mindset is subtle but powerfully felt by the other person.

Building relationships humanize our cold calling conversations -- and our selves.  We are less artificial. Cold calling conversations become more natural. And people tend to respond with more warmth and interest.

The point is not to use the "technique of building relationship" to improve sales. That’s having a hidden agenda rather than a relationship. Our goal is to see if we can provide something that will benefit the other person. If it doesn’t, then we prefer not to continue interrupting their day. That’s a real relationship, even if brief.

When we’re being real people treating others as real people, the difference is amazing. Both people are both more at ease. We anticipate talking with someone who may possibly have an interest in what we have to offer. And if they don’t, we’ve enjoyed our time with him or her.

When others feel this relaxed mindset from you, they are much more likely to welcome you into their day. But if you rigidly follow a script or launch into a mini-presentation, then your call is immediately pegged as something initiated primarily for your own gain. And that puts most people into resistance.

Here are 8 keys to building relationships in cold calling:

1. Focus on the other person’s needs rather than on securing a sale

2. Surrender to the outcome of your cold call so you can connect with your potential client at a human level

3. View the human connection as an exciting journey in which you encounter new and interesting people

4. Speak graciously and naturally as you would with any new acquaintance

5. Remember it’s about how you come across, not about how many people you call

6. Allow the conversation to evolve naturally

7. Invite both of you to decide together whether it’s worth your time to pursue the conversation further

8. Use phrases that are non-aggressive yet very effective

So try this. Practice shifting your mental focus from salesmanship into a place of relationship. You’ll find that your genuine enjoyment of the conversation rubs off on the other person. They’ll be less defensive and more likely to share with you truthfully.

One of the best ways to build relationship is by using phrases that carry the human element very well. Start out by asking, "Hi, could you help me out for a minute?" The most common response will be, "Sure. What do you need?"

Your next question might be to ask whether they are open to the idea of looking at different ways to, for example, reduce their expenses. Most of the time the reply will be something like, "Well, sure, what kinds of expenses are you talking about?"

Now you are able to open the conversation between the two of you and build an initial relationship. It’s easy and comfortable to continue from there.

When you do this, you’ll experience so much success and satisfaction that it will really change the way you do business. And it will bring sales success beyond your imagination.

Creative Business Opportunity Ideas for Work-at-Home Moms

More and more people are finding ways to earn money and work at home. There are many moms who would love to stay home to work and have their own income. Most homes have personal computers, which opens the door to many business opportunities for moms. It is estimated that there are more than three million people working at home now. You too can realize your dream of independence and success.

The mom who wants to make money at home has the ability to set her own schedule and work as much as she wants. If you are only interested in part-time work, then you can regulate the time spent on your home business. If you want to quit an outside job and work full-time at home, the option is your choice.

Find a Business Opportunity

There are numerous business opportunities for someone who wants to work at home. Some work-at-home moms choose an enterprise based on their own interests. Others choose to work for someone else and provide services needed. There are directories on the Internet to help you find the right company for you.

There are many companies that need help with clerical and computer work. You can also make money at home by doing phone polls, processing insurance claims and doing background checks. There are many companies that need products assembled at home, which could help you to get started in a home business of your own. Also, check with "work-at-home mom" websites for great tips, job resources, and helpful advice.

Be Your Own Boss

If you have a unique product or service to offer, you can open your own business web page. There are websites on the Internet to help you get started and many are free. This is an excellent business opportunity to get your products where the public will find them. With a website, you can still be your own boss and put as much time into the business as you want.

Some moms do not have the time or desire to promote their own products or services. Many have tried MLM and network marketing ventures and come away disillusioned. They may not want to sell products and deal with customers. In these cases, finding a good company that will train and support you is very important. Also, there are companies now that do the selling for you. They provide a phone staff to answer sales calls and close the sales. Some companies will even help you promote the business.

Benefit from Your Home Business

Instead of investing a large sum of your money in a business opportunity, find a company that allows you to enter at various levels where you can work up to higher levels. Instead of you having the burden of making all the sales and doing the support work, it is to your advantage to work with a company that helps you in your business. Doing so will allow you to keep a healthy balance between work and home life.

If you don't want high pressure and stressful goals, find a business opportunity that suits your interests and objectives. If you want to make money to live on or need something to do to fill your time, start looking now for the home business that will fulfill your hopes and dreams.

Dining In Pattaya Thailand

In Pattaya you will be bombarded with smells and tastes from a wide variety of cuisines.  Determining where you will dine for the day may be the biggest decision of the day.

I will list approximate prices in Thai Baht and the exchange rate as I write this is about 33 Baht to 1 US dollar.

Breakfast is cheap in Pattaya.  You can get basic fare for about 50 to 80 baht which consists of bacon and eggs, toast, juice and coffee.  A better deal is the hotel buffet.  The Lek Hotel, Apex and Diana Inn on Second Road all have buffets for about 110 Baht.  Lots of food but nothing really spectacular.

I prefer to have a big breakfast but one that also tastes good.  My favorite is at the Sportsman on Soi 13.  They have a full English breakfast for about 240 Baht.  This is served on a platter and comes with bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, beans, bubble and squeak, and fried tomatoes.  It is all you can do to finish it.

I usually don’t eat lunch after having the big breakfast but for those who get hungry mid-day, there are many, many places to get something to eat.  Everything from fast food to street vendor dishes are all over the city.  You won't be able to walk ten feet without someone selling something to eat.

If I am hungry at lunchtime, I usually go to the Royal Garden Shopping Center upstairs to the food court.  There you buy a card similar to a credit card and put however much Baht on it as you want.  I usually add about 200 Baht and if I have money left over, I can get it refunded.

Then you just walk around to the many vendors and see what you like.  Most of the food is Thai and there is everything from soup, to rice dishes to noodles.  Beverages and dessert are also available.  Most of the meals are in the 30 – 40 Baht range.

For dinner, I usually stop at a street vendor and get some meat and rice.  There is a group of street vendors, or an outside food court on Soi Buakhao just north of Soi LK Metro.  The northernmost vendor is my favorite.  He has boiled chicken, fried pork, and cooked red pork.  All dishes come with rice and cost 25-30 Baht.  A bottle of water is an additional 10 Baht.

If you get hungry while out on the town in Pattaya, you will be able to get food no matter what time it is.  Stationary street vendors and vendors with motorized stalls are everywhere serving soup, bar-b-que, and rice and noodle dishes.  You can even get a sampling of Northern Thailand snacks – grasshoppers, silkworms, ants, and beetles.

Eating in Thailand is a way of life and you will find yourself eating 4 to 6 times per day.  The meals are small in size and huge in taste.  Some of the Thai dishes can be very spicy so be careful with the chili peppers.

And if you only eat pizza, burgers and fries, you can get those dishes all over the city too.

You can even find some of the best steaks and European cuisine in this former fishing village.  Seafood is also abundant and you can get lobster or crabs for a small fraction of what you pay at home

I can guarantee that you will not go hungry when you are in Pattaya.

How to Cold Call with Integrity – The way we’ve always wanted to do cold calling!

You probably never tell potential clients your real goal in calling them, but you don’t need to. They’re already aware, because we’re all sensitive when the phone rings and it turns out to be someone we don’t know.

In the old traditional training, we learned the latest techniques for making a sale. We talk to "prospects" rather than with people. And we "guide" conversations along rather than letting them unfold naturally.

The way we do this sometimes might even be called a bit manipulative. After all, we’re relating to another person while holding an ulterior motive of making a sale.

Where does honesty and integrity fit into this scenario? Well, most of us honestly believe in our product or service. But beyond that, we carry a somewhat artificial persona when we’re cold calling. We talk with people for the primary purpose of making a sale, and we’re not really interested in them or their world.

Doesn’t this make you feel uneasy at times?  It does to me.

So let’s discuss some ways we’ve been trained in the traditional sales mindset that feel artificial and dehumanizing, and ways we can overcome them.

1. We intrude upon another person uninvited, with the goal of making a sale

It’s against our nature as human beings to create uncomfortable situations. We have a natural instinct for courtesy and connection  It’s usually hard for us as regular people to call uninvited, because on some level it feels discourteous.

We can change that by changing our goal. What if our goal is not to make the sale, but to find out if we can help someone? This shift makes us more relaxed. And it keeps us in harmony with personal integrity.

2. We project ourselves as personable and friendly, while also holding an ulterior motive for securing a sale

There’s an inner conflict with integrity when we find ourselves using our connections with others for self-gain. So we can bring ourselves back into honesty and truthfulness by shedding ulterior motives entirely.

We do this by focusing on whether we can provide something that will benefit another person. We find out if they have a problem we may be able to solve. And if it turns out we can’t help with our product or service, we graciously accept the outcome.

By being honest and not playing a role, we find ourselves really liking what we do. And when our "ulterior motives" are simply non-existent, people are more open to trusting us.

3. When we meet someone new, we immediately talk about ourselves and what we have to offer

It’s actually not normal for us to start an interaction by launching into a self-focused monologue. As regular people, this just goes against our grain. Common courtesy dictates that initial conversations be dialogues, not monologues.

In normal conversations we would feel self-absorbed if we primarily talked about ourselves and what we have to offer. Yet in the traditional cold calling situation, it’s an accepted "norm." We’ve been trained to read a script, follow a strategy, or give a sales pitch.

This really isn’t the way we’d like to relate to people, but it’s the way we’ve been taught.

We can break out of this artificial game of sorts by just being ourselves. Integrity and truthfulness means being authentic. We begin cold calling conversations with a natural focus on the other person. We find out their needs, and respond with genuine interest.

4. We "rev up" in an artificial way, hoping to carry the potential client along with us into a sales process

When we "pump ourselves up" with enthusiasm, it feels somewhat fake. It’s not our normal way of being, and it throws us out of integrity.

And we also appear artificial to potential clients. They become wary of possibly being maneuvered into a sales situation.

If we can navigate a cold calling conversation without such games, people will sense we’re trustworthy. They react warmly and unhesitatingly to a conversation that feels natural to them, and especially if it revolves around their issues rather than our agenda.

So how do we approach cold calling in the most truthful way? We stop being "salespeople" and become human. We engage in an honest dialogue rather than a monologue. We look for ways to help others, and we’re comfortable knowing that our product or service may not be an honest "fit" for them right now. And we stop playing roles, especially the "high enthusiasm" game.

This is what I mean by bringing integrity back into selling. It’s unbelievable just how rewarding both personally and professionally this can be.