Mindcell- NLP Sales Training Hampshire

2012-01-08T12:28:00.001-08:00

Avoid Another Average Year! http://ping.fm/x06wk

Avoid Another Average Year!

2012-01-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

Hey,

If you want to change avoid another average year, change your mindset and be programmed for SUCCESS then check out these events in Southampton in February. This has been 3 years in the making!! Check it out here NOW:

http://www.mindcoachacademy.co.uk/

2011-12-30T11:58:00.001-08:00

Mindreading - Sales Persuasion Tip http://ping.fm/Be8aW

Mindreading - Sales Persuasion Tip

2011-12-30T11:33:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most amazing tricks for selling in today's environments.

People now have more tools than ever to check on deals and to shop around for prices so whatever are the most obvious selling tactics used by your competitors and the most obvious things that your customer will have done, bring that all up front.

Let me explain. Let's say you have main competitors in your field who all claim the same things.

And you know that they will have mentioned this in their pitch. Then in your pitch mention to the customer exactly what they will have heard.

So let's say your main competitors claim to have the fastest and most dependable service. Then you say to your customer "Now you've probably had numerous companies telling you their the fastest most dependable in the market today."We are not going to claim the same as all the others what we would advise is that you read through our testimonials and judge for yourself how dependable and fast we are."

This is a very clever way of putting down the rest of the competition and grouping them all together as the same whilst you make your company stand out from the crowd by not following suit.

Other examples of mind reading selling techniques in blogs to follow but always state whatever you think the customer would be thinking. Then you have them eating out of your hand.

Happy Selling!!

If you would like to increase the sales performance of your teams then call Mindcell Sales & Management Training NOW on 02380 302033 or email info@mindcell.co.uk for a FREE consultation.

2011-10-31T03:21:00.001-07:00

Your Mindset creates Your Income! http://ping.fm/UHjH9

Your Mindset creates Your Income!

2011-10-31T03:11:00.000-07:00

"People are too often blaming their circumstances...I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on best in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find
them make them." ---George Bernard Shaw

The quote above is especially true for salespeople and business owners. More than any other part of the workforce, people in these positions have the ability to influence the direction of their business and incomes. While certain outside circumstances may exist the ability to deal with these circumstances is limited only by your mindset, your creativity and the tools you have at your disposal.

What will it be like for you to go to work KNOWING that your income is totally within your control---that it has nothing to do with the economy, your clients or any other circumstance because you have developed the tools and strategies to deal with whatever comes up for you? Well that’s what today is about. One of the great parts of getting training and learning new tools as you have chosen to do today, is that the more tools you have---the more references and distinctions you possess --- the more inventive your mind can become and the more opportunity you can create for yourself! My next blog will begin the how to of mind programming.

“In life there are Watchers, Winners and Champions. Watchers say ‘When will my ship come in?’ Winners say ‘I’ll swim out to the ship.’ Champions say ‘I’ll build my own ship!"--Anon

So go forth today and have the mindset of total responsibility for YOUR INCOME and YOUR SALES RESULTS!!

2011-10-27T02:18:00.001-07:00

Quote from Steve Jobs http://ping.fm/UV6UZ

Quote from Steve Jobs

2011-10-27T01:26:00.000-07:00

Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary
Steve Jobs

Just a thought for your sales day!

2011-10-18T03:54:00.001-07:00

Strong words from Dr. Cialdini http://ping.fm/fE5Ie

Strong words from Dr. Cialdini

2011-10-18T03:42:00.000-07:00

There’s no disputing the fact that right now the economic climate is more difficult than it could be.

Training is often one of the first costs to be slashed in difficult economic times, isn’t it?

However, studies from Dr. Robert Cialdini have proven that those employers who invest in training during difficult economic times experience an immediate increase in profit during those difficult times.

The evidence is that “training is extremely cost effective."

He goes on to say,

Even more importantly - when those difficult times end, and they always do, those employers who have invested in their staff get a significant advantage over their rivals.

That doubles the advantage that they got during the difficult times.

And their staff are now in a position to take advantage of the economic upturn with their increased abilities and training capacities.

He also says that,

“One thing employers can do is to invest their staff in the training of persuasion because I can't think of a single core skill that would be more promotive of business success than the ability to move people in our direction - without the use of coercion or deception.”

And this applies across all of the range of business functions, it applies to sales and marketing, it applies to management and leadership, it applies to procurement, it applies to customer service and so on.

Professor Cialdini is a best selling author and you can read more on his own website influenceatwork.com , Wikipedia, Youtube and many other sources.

At Mindcell training we offer a totally unique combination of NLP, psychology, hypnosis and the very latest sales skills to best arm our clients for selling.

Many say that everything new tends to come from the USA and we would also tend to agree. We are pleased to announce that as a company we are now certified in the use of Axiametrics, being one of only a handful of training companies in the UK to offer such detailed profiling of coachees. Axiametrics is used in the USA by companies such as IBM, Meryll Lynch and NASA to get the very best people and understand how to train them most effectively.

Training is now very much a true science, not the art form it has once been. Remind your prospects of Cialdini’s proofs and always choose a sales training provider that can offer only the very latest techniques to ensure that you maximise your investment.

2011-09-25T14:54:00.001-07:00

Mind Control - How to Control your Clients Thinking http://ping.fm/Q1T6g

Mind Control - How to Control your Clients Thinking

2011-09-25T14:11:00.001-07:00

I was working with one of my main corporate clients recently and one of the sales directors asked me a very interesting question. He asked "Is it possible to control our clients minds in ways like Derren Brown does but in a sales environment?" Great question and my reply was...YES ABSOLUTELY!

Let me show you...

There is certain questions you can ask that will automatically make them think of the question and then more importantly want the answer.

Here are some examples:

"I suppose you're wondering...?"

"I guess you're thinking...?"

In a sales environment - "I suppose your wondering what the next steps are?"
"I guess you're thinking how this will increase performance?"

The beauty of these questions are that no one replies with "No. I wasn't thinking that at all."

They reply with asking what are the next steps and how will it increase performance and if they weren't thinking of these questions you've now just made them do so. Perfectly controlling their thoughts.

So there you go. A bit of advanced 'Derren Brown" sales persuasion mind control!

For more advanced sales training tips follow our blog. For more advanced sales training book one of our sales training courses now or hire Mindcell Sales & Management Training for inhouse sales training that gets results!

2011-09-21T05:04:00.001-07:00

Sales Training Tip - Building trust from the off http://ping.fm/T4693

Sales Training Tip - Building trust from the off

2011-09-21T04:42:00.000-07:00

Stephen Tierney would like to thank Ari for his offering below.

Below is an interesting topic that I learned from Ari personally and have been teaching at my training events ever since.

Read it and think about where your mindset is at the start of every call.

“Change Your Mental Objective Before You Make the Call.” What I’m suggesting here is that most people who pick up the phone and make a cold call – in their mind, they’re already hoping to either make a sale or make an appointment. That’s where their mindset is and what’s interesting is that people on the other side of the phone can pick that up. What it does is, it bypasses the whole process of you first having to focus your mind on building trust in a conversation.

So, I’m going to suggest that by you shifting your focus from thinking and hoping to make the sale on your call – what I’m suggesting today is instead of that, replace that with your mental focus being, “I’m going to make this phone call right now to build a conversation, to engage in a level of trust in order to allow information to exchange back and forth in order for me to determine if there’s a fit or not here.” So what I’m talking here is changing the way you think before you even pick up the phone.

Instead of hoping to make this sale or this appointment, which is bypassing the whole process of actually building trust, to stay focused on the first few elements which is most important, which is actually building a conversation. What happens is our words don’t match our thinking. That’s the problem. So, people can pick up when your mind is someplace else and not focused on the conversation.

For sales training that makes YOU the 'Trusted Advisor' call Mindcell NOW on 02380 302033 for a free consultation or visit www.mindcell.co.uk

For more info on Ari please visit www.unlockyourgame.com

2011-07-27T00:04:00.001-07:00

The Power of Thoughts - Mindtrick 1 (Law of Substitution) http://ping.fm/3B3Mi

The Power of Thoughts - Mindtrick 1 (Law of Substitution)

2011-07-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

We've all heard before that in selling we should have a positive mindset. As a manager it's a must, but has anyone explained why?

Well the mind works in mysterious ways and one of them is the law of substitution. You see the law of substitution states that your conscious mind can only hold one thought at a time.

So every day make sure you don't entertain negative thoughts for too long. Make sure from now on that you never allow a negative thought to remain in your mind. Use the law of substitution to eliminate the negative thought by a positive substitution.

Begin programming your mind today! Filling your mind with positive replacements begins the transformation of a changing life. And when you change your thoughts, you change your World!

If you want better sales results....change the way you think.
If you want to be a better sales manager...then lead by example.

Use the law of substitution starting today!

If you want to have your sales teams or sales managers mindsets programmed for success then contact Mindcell now on 01489 583 111 or email your questions to info@mindcell.co.uk
"Making people in sales excel."

2011-07-22T03:14:00.001-07:00

Positive Mindsets http://ping.fm/oTUOw

Positive Mindsets

2011-07-22T03:05:00.000-07:00

Our mindset hugely affects our success at selling. Have you ever noticed how positive people have a knack for closing deals? Take 'Jedi' Jim Eastwood, from this series of The Apprentice; cocky maybe, but he put a positive spin on everything and was convinced he was the right man for the job. Jim's success at selling during the tasks was undeniable and won him plaudits from Lord Sugar and his cohorts. And he may well have been on to something….

Your body and mind are connected, it's as simple as that. If you think positive, you will close more deals. Here are some top tips from Mindcell on moving to a positive mindset to improve sales:

1 – Visualise success

This is common practice in the sporting world, and it translates over into business. Picture your meeting or call, visualise your customer, hear what they are saying to you, see yourself taking their credit card number or their signature on the dotted line, feel the handshake. Whatever success is to you, take time to visualise this.

2 – Act as if

If confidence is your barrier, the ‘Act As If’ technique is great to try. Focus on someone who is confident or experienced in your role, a role model perhaps (real or fictional). How do they act? Consider their demeanour, body language, words they use. Adopt this and ‘Act As If’ you are the confident, experienced entity.

3 – Positive Programming

We have, on average, around 50,000 thoughts a day. How many of these are negative? Even simple things, such as thinking or saying ‘I’m tired’ or ‘I’m not bad’ count. Be aware of your thoughts and flip them round, make them positives. Turn ‘I’m tired’ into ‘I could have more energy’ or when asked ‘How are you?’ reply with ‘I’m good’ or ‘I’m great’.

If you think positive, your actions will follow this, and vice versa. Mindcell Sales Training can help you and your team with more mindset techniques that have proven results in boosting sales. Get in touch with us to learn more.

2011-07-09T06:44:00.001-07:00

Face to Face Sales Tip - Buyer's priorities before sales pitch http://ping.fm/wFnvK

Face to Face Sales Tip - Buyer's priorities before sales pitch

2011-07-09T06:35:00.000-07:00

If you do face to face selling then this is a great sales tip to do before making your sales pitch.

When you are sat down and asking your fact finding questions, questions like "What are the most important things you must have?" etc. As you make notes on let's say the five things the client has mentioned are most important and you've already asked the key question that I teach "What else?"

Then at this point here is the key secret selling technique to do...

slide your notebook over to the client and ask him or her to prioritise in numbers one to five the importance of the five key things on their list.

Now when they prioritise them, you are NOW ready to piece together your sales pitch and you now know which one is the most important one to focus on to close your sale.

Another great point on this is they have interacted with you and if you sell to them and cover all aspects of the five key areas they mentioned then there is NO reason for them to say no to the sale.

So there you have it. Another sales tip for you to apply and another sales tip that will help increase your sales performance. As always keep adding to your sales training repertoire and be the best and break all sales records!!

If you require face to face sales training then contact mindcell on www.salestraininghampshire.co.uk/contact now or call 01489 583 111 for a free sales strategy session to see how much we can increase your company's profits.

2011-06-08T11:54:00.001-07:00

Sales Training Tip - Use quotes in your selling http://ping.fm/jicol

Sales Training Tip - Use quotes in your selling

2011-06-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

Yes you have read the subject box correct however let me explain.

Most salespeople sound similar and don't make themselves stand out from the crowd enough. So recently I have been trialling using famous quotes that are connected to what you want them to do.

Let's say for example that you have a procrastinator on the phone and you want them to take action now. Well google quotes for taking action and say one to them whilst you are in conversation. An actual example that we used to help one of my clients that had this exact issue was a Les Brown quote and here is what he said.

"Mr X as Les Brown once said you donʼt have to be great to get started, but you got to get started to be great.”

Then he followed up by saying "So with that in mind, shall we get started on this for you?"

The client replied yes and the deal was done.

So connect quotes to the action you want them to take and you to will stand out from the crowd.

Happy selling!

2011-05-28T06:24:00.001-07:00

Leadership and CEO Training http://ping.fm/4TSXe

Leadership and CEO Training

2011-05-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

Two true leaders meet tonight in what's recognised as arguably the biggest football match in history. Alex Ferguson's Manchester United verse Guardiola's powerful Barcelona.

The traits of a successful leader are the same in business as they are in sport. They must inspire, motivate, lead from the front and build a team that has fire and passion for reaching big goals and achieving greatness.

Great leaders sell their team on a vision. Great leaders focus their attention on future events, future goals and plan out strategies for their achievement.

If you are a leader of a company or a CEO then think about these great quotes on leadership and how you can improve your own leadership skills.

"Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them."
~John Maxwell

"Leadership is action, not position."
~Donald H. McGannon

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

"The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why."
~Warren Bennis

And one of my personal favourites...

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves."
~Lao Tzu

Isn't that so true.

Are your people seeing the best you every day in your business. If not then how do you expect your people to be at their best. As Ghandi said "We must become the change we want to see."

Leadership Training, CEO Training & One to one Leadership Coaching
*Stephen Tierney now has a waiting list for leaders and CEO's of companies worldwide for his one to one coaching on leadership communication and how to build passion in your workers. If you seek a coach that not only 'GETS RESULTS' but talks the talk, walks the walk and pulls no punches then call Mindcell Sales and Management Training now on 01489 583 111 or email Mindcell's head of sales Adam Stevens on adam.stevens@mindcell.co.uk to arrange a personal call with Stephen himself.

2011-05-26T08:43:00.001-07:00

Sales Persuasion Training - Southampton http://ping.fm/UpqYM

Sales Persuasion Training - Southampton

2011-05-20T05:19:00.001-07:00

If you work in SALES or have a SALES TEAM then get on this NOW!!

For anyone local to Southampton we ONLY have 9 places left at our next Sales Persuasion Training Day held in the Jury's Inn on Tuesday June 7th (Teas/coffees & lunch provided). Don't miss out!!

Check out this below:

http://www.salestraininghampshire.co.uk/Open_Course_Southampton_Sales_Training

Or call Adam Stevens on 01489 583 111 NOW! (If you're good he might even do you a deal!)

The UK's leading sales persuasion strategist joins forces with the UK's leading product creator!

2011-05-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Stephen Tierney has joined forces with the UK's leading product creator Peter Thomson. Due to the explosive growth of Mindcell Training, a new set of products is to be released including, audio books, e-books and training manuals so that everyone can take advantage of the wealth of knowledge offered by Stephen Tierney, the UK's leading sales persuasion strategist. As one client recently quoted "Stephen is bringing to the world of business what Derren Brown brings to the world of entertainment".

The sales tips, techniques and skills that have been applied to so many businesses over the years will now be available to anyone, anywhere.

Whether it's an introduction to selling in a non pushy manner, leadership training or CEO training - there will be a product for everyone.

With Peter's extremely passionate head for business and amazing products, the economy as a whole will be at an advantage!

DVD's will also be in production over the next few months and with a mentorship programme from Stephen, having the mindset of a champion will be achievable to just about anyone who wishes to implement it!

NLP Persuasion Training - Statement / Question

2011-05-16T03:44:00.000-07:00

Another great persuasion technique to use in conversation with a client is the statement question technique. When you make a bold statement and follow it straight away with a question to the client, if the client answers your question without mentioning anything about your bold statement then their unconscious mind excepts the statement as true.

Here's an example:

"Our sales training is consistently voted the best in the UK for increasing sales performance. What made you decide to look for external sales training now?"

This is just another great example of sales persuasion at work. When you mix this with the rest of your bag of selling tools (including NLP and Hypnotic language) you will be increasing sales performance in no time.

Mindcell Sales Training gives you the latest cutting edge sales persuasion techniques to improve sales performance and leadership performance.

So when your next selling remember to use the statement question technique to improve your sales performance.

The Importance of Persistance.

2011-03-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

Some people are aware of this information but it's worth repeating because it could be losing you 80% of your new business.

Let me explain.

Recently I contacted a range of suppliers as there was a service that I required.

Guess what percentage of businesses responded to the initial enquiry?

50% ! Do you respond to each and every enquiry that you receive?

And how many stopped after contacting me twice? 75%.

And after the 3rd attempt? 90%.

This is where it gets serious - only 10% of businesses will make more than 3 contacts with a prospect.

Now let's see why this is important,

2% of sales are made on the 1st contact

ie, 98% of sales don't happen on the first attempt so it doesn't make sense to stop here.

3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact

ie, 95% of sales don't happen here so it doesn't make sense to stop here.

5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact

ie, 90% of sales don't happen here so it doesn't make sense to stop here.

10% of sales are made on the 4th contact

ie, 80% of sales don't happen here so it doesn't make sense to stop here.

80% of sales are made on the 5th – 12th contact

I've just marked that last line with a bold font, but really it should be lit up in flames it is so so important to understand.

80% of sales are made beyond the 4th contact.

How far will you go before you stop?

Don't stop contacting your prospects and leads after 1,2,3 or 4 attempts - it will most likely cost you.

Find out how to use techniques like this and more at this page: sales training

Closing skills - Trial close

2011-03-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

Trial closes - This is one of the biggest mistakes that sales people make. They do not trial close enough. A trial close is gaining little commitments before your main close. See example below:

Example

“So Mr X, if I can show you a product that is 5 times quicker to use and saves you on average around 38% on labour costs, I imagine you would be very interested. Yes?”

Gaining more little commitments throughout your pitch will help increase the chances of them saying yes at the main sales close.

Sales Persuasion - Agreement frames

2011-03-10T06:50:00.000-08:00

Agreement frames - Getting the client to agree with certain things throughout your pitch is important as studies have shown that the more agreements made the more likely they are to buy your product or service at the end of it. It’s a simple as making a statement that you know they would only agree with and saying “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Example

“At the end of the project one of the main things is the bottom line saving. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Get practicing agreement frames.

Sales Persuasion - People like people like them

2011-02-15T01:17:00.000-08:00

Whilst in conversation with your clients look out for the opportunity to say things like “You're just like me....” or “I’m the exact same...” “I was just thinking the same thing.” Because people like people like them so given the chance take every opportunity to persuade them that you are the same. Simple but effective.

If you would like to learn tons of new persuasion tricks then book yourself on one of our courses. Click on the link below for more details:

sales training

Open Sales Persuasion Courses

2011-02-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

Mindcell is proud to announce the launch of some great new open courses.

With more and more companies struggling to gain funds for investing in great sales training, Mindcell has decided to launch affordable, high level public training courses that suit all types of sales people and sales managers.

Don't take our word for it, here's what Jemma from Southampton had to say...

"The knowledge and information that I have learned in just a few hours is priceless. Thank you so much for sharing persuasion techniques that I never even knew existed. I feel like I'm using Derren Brown mind tricks on my customers now and can't wait to attend another course. Thank you!"

Jemma (Senior Consultant)

For more info on our next Sales Persuasion Course and the opportunity for an early discount offer click the following link:
Sales Training

Questions that change the customer's mind

2011-01-29T02:48:00.000-08:00

Questions for Change

Like chess moves think about questions that will lead them down the path that you want so you uncover real pains. Here is an example below:

You: “What challenges do you have with the software you have at the moment?”
Client : “Well the x and y is a bit time consuming.”

You: “And what impact does this have on your work?”

Client: “It takes up more of our time.”
You: “What does excess time on one part of your job cost you?”

Client: “I guess the bottom line is it costs us money.”
You: “Sounds frustrating. Is it frustrating?”

Client: “Yes very.”

You: “So if we had a product that was easily quicker and smoother and took away all the frustration and in turn saved you money, I guess you would be very interested…yes?”
Client: “YES!”

This is just a short example of consultative selling. Ask more questions to find the real pains and make the pains bigger and noticeable then deliver your solution later in the presentation. By doing this your solution (i.e. your product) will have a greater impact.

Questions are key to great selling especially in the bigger sales products and services. Practice writing out questions that you ask and at least 3 or 4 follow on questions that can peel away the layers of your client.

If you require the very latest and best sales training then call Mindcell now on 02392 704260 or email info@mindcell.co.uk

2011-01-07T07:27:00.000-08:00

Run a sales team? Here is a very quick yet simple technique to try out the next time you're in work; it's called 'the positive day'. For one full day you simply go into work and praise everyone and say no negative comments at all only positive comments and positive energy given out for the whole day.

You will be amazed at this simple, yet effective technique, that not only changes your staff but also changes your own attitude and mindset for the day. Try it, try it for one day and see what happens.

Have a great sales day!

If you feel your sales team could do with a boost to increase sales performance then call Mindcell now on 02392 704260 or email info@mindcell.co.uk

Improve your selling skills by improving the beginning

2011-01-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

If you're in sales then you should know by now that 'telling is not selling' and that questions is the secret to selling. Here is a rule of thumb to help you remember this important key point:

A.A.N.T.T. This stands for 'Always Ask Never Tell for Ten'

This is a easy reminder to always ask good questions at the start of your sales interaction. At the start of the meeting just remember the 80/20 rule. They should be doing 80% of the talking and you should be doing 20% questions.

How to get past gatekeepers

2010-11-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

If you're in sales then you know how difficult and frustrating gatekeepers can be; You know the PA's that ask you who you are then consistently tell you that the contact your looking for is not available or their in a meeting etc.

So here is how to get past them.

Step 1 : Always get their name - This will set up your next call to them in a very clever way. For example when they give you the usual reply he's not available etc. just say "And your name was?" and when they give you it say "Thank you (Name) you've been really helpful today."

Step 2: The callback - Now this sets up your follow on call a day or so later. You call up and say the following "Hi (Name) is Bob(or whoever you may be asking for) there please it's Stephen?" At this point the gatekeeper will ask "From which company?" This sets up step 3...

Step 3: Answer and Command - You will answer and then give them a command with a please and thank you. For example...

"From Mindcell training so if you could put me through please that would be great. Thank you."

You may also get them asking "What's it regarding?" The same rule applies however don't give too much away. Here is an example..

"It's regarding the correspondence we've had so if you could put me through please that would be great thank you."

Key Points - You see gatekeepers are used to taking commands. It is their position in the pecking order and when you give a polite and professional command with a please and thank you, they just can't say no. Try it. It has increased most of my clients hit rates by easily over 60%.

If your company needs to increase sales then contact Mindcell now on 02392 704 260 or email info@mindcell.co.uk

NOW

2010-11-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Quite often, in Sales training, people mention their performance previously, and events that are likely to occur in the future. The sale that didn't quite happen for any given reason, or the dead cert sale that's in the bag for next week. These focus on the past and on the future.

An important aspect of becoming a better sales person or manager is certainly reflecting on past experiences and working towards a specific goal, however, the focus at any given time must always be on the present.

This is true not only in sales but in fact in any discipline where the result can be influenced. For example, if you look at any professional sports person at the top of their game they always concentrate on what is happening at that specific point in time.

Take a professional golfer. His, or her game will be made up of hundreds of individual shots and each one will affect the result overall. The player can have hundreds of "what ifs" to think about from the previous shot, the pressure from other players, fans, sponsors, family and so on. There's also the matter of the future scenarios depending on the outcome of each shot to take into account also. If the player was to think about all these different situations that had occurred and what could occur it would mean that they would be distracted from the present situation. The past can not be changed now and nor can the future.

The only way to achieve the best possible result is by concentrating fully on the only thing that you have full control over, and that is the present - the NOW.

This is exactly the same when pitching to a prospect over the telephone, presenting the flagship product to the board or simply prospecting. By focusing 100% of your efforts to the current task in hand you increase your chances of getting that result that you desire!

What happened in the past provides useful feedback to improve and setting future goals are both essential - focusing on what is happening NOW is what gets the result.

Practice Makes Permanent in Sales Training

2010-10-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard the old saying that practice makes perfect however this is incorrect. Only perfect practice makes perfect, practice makes permanent.

In great sales training you send the client away on a high, buzzed up and at the ready with their new found sales persuasion tools and systems however for the training to be truly effective they must practice what they have learned. That's why most companies encompass sales coaching as a follow on to the training. This helps the client practice the right things and fast tracks success.

Do you work on your sales game? Like an athlete works on improving their performance how often do you work on improving your sales performance? And remember when you work on something make sure you are working on the right things to improve your game and not working on consistent bad habits.

Here is just 3 things to work on that will give guaranteed improvements:

1. Attitude & Mindset - Work on being in the right state of mind and saying the right things internally to stay in a positive mindset. Practice being in state more often each day.
2. Questions You Ask - Work on the questions you ask the client. Are the questions you ask revealing the correct info you need to sell to them. See earlier blogs on questioning skills. And remember A.A.N.T.T (Always ask never tell for ten) as a rule of thumb try and spend the first ten minutes on new calls fact finding and asking questions.
3. What Works and What Doesn't - Analyze and take note of how you can improve your calls and what works and what doesn't. It's amazing how many people don't work on their sales game.

Be exceptional, don't be just another number, practice the right things and work on your sales performance like an athlete would work on their sports performance.

Have a successful sales day!

The No is even a Yes close.

2010-10-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a great close to use when faced with prospects repeatedly giving reasons for not going ahead with your product or service.

This close is so good because even a no is a yes.

“Is there anything else you need me to go over in great detail before we go ahead with this?”

Naturally this question will generate a "no", and you can proceed with asking for the business.

Should your prospect reply with a "yes" - it will often reveal the true objection.

Selling - 20% Mechanics 80% Psychology

2010-10-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Most sales jobs are 20% mechanics & 80% psychology. Think about it. We can all second guess the process of selling a car, a house, a product or service, so if the processes are so simple then what makes the difference. Knowledge is one, but knowledge is part of any fundamental learning of a new job so what makes the difference after knowledge? It comes down to the psychology of the individual. How they think. Are they an individual that believes in working on their skills, do they work on their states of mind for selling?

I have seen many a talented salesperson waste their talent due to a bad attitude. Due to being in the wrong state of mind more often than not. Individuals who don't look at the bigger picture. Individuals who complain about everything round about them and don't take accountability themselves.

When you feel that you are much more than the job your in, that there must be more to life, that your better than this, then look at your state of mind, are you giving it your all and maximising your skills at that point in time? Because if the answer is no then other opportunities will not come your way because you are not attracting them. Opportunities come to those who are giving it everything and making themselves so much better than the rest of the field.

So remember this.....each salesperson in your work knows the mechanics of selling....but how many know and work on their psychology of selling. Their thoughts, their attitude, their motivation and their purpose.

Ask yourself out of 7 hours each working day, how many of those are quality hours, with quality thoughts. Are you training your mind for you or against you?

Work on your psychology for selling! Begin to think more positive and work on your mental game. If you have the right attitude, and train the right thoughts, your sales will no doubt increase and opportunities will begin to appear. Don't take my word on that.....try it and see what happens!

Killer Question

2010-09-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

When you have asked a client what are the most important factors that they are looking for in (your product/service) and you have built a list of what they would be looking for the ask this killer question to make sure you've got them completely.

"If we can deliver everything that you have mentioned, then what would stop you from (changing today, buying our product today, etc)?"

The beauty of this question is if there is an underlying objection you will uncover it and deal with it however if they say "nothing really" then you have the perfect pre-close.

A great killer question to ask in your sales pitch!

Getting the Client to Sell to Themself

2010-08-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

The most powerful way to sell is to get the client to sell to you. This can be achieved through clever questioning techniques. Here are just two examples:

"Help me understand why you are looking for a product like ours?"
And
"From what you've seen/heard so far, what do you feel are the advantages of our product over the others you have seen?"

Questioning techniques like these get the client to begin selling it back to us (the seller), but not only that, they are unconsciously selling it to themselves. This is one of the most powerful ways of closing a sale!!

On your next sales call or face to face visit, try out questions that make them sell themself.

The "In Your Opinion" Test Close

2010-07-19T06:27:00.001-07:00

Test closes are an important way to test that the client is looking to buy from you without actually trying to close at that time. Here is an example of one you can use. It is called the "In your opinion" test close.

"In your opinion would you say that our (product/service) could make you more money?"

(follow with)

"How much would you expect it might be worth over the next few months with what you've seen so far?"

(At this point you are really wanting them to commit to a figure which is higher than you are charging. If successful follow with...)

"So, you say that it is worth X amount to you over the next few months so it's really a no brainer, it is only going to cost you X and our product/service will have repaid itself over the next few months."

(then go for a close)

Good luck closing some deals!

Questions to Improve your Selling

2010-07-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

The Art of Questioning (Some of the best questions for solution selling)

The art of asking the right questions is one of the biggest secrets to selling. Too often I see sales executives not asking enough questions and ploughing straight into their sales pitch. "We have this, we have that, we can do this, we can do that" when really they should be asking great questions and listening intently.

Great questions gives us great answers that tell us how to sell to the client. The client gives constant clues to what really matters to them. They tell us things that give them pain in their life and give away what type of client they are, so you can pitch to them in their language.

Here is some great questions to ask to your clients. (You can tweak these to your product or service that you are offering):

"What is the most important things that you are looking for?"

"What would having this mean to your business?"

"What difficulties do you have at the moment?"

"How soon would you be looking to rectify this?"

"What has prompted you to make the decision to.... (service, product, etc.)? "What will happen if you don't do something about it?"

"What's driving your need for change?"

"What originally lead you to this decision?"

"Why is it important to you?"

"If you can achieve this result, what will it mean to you?"

"Which is the most important to you...price, quality, ease of use, customer support, delivery?" Which of these is the least?"

"How important is price compared to service? Compared to quality?"

"What if you don't get (product or service) what will the ramifications be?"

"Can you afford not to take action?"

"If we could give you (product, service) that fulfills all your needs, what would that enable you to do or achieve?"

Here is some of the things you should listen out for:

Pains that the client has.
Their predominant language patterns- Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic (more about this later) pitch to them in their own predominant pattern.
Words they use often (Use them back to create rapport).
Buying signals. (When they start asking some questions).

Good luck, keep improving and keep selling and remember.....ask more questions!

Football & Man Management - Are you the captain of your business?

2010-05-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

When sales are in decline we often look to quickly to the salespeople to find fault. On occasions we must also look at the Sales Manager who is leading the team. Motivation is hugely important: make your team believe they are winners and that anything is possible and you will find they can achieve things way beyond their expected capabilities.

I read recently about Brian Clough. The legendary manager of Nottingham Forest, who took an ordinary group of players, then in Division Two, and turned them into the top team in Europe. A modern equivalent is Jose Mourinho of Inter Milan. Jose pre-plans his games in great detail leaving nothing to chance. Under Mourinho the players feel hugely confident as he creates a sense that success is inevitable.

Do you create a sense that success is inevitable? Are you as a Sales Manager leading your staff by example? Putting in great detail to your work and running of the team? Do you inspire and instill confidence in your team?

To become a successful sales manager is very much like a successful football manager. If we expect hard work, we must show hard work. If we expect good work rate, we must show good work rate. If we expect the best, we must give the best. Here are some tips for Sales Manager Success:

1. Lead by Example- Become the change you want to see.
2. Support & Compliment- Sometimes as managers we get so caught up on what needs improved that we forget everything that is going well. Have a day when you do nothing but compliment your staff.
3. Inspire & Motivate - When you take your meetings make sure they have a purpose. Make sure you know your staff. Are they the type who like an arm round them or are they the type that need fired up. Give rewards, give praise and let each one know they are valued. Work closely on goal setting both individually and as a team. Just remember Mourinho makes his team FEEL IMPORTANT. Do you?
4. Don't forget your star performers - Too many sales managers are busy working with their under performers that they tend to forget their star performers. For today just remember to thank your top performers for being someone that you can depend on and continue to make them feel wanted and special.
5. Make work Fun - When your staff enjoy work you have less absenteeism and better work ethic. Integrate games with goals.

Stephen Tierney has lead successful sales teams for over 12 years. Setting records with every sales team he has worked with. For the past 5 years he has successfully trained management teams on Inspiring Leadership and how to become a Motivational Manager. If you have sales managers requiring an extra boost and are looking for training that inspires and gets results call Mindcell now!!

Hypnosis in Sales "New Sales Tools for a New Generation"

2010-05-19T05:17:00.000-07:00

Times have changed from the old hard closing days of the 80's an that is why sales training today needs to evolve too. Nowadays as salespeople we must become "Masters of Rapport", influencers and persuaders of the highest level. If you are not using the following then you need to update your selling tools:

- Hypnotic Language Patterns
- NLP Communication
- NLP Sales Skills
- Power Questioning Techniques
- Body Language Mastery (Face to Face Selling)

There will be more on all of these later in the blog but let's take a quick look at one point on Hypnotic Selling! And that is.....

Embedded Commands: Embedded commands are covert commands that are placed within conversation to persuade the client more at an unconscious level. The secret to embedded commands is to make the commands stand out without being too obvious. This can be done by a slight change in tonality or an ever so slight pause before and after the command. Here are 2 examples below.

"By now you are probably wondering if we are the right company for you! So let me tell you that a by product of our (X) is the excellent customer service you receive. And by the way we can have this delivered within 3 days. Shall we go ahead? Yes?"

"Hello, I'm sure that, you, like me, want value for money, that's why by now you're probably wondering whether our latest model is the right one for you."

As you can see the embedded commands have been highlighted in bold. The word "by" has an ambigous meaning. You are covertly commanding the clients unconcious mind to "buy" the product. Also in the second example you are directly telling the customer's unconscious mind that "they like you" and that we are "the right one for them."

These examples are just scratching the surface of covert persuasion so keep tapping in for more soon.