What You Wear Is Important

The subject of 'Dress' has featured quite prominently during the last two sessions of the MSEP. 

Is the way you dress important when it comes to Sales?

The simple answer is 'Yes'. 

The way you dress is very important for two reasons.

1. Stand Out - don't be afraid to have your own signature dress style. Over time it becomes part of your brand.

2. Before deciding on what to wear think about the people you'll be meeting with - their age, personalities, and whether or not they are conservative minded etc.

Always dress in line with the people you'll be meeting with. In other words if you have your own particular style of dressing, and you're due to meet with prospects that are fairly conservative in nature, tone down your outfit for that day in order to Build Rapport with them more easily.

The way you dress can often determine whether or not a prospect likes or feels comfortable with you.

Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep

One of the most common mistakes sales people make when negotiating is making promises they cannot keep. The thing about making promises you can’t keep is that they invariably come back to haunt you from two angles.

1.    A disappointed customer / client who will most likely not want to do business with you again

2.    An irate manager that did not permit you to make such a promise.

Don’t make promises that you don’t have the power or authority to keep.

Substance Behind The Looks

The world is fast changing. Merit, technique and skills are coming more to the fore.

It is therefore important to be knowledgeable about your products and services - what they offer, their value added, and why; your competitors’ products and services – what they offer, their value added and why; the sector / industry in which you work; how the economic conditions are affecting your sector and your target market.

Knowledge enables you to know how your product / service can add value.

Knowledge also enables you to sell with confidence and passion.

Yes, you look great but looking great without substance is a fleeting advance at best.

Anyone Seen The Cabinet?

The question on everyone's mind right now is;

"When Will PMB Appoint His Cabinet?"

But to be quite candid, "Who Flipping Cares?!" 

Don't get me wrong. Of-course I care about the formation of the next cabinet. Its professional capacity or otherwise  is paramount. Indeed it isn't too much of an exaggeration to say that the next fifty years of this nation's journey could be determined by the composition of PMB's first cabinet. 

An absurd statement?

Allow me to explain.

Nigeria's Presidents have for too long been dictated to by king makers, war lords, party chiefs, and various miscreants disguising their devilishly selfish ambitions with obscene levels of wealth (stolen of-course).  

So for once, rather than a president heeding to the whims and avarices of those that put him there we finally have a man at the helm of our dear nation's affairs who isn't afraid to make his own decisions. 

It seems he meant what he said when he stated;

" I Belong To Everybody, And I Belong To Nobody."

Apparently the reason our President is taking his time is threefold.

1. Clear message to all and sundry that he will be dictated to by no-one.

2. He wants those jostling for ministerial positions to grow weary and loose interest.

3. He wants the somewhat thorny issues within the legislature to be resolved first.

Someone told me yesterday that the beginning of wisdom is to NOT send lists of ministerial nominees to the President. 

I really couldn't care less whether the next cabinet consists of only Easterners, Westerners, Southerners, Northerners, Aliens from Pluto, or Dogs from Mars. All that matters to me is that they carry out their tasks with Sincerity, Care, Passion and Great Aplomb. 

All that matters to me is results - steering this nation towards sustained Progress and Prosperity. And if you think otherwise then I'd have to wonder why? After-all which is more important - that your interests are protected / represented, or that our sleeping giant of a nation makes some much needed progress??

Let us be in absolutely no doubt about one thing. We are about to witness the formulation of a truly Technocratic and Professional cabinet; something we haven't witnessed on these shores for well over half a century. 

So once again I say "Who Flipping Cares?!!!!"

Not because I don't care about my country, but because I also want those hungry power seekers to loose interest, abandon their plans to loot the nation's treasury, and go and do something Constructive and Value Adding.

Far better for us to wait patiently in order to get an Intelligent, Professional, and Productive Cabinet.

We all screamed for Change. 

This is a very Positive Change from the way things were done before. 

Let's hope PMB is setting a precedent that others will follow.  

Hang in there Mr. President - In Your Own Time. 

RELATIONSHIPS

  Why are Influential People able to build Strong, Unique, Long Lasting Relationships?

Allow me to commence my answer with another question.

Who are the people that have the most influence in your life?

Parents, siblings, wife, husband, closest friends, girlfriends, boyfriends.

The people that have the most influence in your life are those that you Trust the most. You trust them because you believe that they genuinely have your best interests at heart.

In the same way Influential People Build Great Relationships because they are able to do the following;

1. Listen with empathy - thereby creating an atmosphere of Genuine Care

2. Put Others First - thereby Building Trust

3. Focus on Long Term Relationships - thereby Building even more Trust

Trust and Care are necessary components of great Relationships.

As a Sales Person you are in the best possible position to Build Long Lasting Relationships; thereby garnering great Influence over time in preparation for a successful Business Career and other Leadership Roles.

Influential People Are Able To Build Rapport Quickly

 Bill Clinton, Taylor Swift, Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey;

What do they all have in common?


They have the ability to Build Rapport extremely quickly. As though flicking on a light switch, these guys have the ability to turn it on whenever they want.

They understand the most fundamental factor in connecting with another person - a desire to understand that person's world; how he / she sees things - how he/she feels about things - what makes him/her tick. This ability to embrace others' worlds is what endears them to people. In other words by focusing more on others as against themselves they are able to Build Rapport, Friendship, Trust, and hence Relationships.

The greatest leaders in the world today are usually the greatest communicators.

The most important component of Communication is Listening.

The reason Influential People are so adept at Building Rapport is because they have an uncanny ability to put others first. They Listen first so as to understand and gain the trust of the person / people they are interacting with / doing business with / leading.

Sales and Business is all about Building Rapport to Build Relationships.

Listen with a genuine desire to understand.

Characteristics of Influential People: Expertise

 Is it better to be good at many things or to be known as an expert in a particular area?

Influential people are sought out for their Knowledge of particular areas / topics / fields.

These types of individuals are never thought of as Jack of All Trades, but viewed as Experts In Their Fields; and for this reason they are sought out by companies, individuals, and even nations when it comes to matters pertaining to their areas of expertise.

It is said that one needs 10,000 hours of practice in a particular area or field in order to become an authority in that area / field.

You are a Sales Person.  Embrace it and be proud of who you are.

When you eventually own your own business or reach the very top of the institution in which you work, you're going to need to Communicate , Cold Call , Build Relationships , Negotiate, Present, Meet With Prospective Clients and so much more - all necessary components of Sales.

Many of today's most influential Business Leaders built their career on Sales -  Sir Phillip Green, Richard Branson, Sir Alan Sugar, Steve Ballmer.

1. Recognise your Passion

2. Recognise Your Strengths

3. Focus, and Build On It

4. Be The Very Best At What You Do

And it begins now. Develop your passion and strengths now - in your current job.

The Best Preparation For Your Future Success Is Now.

Characteristics of Influential People

 This week we will look at four Characteristics of Influential People.

1. Courage

2. Expertise

3. Ability To Building Rapport Quickly and Effectively

4. Relationships

Courage

Influential people are never afraid to go against the norm; not afraid to try things that others shirk away from. They're also not afraid to do things differently; or even look different to other people.

People will always look up to those that show courage.