Build Their Pain

Tired of all the rejections?
Want to stop getting rejected and get more sales?
Want to get a three step process that will allow you to make more money?
Read on...

Say that you are a salesperson in charge of selling a product which would help people save on their utility bills. Most people would pick up the phone and, after introducing themselves, would say something like this:

"I am calling to see if you would be interested in implementing our new product which will help you save money on your utility bills"

Such a sales-pitch is likely to result in plenty of rejections. If you want to cut the number of rejections and increase the number of sales, try this three step process instead.

Say this


(1) "I am calling because we believe that you are OVERPAYING on your bills"
Build the other person's pain by showing them how they are currently suffering. In this case, the potential client's problem is that they're paying more than they should be paying.
After you've given them the problem-statement, then go on and offer the solution:


(2) "We have a new service which will allow you to CUT THE EXCESS PAYMENTS."
Frame the solution in terms of something which will reduce their pain

(3) "Would be interested in getting together next weekend to see how we can help you SAVE OVER 30% on your bills?"
Finally, frame the solution in terms of benefits


Result of this three step method?
Fewer rejections, more sales :)

Sales/ Cold Calling Techniques

At the end of the cold call, instead of pressuring the other person, try to get their commitment by asking them this simple question:

• Where do we go from here?

When asking for an appointment, say:

• With your permission, would it be alright if I touched base with you tomorrow at 11am?

How to handle common objections, such as "We're already using somebody else" or "We don't have the budget"? Simply reply:

• That's not a problem. I wasn't looking to replace what you currently have. I was just wondering if you were willing to be open to a new perspective/opportunity that you may not have now.

What to do when someone calls to ask for "more information"? Simply reply:

• That's not a problem. Would it make sense if we first figured out what are the two or three core problems you are trying to solve, then I can figure out how to best help you solve them.  

Use Dialogue, Not Narration

by Craig Valentine, 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking




By far the most common mistake speakers make with their stories is having too much narration and not enough dialogue. For example, they’ll say something like the following:


“And the principal threw me out of the school and told me never to come back.” Now that’s narration. However, dialogue would go something like this:


“And the principal looked me directly in the eyes and said, ‘Mr. Valentine, you are expelled. Don’t ever step a foot back into this building.’” That’s dialogue.




3 Types of Dialogue:

Dialogue between Characters

The key to using dialogue in between characters is to set up the dialogue with a bit of narration. For example, the narration part was “I was so upset about this I called my friend Steve and I said…” That narration set up the dialogue of “Steve, you’re positive. Tell me something…". 

The other key to using dialogue between characters is to make sure we know which character is talking. To do this, you can put the recipient’s name in the line of dialogue (i.e. “Steve, tell me something…)

Inner Dialogue

Whereas dialogue between characters brings your audience into a scene, inner dialogue does something even greater. It brings your audience into your character’s mind. The key to using inner dialogue is to avoid the phrase “I thought to myself…” Whenever I hear someone use that phrase, I ask, “Well, who else are you going to think to?” Just say, “I thought…” or “I’m thinking…” Please remember that reactions tell the story

 

Audience Dialogue

This is one of the most important yet most neglected tools you can use as a speaker. Give the audience dialogue. This simply means, verbalize their thoughts in dialogue form:
For example, you might tell what seems like a crazy story and then say, “You’re probably saying, ‘Craig, that’s crazy!’”


Some of the phrases you can use to give your audience dialogue are the following:

• You’re looking at me as if to say, “Scott…(dialogue)”
• Now you might say, “Janet…(dialogue)”
• You say, “Craig…(dialogue)”

 

Turn Strangers into Customers: What Do You Do for A Living?

Anyone ever asked you what you do for a living?

Imagine this scenario. A woman who works in the Wealth Management Divison (lets call her Ms. Bank) and a mega-rich man (lets call him Mr. Money) meet for the first time at  a social gathering.

*After exchanging some greetings, here's how the conversation goes:

Mr. Money: What do you do for a living?
Ms. Bank: I work in the Wealth Management Department at Bank XYZ.
Mr. Money: Good for you.

Nothing wrong with that conversation. However, Ms. Bank could have potentially gotten another customer if she'd crafted a creative response to the question "What do you do for a living?". Here's how that conversation would go:

Mr. Money: What do you do for a living?
Ms. Bank: I help people increase their wealth so that they can enjoy a more enjoyable lifestyle without having to work harder.
Mr. Money: How do you do that?
Ms. Bank: Well, why don't you tell me what you do and I'll show you how what I do applies to you...
Mr. Money: All right. I am the CEO of Corporation XYZ.
Ms. Bank: Great! Well, what I do is to help CEOs such as yourself [show the person that you've helped people similar to them] create a customized retirement plan so that they can make their money work for them. In fact, we've had several CEOs who've doubled their wealth because of working with my company [give brief example of success stories. If you can mention the name of someone they know, even better].
Mr. Money: Wow, that's pretty impressive.
Ms. Bank: *Smile* You seem interested, and you're the right sort of customer who can benefit greatly from our services. Why don't we talk about this some other time? Here's my contact card. Why don't you give me yours- [make sure you ask for their contact details so that you can contact them later] so that we can meet up sometime next week to see if there's anything that we might be able to do for you...



Lesson:
Craft a creative response to the question 'What do you do for a living?'
Instead of simply stating your position/title/company name, highlight the benefit that you offer customers (e.g. a insurance salesman might say, "You know how there's so many things that happen in people's life that we don't plan for? Well, I help secure people against the financial risks of unforseen circumstances).

Find a creative way to highlight what you do for a living, and you'll be able to convert total strangers into customers!

Sales Influence

Cold Calling Technique: Why Don't I Drop That Off?
Cold-calling is scary, but if you learn to do it correct, it's also exhilarating.

Imagine this scenario.
You're on the phone and you're giving your best sales pitch. Halfway through, the person on the other end of the line says, "Why don't you send me the information and I'll look through it?"

What are the chances that that person will actually be waiting for your information? And that when it arrives, they'll remember you? And that they'll actually stop what they're doing and they'll read it? And then take the time to call you back and sign up for your offer?

Pretty slim. Probably zero.

So, next time someone such a scenario plays out, here's what your response should be:

Prospect: Why don't you send me the information, and I'll review it?
Your Response: I could do that, but I also know that you're still going to have questions. So why don't I stop by and drop off the information personally? Would Monday or Thursday work for you?

This response will allow you to set up a face-to-face appointment, which is an easier sell than a cold call.

3 Staging Strategies to Help Your Audience Really SEE Your Speech

3 Staging Strategies to Help Your Audience Really SEE Your Speech
by Craig Valentine
http://www.craigvalentine.com/blog/

1. Let the action prompt your movements

The action in your story prompts your movement on stage. Let the action drive. If you’re telling a story about standing in line, guess what? You shouldn’t move much. In the video,  I let the action drive. When I said, “You should have been with my wife and me 7 years ago as we took our 6 month old daughter Tori to her doctor’s appointment,” you saw me physically walking into the doctor’s office. When I talked about me walking over the scale to step on it, you saw me physically walk over the where the scale was represented on stage and you saw me stand on it. It’s not enough to say it, I also had to show it.

2. Let Time Prompt your Movement on Stage

All stories involve the element of time, which means you can use the imaginary timeline on stage for greater impact. In North America we read a timeline from the left to the right. Therefore, imagine how I might move when giving this part of my speech:

Now fast-forward 10 years to today…2010. My re-hire rate has now reached above 93%.

When I say the phrase “Fast forward 10 years to today,” I physically walk from my audience’s left up the timeline to my audience’s right to symbolize the difference between the year 2000 and the year 2010. Why is this important? Two reasons:
1. It makes the scene more clear for my audience
2. It allows me to eventually do a visual AND verbal call back to places on the timeline.
For example, later in this message I say, “I’ll tell you what made the difference between my failure in 2000 and my success today. [I walk back down the timeline to my audience’s left where the year 2000 is represented]. After my embarrassment in the year 2000, I re-dedicated myself to the art of public speaking…” Then, as I explain what I did in between 2000 and 2010 (i.e. coaching, re-dedication, etc.), I slowly and subtly walk back up the timeline until I get to 2010. Make sense?
This call back is visual, verbal, emotional, and clear for my audience members all because I set the stage up as a timeline and walked it.

3. Remember where you placed everybody and everything on stage

In the video, it’s clear where my wife is represented on stage and where the scale is represented on stage. You should plan this all out ahead of time. Otherwise, you might have a situation I witnessed years ago.
Darren LaCroix (2001 World Champion of Public Speaking) and I were giving a speaking bootcamp in Vegas and we had one of our attendees rise up to make a speech. His story was very emotional and, in it, his uncle passed away. They held the funeral and had the casket on a particular spot on the stage. Later on in the story, this speaker went to that same exact spot on the stage to have lunch!  Darren and I looked at him and said, “Do you realize you’re having lunch on your uncle?!” Please know ahead of time where everything will be represented on your stage.

4. Step up to your point

After I gave my story about the scale, you saw me step forward slightly and look directly at my audience as I started asking questions and driving home my point. This subtle step forward (and the direct eye-contact with my audience) lets my audience know I’m now out of my story and into a conversation with them. Occassionally step forward to make your point. Sometimes it even helps to step out into the audience.

Final thoughts on Staging

Does staging really make that much of a difference in your speech? Yes. Here are three reasons why:

1. Good staging provides clarity to your story and your message. For example, when I have 3 points in my keynote speech, many times I’ll have each point be represented by a section on the stage. Then I can do visual/verbal call backs.
2. If you use staging correctly (i.e. visually and verbally calling back to spots and situations on the stage) it can bring forth emotions from your audience because they’ll still be able to remember what happened earlier in those spaces and scenes
3. Patricia Fripp told me (I’m paraphrasing here) that people won’t remember what you say as much as they’ll remember what they see when you say it. In other words, you have to make your speech very visual. Staging helps with this in a tremendously impactful way.

 Oh, one last thought. Everything you do staging-wise should be subtle. It should look natural and not forced. But keep this in mind, looking natural is on the far side of preparation…not the near side. When you prepare effectively, you won’t have to think about what you’re doing. It will become second-nature. In other words, it will be natural.

 Everything in speaking is about subtlety. If you’re being obvious about what you’re doing, it will break your connection with your audience. Therefore, when you move, make it subtle. I’ve seen some speakers move the entire length of the stage for their timeline. That’s not necessary. A few steps in one direction should suffice when moving to the future or back to the past. The same goes for characters in dialogue. Don’t travel so far between characters. A subtle head turn should suffice to allow us audience members to know which character is talking. Be subtle.

Stand Completely Still when Delivering Your MOST Important Phrases

However, when you get to your most important phrase (often your Foundational Phrase) it creates quite an impact when you stand  completely still, look directly at one individual in your audience, and hold his/her gaze for your entire Foundational Phrase.
For example, I scan the audience until I get to the phrase where I say, “Your dream is not for sale” and that’s when I look at one person and hold his/her gaze. Then, once I finish the phrase, I go back to scanning the room and moving if appropriate.  In other words, hold their gaze for your entire phrase.