communication Archives | Page 2 of 10

Part 1 of this series can be found HERE: Unleash Your Communication Superhero and Boost Your Sales Naturally

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
~ Maya Angelou

“Every effective sales person knows that a script will only take you so far. Every parent or boss knows that you can’t argue people into commitment. Every leader knows the power of conviction and authenticity.”
~ Chandell Labbozzetta

More than Words - The Secret of Convincing Others Every Time You Speak

Mindset has become the new sales buzz word for a reason: we now have the tools to measure the impact a person’s emotional state has on those around them and we can see what happens to participants when you walk into a sales meeting believing that you won’t make the sale.

In 2008, Alex Pentland published a book Honest Signals: How They Shape Our World based on his studies in non-verbal communications at MIT. While there have been other books on similar topics, this is the first publication to rely on brain technology and other tools to objectively measure these signals. He and his team measured the effect of that mysterious quality known as ‘charisma’ – a synthesis of mindset and comportment and discovered that they were able to make direct correlations between the depth and quality of the non-verbal signals people unconsciously emit and their results in:

Closing sales
Attracting grants and other funding
Getting buy-in for plans and ideas from colleagues, connections, and crowds.

There are two incredibly exciting implications of this research that apply to anyone who thinks of themselves as a leader (for whom sales is the #1 skill) or a sales professional:

Every human being who chooses to do so can learn to amplify and project the kind of positive energy (charisma) that creates sales; and
AI cannot project emotion in ways that humans connect with – even if they mimic emotional intonations and use the right words.

Emotional Quotient - Charisma - Mindset… The Secret of Creating Powerful Personal Connection

I’m not a big fan of buzzwords. They carry too many loaded (and often inaccurate) connotations although they can also provide a useful shorthand for complex ideas. However, the first two of these words (Emotional Quotient – Charisma) are usually used as a statement of a fixed attribute: you either have them or you don’t. This means that they are used to assess candidates for leadership or sales as a threshold, rather than as a skill that can be learned and expanded.

That’s like saying, “I’m bad at maths so I’ll never learn to count.” Or “I’m not built to run a marathon.” I bet that even Mozart struggled to play a tune the first time he sat down at the piano.

In my book, Confident Closing: Sales secrets that grew a business by 400% in six months and how they can work for you! I tell the story about the sales team I was assigned to transform and how a diverse group of ‘sales failures’ learned to create powerful personal connections and deliver sensational results. What I don’t mention in the book is that the exercise wasn’t actually a last-ditch effort to salvage a failing team… it was a calculated plan to lay off those team members as non-performers and to return the business to the 1980’s style pressure sales techniques preferred by the Head of Sales. I knew before I took the role that these talented people struggled to connect, but I believed that I could solve their problem – and I proved my point.

Recognising Bad Vibes - Learn How to Use Humour, Assertiveness and Empathy to Direct Difficult Conversations

You can’t always predict when a conversation that should have been straightforward will become unexpectedly tense and difficult – and even when you know a conversation will be challenging you can’t accurately discern all the twists it may take in advance. That’s why you need to develop your ability to read the body language, energetic field, and tone changes of your companions as well as their words.

If you are following a script – or AI prompts, – you may avoid the awkward silence that comes when your offer is rejected or deflected and you don’t know what to say next, but you will also lose the opportunity to discover what is really happening in your prospect’s life. Not only will that leave people feeling neutral or negative towards you, but it also eliminates the ability to scope out opportunities and initiate future conversations. There is no denying that AI is powerful and that it has many valid applications – BUT the best way to future-proof your life and career is to focus on creativity, emotion, and the skills that make humans human.

The Power of Attention in a Distracted World - Whether You are Selling Ideas, Leadership, or Products & Services Human Response Can Save the Day

The day may come when machines take over the earth and nothing human has any further value, but that is still a long way off. For the foreseeable future, there is no substitute for skilled human connection. The problem is that the fascination and safety of our electronic devices and communications has done a great deal of damage to our ability to read and respond to other people. While the sales and communication skills we teach at Life Puzzle are based on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), we are not merely teaching a system or a set of scripts. We equip our clients with the ability to amplify their human skills and to accurately observe and respond to prospects in ways that build trust, liking, and confidence based on authentic communication.

If you’d like to learn more about amplifying your human superpowers and becoming an expert in active listening skills, join our email list and get semi-weekly emails with communication skills as well as regular updates on upcoming courses and events so you can become a communication superhero.

*Remember to check out Part 1 of this series HERE: Unleash Your Communication Superhero and Boost Your Sales Naturally

“There is enough pain and difficulty in most people’s lives. When you offer them a pleasurable escape and then deliver what you promised you will have a customer for life… The second part of that statement is what builds your reputation and relationship.”
~ Chandell Labbozzetta

Are you ready to take your business and relationships to new heights?

If so, then you need to hone your communication and relationship-building skills so that you can have more effective conversations and make lasting connections. STOP making excuses about your ability to communicate, be memorable, and make sales. Everyone can learn these powerful communication skills that will not only make you more influential but will also enrich every area of your life.

WARNING: Don’t Promise What You Can’t Deliver!

Sales and salespeople have a lousy reputation.
What negative images and impressions do you have around sales?
What adjectives do you mentally associate with sales?

Common examples include: used car sales people, real estate agents, MLM recruiters. Common adjectives include: sleazy, pushy, lying, deceptive…

As a sales trainer and the founder of Life Puzzle, a sales and personal development company, I often hear these negative stereotypes offered as reasons why people don’t want to participate in sales training. “I want to be authentic and genuine,” people will say – or… “I don’t want to force people into a decision.”

I agree wholeheartedly.

IF… you don’t believe that your product or service can:

Deliver what you promise,
Solve the problem that is keeping your prospect in pain, and
Offer a valuable return on their investment,

THEN… Find something that does. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Ever!

So… Now that I’ve delivered that warning, let’s talk about the key to effective sales and persuasion (which is the bigger context of sales) => Communication Skills

Discover Your Superpower - Identify Your Communication Strengths and Weaknesses

Good teachers start with an inventory of their students’ individual strengths and weaknesses even if they’re teaching a class. It doesn’t matter what skill you are talking about, this is a fundamental tool for helping your students make observable progress and it applies to communication skills as much as to anything else.

One of the things I look for in any trainers that I add to my team is an ongoing learning habit because that makes them better teachers. You see, habitual learners find creative ways to identify their own strengths and weaknesses and that enables them to identify them in others and give specific targeted feedback and analysis. This is especially important in communication because – for most people – their problem isn’t “communication” as a whole, it is specific parts of the communication process that they find challenging – for some it’s attention or focus; for others it might be body language or eye-contact skills; for others, it’s the words they choose.

Once you understand your own specific strengths and weaknesses in communication, you can take steps to enhance your strengths and overcome your weaknesses – and for most people that takes personal attention which is why people struggle to progress when they just buy a book or a course that doesn’t provide personalised feedback.

Put on Your Cape and Mask - Become an Expert in Body Language and Active Listening Skills

Just 7% of communication consists of the words used. The rest of your communication is non-verbal. That doesn’t make your choice of words UNimportant – but it doesn’t mean that you have more to work on than just your words if you want to enhance your communication skills.

I remember one student who couldn’t work out why people felt uncomfortable talking to him. Within minutes we identified the problem: he was making too much eye-contact and invariably people he talked to would break off the conversation as quickly as possible because it looked like he was trying to stare them out or hypnotise them. He had heard about making eye-contact and over-developed the habit. He didn’t break it at once, especially if he was interested and engaged in conversation, but as he became better at reading body language and active listening he was more attuned to his conversation partner and learned to read the signals.

Today, he uses eye contact appropriately to communicate focused attention, but he’s quick to perceive if others are feeling threatened and to adjust his technique appropriately.

Fundamentals of Communication SuperPowers

In Part 2, we’ll look at the communication strategies required to tackle difficult conversations, handle conflict, manage collaboration, and build strong durable relationships with colleagues and customers, but it all starts with a growing understanding of your communication strengths and weaknesses and your ability to read other people’s responses.

If sales is the #1 life skill, then confident and congruent communication is the heart of any successful sale – especially if it’s complex and your prospects might be confused about their options and alternatives.

One of the most frequent comments we get at Life Puzzle when we speak or conduct trainings is from people who think they are sales-allergic. We’ll hear things like, “I have never attended a course that had so many applications to my life outside work.” Especially during multi-day trainings we’ll hear accounts of the wonderful conversation they had with their spouse and how they resolved a long-standing dilemma (as well as the surprise sale they closed)… But my favourite story was the woman who arrived for Day 2 of her workplace training absolutely beaming: after five years of marriage, she had used her newfound skills to totally disarm her mother-in-law and get her to cook a delicious dinner rather than complaining about her daughter-in-law’s food.

Join our email list and get semi-weekly emails with communication skills as well as regular updates on upcoming courses and events so you can become a communication superhero.

“In a rapidly changing economy, it is essential to have a robust sales strategy and leak-proof sales systems so that you build trust with prospects and clients and never resort to pushy sales tactics.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

Sales System Secrets that Position You for Success

Most businesses have pitifully weak sales systems.

That’s OK in a thriving economy – which is what we’ve experienced for the past 10 years or so, despite the stresses of the pandemic. When governments print money, business booms even while the underlying structures are rusting out, but eventually the time comes when you need to pay for everything you’ve borrowed. That time is here. Now.

Therefore… NOW is the time to pay attention to your sales system and ask: is it built to withstand an economic tsunami?

The truth is that you can build a sales system that is fragile or one that is robust. A fragile sales system will see your sales numbers slipping along with your market positioning, and your sales reps turning to desperate measures like discounting and manipulation. A robust sales system may see a slight decline in actual sales revenue, but it will see your reputation rising to new heights of leadership and authority, and your sales reps selling with integrity and confidence.

5 Keys to Your End of Financial Year Sales System Review

There are 5 Key Areas of Your Sales System that you should review as part of your EOFY procedures to evaluate the robustness (or anti-fragility) of your sales system:

Team Morale and Confidence: this is not about whether your sales team is actually closing sales as much as it is about their confidence in the quality and value of your product or service.
Client Needs Evaluation: in a changing environment are your product development people listening to what the sales people are telling them and acting on the information. Do you have mechanisms in place to process this information effectively?
Offer and Pricing Review: based on the information provided by the clients, is your offer as finely tuned as possible and is your price reflective of the value you deliver – and yes, even in a shaky market, raising prices is an effective way of making more
Sales Tools and Training: check that your sales tools are fit for purpose and your sales team are receiving the support and training they need to use them effectively. Ineffective sales tools and inadequate communication skills are a big reason why sales teams turn to pushy techniques and feel unsupported.
Key Metric Tracking: ensure that you are only tracking the 3 key metrics that are leading indicators of your sales success so that your sales team focus on needle-moving activities and can see their upcoming sales success.

EOFY is the most important time to review your sales systems and ensure that they are set up to deliver more sales with less effort and a higher quality of clients. This goal is always important, but it’s especially important when the economy is stressed and inflation and economic slow down are the predominant forecast.

Sales Systems and Processes for a Slowing Economy

As money tightens, team morale and confidence are important keys to your profitability, but nothing boosts morale and confidence more than having robust sales systems and processes to fall back on. This is because even if the flow of leads slows down, these sales systems enable your team to avoid the kind of strident pushy sales techniques that are commonly associated with the confidence crush of the Eighties.

I’ve always said that when your sales system is designed to foster scale rather than growth, not only can you grow your business dramatically in good times (without overworking your staff), but you are also set up to prosper in tough economic times as well because your system has built-in rewards for the team by measuring the key elements of a sale that they can control and it also has checks and balances built-in so that your team can operate at maximum effectiveness.

Confident Conversion 90 days to More Clients, More Cash, and More Impact

In this 90-day program we cover essential strategies to design and build a robust and scalable sales system to prepare your sales team for success in a challenging economy by addressing mindset and communication tools, as well as a powerful sales strategy that delivers results.

Learn more about Confident Conversion: 90 days to More Cash, More Clients, More Impact HERE.

“When I thought about building and training my team and all the hoops and processes I would have to follow I was overwhelmed. It wasn’t until I met someone who turned that nebulous list of ‘this is what you need’ into a structured system for doing it that my hiring and training became easy.”

`~ Chandell Labbozzetta

From Nebulous Goal to Clear Process

Several years ago my business was struggling. I was great at my sales metrics, but didn’t have a system for making my financials visible and between my book keeper, my admin staff, and my accountant, it was just too hard to track everything.

It wasn’t until I stepped into a program where I was guided to set up my bank accounts and buckets strategically, accountable for my reporting, and given/introduced to the tools for visualising everything in a systematic way that my results really changed.

It was a powerful lesson that changed the way that I implemented my own sales training programs.

Applying the Model to Sales Training

I took my learnings from that experience and applied it to the way I help clients build and implement their sales systems. Using the model of the financial accountability program to walk people through the process, I also added one key element: I included the training of an additional person (2IC or sales manager) into the program. You see, a business owner or founder needs to be on top of everything to do with sales, but they don’t necessarily want to do it all themselves forever… Or have to train their replacement.

So my sales training program included:
Theory of what, why, and how
Clear steps and processes for every step of the sales system
Tools for execution and measurement
Language tools and personalised guidance on developing your system AND…
Inclusion of a key team member in the program = Game Changer!

That last element means that while the owner knows everything that is going on, they aren’t responsible for execution or training (unless they want to be).

What About Training Your Team?

I loved this concept so much that it’s the kind of program I look for when it comes to refining and expanding every aspect of my business. So, when I thought about tools for recruiting and training my team, I knew I wanted something similar – a program that would waIk me through all the steps, help me build the systems, and allow someone else to attend alongside me – the person who would be responsible for implementing this. I knew that I needed to be aware of the whole process and able to support my team, but I really didn’t want to do it myself… And what I found was that such a program really doesn’t exist – so if you find one, let me know.

Sometimes Theory is NOT Enough!

The reason that group programs with synchronous trainings are so powerful is that they give you accountability and a forum for asking specific questions. A good trainer will answer individual questions fully, but also provide insights that help everyone else in the group apply the same information in their own context.

The ‘pressure’ of showing up live is also good for accountability, but really that level of motivation is only a tiny fraction of the story. A group program also gives space for every business to have more than one head in the room, which means you multiply the impact you bring back into your business without overloading your founder/CEO.

Think about it next time you sign up for any business development program and look for ones that actively encourage a second person to attend alongside as part of the package.

“When Marla stopped thinking that other people needed to change to fit in with her preferences and accepted that she was the only person whose transformation she could control, opportunities sprang out of nowhere and came rushing to her.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

You Are Getting the Results You Deserve!

Last week I was talking with a friend whose partner (let’s call him Adam) owns a transport business.

You probably know that there are some major issues within the logistics and transport business at the moment, especially in Australia where interstate border closures have made transporting goods a little complex.

Anyway, apparently Adam’s business is doing really, really well and he hasn’t been plagued by any of the driver strikes or difficulties that other companies are facing. When he talks to colleagues in the industry, they’re all complaining about their situation, and when he says he hasn’t experience any of it they ask, “So, what are you doing?”

It sounds as though they really, truly want to know the answer.

Until he tells them what he’s doing… And the disbelief and objections start to flow.

Adam isn’t hiding his secret, nor is he lying about his results. It’s just that his colleagues and competitors aren’t willing to do what he is doing.

They’d rather live with the results of their decision.

The reality is that they are getting the results they deserve.

I’m Really NOT Being Mean… Just Honest

Craig is a friend who runs a very successful manufacturing business. He’s the kind of person who wants others to succeed, and who believes that the economic pie is infinite, so he even coaches and advises his competitors.

Last year, one of his competitors called and asked Craig if he would buy his business because he was sick of struggling. They went for a drink at the pub and Craig asked some more questions about what was going on… when he heard the story he asked the guy if he really wanted to sell, or whether he would prefer to turn things around himself.

“Tell me more…” said the guy. So Craig sketched out a comprehensive plan to turn things around in 90 days, just by calling suppliers and existing clients, contacting the ATO, and some other really basic steps that were within his control.

“Is that what you’d do?” he asked Craig.

When Craig said, “Yes, that is what I’d do, and it’s what I’ll help you do if you want me to,” he replied, “It’s all yours, mate.”

Ninety days later, the failing deadweight was already profitable, and it has since become immensely profitable as it’s own entity.

Craig is one of those people who are willing to do what other business owners are not. I bet you know both these types of people – all of them getting what they deserve.

It Happens in Sales, Too.

The difference between a star sales representative and one who is just surviving (or ready to quit) has very little to do with talent or opportunity.

Time and time again, I’ve worked with people who complained about the area they’d been given, or the product they’d been assigned to, and blamed external factors for their results. There are two common transformations that happen:

They follow my input-focused, action-oriented sales strategy and start making sales;
Their area or product is assigned to another sales representative who turns their ‘sales desert’ into a ‘sales oasis’.

Maybe you’re selling a dud product or service that nobody wants and you don’t believe people should buy – if that’s your situation then you should quit because you won’t be happy selling things in which you don’t believe.

If that’s not your situation, then I am 100% confident that the real problem you’re facing stares back at you out of the mirror each day.

The GOOD thing about that is that… YOU have 100% CONTROL over that problem… IF you want to solve it.

Once again… You’re getting what you deserve.

Are You Willing to do what Other People are not willing to do to get Extraordinary Results?

Maybe you need to…

Change your sales strategy;
Master new sales and communication skills;
Find new sales networks;
Solve your sales problems in different ways;
Work hard now, to create more choices in a few months;
Change your sales team;
Use different sales materials and approaches;

Many people are stuck in their problems because they aren’t willing to step out of their comfort zone in pursuit of different results.

What would change if you accepted that you are getting the results you deserve right now and that if you want different results, you need to change your thoughts and behaviours?

“Neediness kills sales faster than anything else. Find out why you feel needy and deal with it!”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

The Confidence Killer...

I was looking through some old presentation files the other day and came across a slide with the title, “The Confidence Killer” and an image of a vampire just about to bite a young man while he was in the middle of a sales presentation…

The notes on the slide reminded me that it was the story of Jake, a sales man I mentored during my corporate career. Everyone on the team had to make 100 appointment setting calls every second day, with the idea being that we’d get 10 appointments for the following day and Jake was constantly missing the target.

He’d start each day with his list of people to call and ease gently into the day, taking the time to get psyched up for each call. By early afternoon, he’d be burning through that list at speed hoping to get the appointments he needed for the following day. On average, he’d get about 5 appointments from his calls in the morning, and 0 in the afternoon.

On appointment day, he would make about 2 sales in the morning, 0 in the afternoon.

When you looked at his metrics, you’d see that his mornings delivered OK results, his afternoons delivered nothing.

Jake knew it. His manager knew it… And his job was on the line.

I’m not even sure why Jake wanted to stay in his role, but he did, and he came to me for help.

Never be Needy!

I listened to a few of his call recordings and it was fairly clear what was going on.

In the morning, he was relaxed (probably too relaxed) and friendly. By 1pm he’d realise that he was less than halfway through his 100 calls for the day and he’d be rushing to meet that quota and he’d also be desperate to book appointments for the next day.

The stress and neediness showed in his voice, in his abrupt responses, and in his inability to listen and really hear what prospects were saying.

During appointments, something similar would happen. I went along with him and it was clear that the prospect could sense his urgency and discomfort and wondered why he was being pushed into a sale.

It was a vicious cycle… The closer Jake got to a deadline, the more stressed and nervous he became, and the less likely it was that he would actually reach his goal. Neediness was killing his sales AND his career.

So… How Do I Stop Feeling Needy?

Jake had asked me for help, so I was able to ask him some questions and find out why he wanted to keep putting himself through this torture instead of looking for a job in something else. I quickly realised that he had powerful reasons for wanting to succeed, so we created an image that would remind him of his deep intrinsic motivation and put it beside his desk.

I taught him to look at that image, breathe deeply, and really focus on how a successful sale felt, then we worked on his call strategy.

The essence of what Jake discovered was that if he focused on his intrinsic motivation rather than his need to:

1. Make 100 calls;

2. Set 10 Appointments;

Then he was more relaxed and able to listen. He said it was as though his neediness just evaporated and he was focused on the person at the other end of the phone. As a result, he got through his calls in a timely fashion, and he started to book 15 or 20 calls each day.

When we applied a similar tactic to his appointments, his closing rate went through the roof and he become one of the most productive sales people in the company.

The Hydra of Neediness

Remember the hydra?

It was a horrendous monster and every time you cut off one head two more grew in its place.

Neediness is like that… You might feel pressured by:

Performance goals
Action goals
Income goals
Bonus goals
Time goals
Etc.

Whatever combination of these you face, as the time behind you gets longer and the time you have to complete the goal gets shorter your sense of neediness grows… And undermines the chance that you will achieve your outcome.

Neediness threatens your likelihood of achieving any goal, but it’s particularly dangerous when it comes to sales.

Do you have a strategy for leaving neediness behind you, even when you desperately need to achieve your income goal or results target?

“Researchers can predict who the winning bid will belong to without ever hearing any of the pitches.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

Why Does Confidence Affect Your Sales?

I was reading the work of some eminent US researches on Predicting Success and Personal Power and I discovered that there are tools and studies out there that objectively measure the impact of Confidence on success.

I wasn’t surprised by their findings, any experienced sales person knows that if you start a sales conversation assuming that it will fail, your assumption will almost certainly prove to be true. The thing that did surprise me was their ability to predict success or failure through a person’s conduct in social settings.

Further investigation of their findings cemented my belief that Sales truly is the #1 Life Skill – you see, your ability to Close Sales has everything to do with your Confidence, and your Confidence has everything to do with how (and even whether) people actually accept what you say.

The Three Sales that Matter

If you are selling a product or service you actually need to make three sales.

Sell to Yourself: If you are not convinced that the ‘thing’ you are selling is actually valuable and works as described, then you are unlikely to persuade anyone else. This is like the man who was selling Internet services for a company but who wouldn’t dream of using that provider himself.
Sell Your Prospect’s Need to Yourself and Them: If you don’t believe that your product or service will deliver value to your prospect and meet their need then it doesn’t matter how good you think it is objectively is, you will still struggle to sell it persuasively. Similarly, if they don’t believe they need it, they won’t buy. If you’re talking to someone who clearly is a PC user, then they’re not likely to buy Mac software no matter how good it is. Similarly, if you know they’re not interested in software development then Google XD won’t interest them no matter how cheap, powerful, and effective it is.
Sell the Result: I didn’t wake up this morning saying, “I need a new mesh wi-fi system (or whatever).” However, I might have woken up thinking, “I wish the internet in my garden was as fast and reliable as the internet in my office.” Tell your prospects how whatever it is you are selling will make their life better and solve a problem that is bothering them.

Miss any one of these three sales and you chance of successfully closing the sale just dropped dramatically. Miss two or all of them, and the only people with whom you’ll successfully close a sale are those who were pre-disposed to buy… And you might even lose some of them!

So What…?

When you make all three of the sales that I just outlined, your Confidence skyrockets because you are talking and selling congruently and authentically.

When we communicate, only about 7% of our message is conveyed through words (even though our words are important), the other 93 percent is conveyed by our behaviour, posture, and the energy we project. If you have made those three sales prior to talking to a client, 100% of your energy is directed toward persuading them of the value of the product and nothing is left to distract your prospect or make him doubt.

I have listened to (painful) recordings of sales conversations where it is clear that either:

The sales person doesn’t care whether he makes a sale or not; OR
The sales person believes the product they are selling is a other over-priced or useless.

Don’t get me wrong, these people are using the scripts and they don’t speak a word that is out of line.

Listen to their calls, however, and you can unmistakably hear their conviction that this is not a good buy.

It’s Not Just About Your Business Either…

I was out to dinner recently (after lockdown ended) and I happened to overhear a conversation between two women at a nearby table. If you had transcribed the conversation there probably wouldn’t have been anything to tell you that they weren’t getting along, but when you tuned into the body language and energy it was clear that one of them wanted to be elsewhere. She was saying all the right things but communicating all the wrong ones.

In all my NLP training courses and my sales training courses I work with clients to help them control and focus their energy and state so that they can congruently achieve the results they want. Congruent Confidence Projection is a skill that can be learned and used to enhance your personal and business relationships as well as your sales results… And it’s a skill that not only increases your income and impact, but also your happiness and overall satisfaction in life.

“Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.”

~ Paulo Coelho

THEN… Your Energy and Confidence Will Drive Your Actions

As yet another challenging year draws to a close, it’s essential that we keep our focus on what we want so we don’t dissipate our energies in fighting things we can’t control.

I’m noticing that many Australian business owners are feeling discouraged by the constantly changing business landscape and are deliberately lowering their sights and settling for ‘second best’. This dissipates the energy and confidence they feel and project around their actions and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In the same way that ‘confused prospects don’t buy’, it’s equally true that ‘uncertain business conditions don’t encourage the planning, investment, and action’ that lead to tangible results.

It Starts with Focus

Paulo Coelho, the great 21st Century philosopher talks about the danger of getting so absorbed in fighting our enemies that we forget to make progress toward our own goal.

One of the things that I’m seeing is that people are afraid to focus on exactly what they want… Too many people are focusing on the enemy they don’t want (whether that is business challenges, health struggles, separation from family and friends etc).

Yes, sometimes you do need to stop and slay the enemy that’s standing in front of you…

BUT most of the time, your best course is to keep forging ahead towards your highest goals, without deflection.

Are You Settling for Second Best?

Every day – week – month – year… is a new opportunity to muster your energy and confidence and start afresh.

As I publish this we’ve just started the final quarter of 2021, but it really doesn’t matter when you’re reading it: the Call to Action is just as clear:
What are YOU going to focus on today?
Will you focus on the things that are standing in your way, OR your…

Goals & Dreams
Plans & Actions
Energy & Strategy

Only the latter will help you achieve, believe, and succeed so you make progress toward your target?

The Truth About Confidence…

I learned many years ago that often the only difference between a “Yes” and a “Maybe” when it comes to sales is the threefold confidence of the sales person.

When I talk to a business, sales team, or individual who struggles to make sales, it’s often a question of confidence. In fact, if your team is not exceeding their sales goals and projections, changing the sales tools is rarely the solution: while changing the energy and confidence of the sales person transforms their results.

Do You Lack Confidence in Your Ability to Sell Consistently?

If so, you’re not alone.
Even when people are convinced of the value their product or service delivers, they often fail to project confidence in themselves. In fact, this leads to a downward spiral of results that you can see in quarterly or monthly sales figures: lack of confidence leads to fewer sales and fewer sales lower your confidence even further.

There is a Solution to Your Sales Dilemma…

It’s called practice and success.

The solution isn’t complicated, but it does take some discipline and commitment which is why I created Ready Set Sell, my 30-day sales maximiser.

It’s designed for people who don’t consider themselves natural sales people, or for people in a ‘sales slump’ who recognise the need for a helping hand to boost their confidence so that they can boost their results.

I launched this course a couple of months ago and the customer feedback I’ve returned has reinforced my thoughts about the reasons why people don’t get the results they want.

I strongly believe that this course can prove to anyone who is willing to do the work that they are:

Far better at selling themselves and their services/products than they thought possible;
Elevating your ability to sell and influence others makes life infinitely more fun; and
Able to generate far more income than they thought possible.

Sadly, I’ve noticed that there are 2 types of participant:

Those who not only invest in Ready Set Sell, and invest the time, effort, and energy to generate results from it;
Those who purchase Ready Set Sell and hope that mere possession will magically transform their results even if they don’t follow the process – this also includes those who ‘know’ all about sales, but don’t ‘do’ anything systematically to turn their knowledge into results.

There is a Solution to Your Sales Dilemma…

It’s called practice and success.

The solution isn’t complicated, but it does take some discipline and commitment which is why I created Ready Set Sell, my 30-day sales maximiser.

I launched this course a couple of months ago and the customer feedback I’ve returned has reinforced my thoughts about the reasons why people don’t get the results they want.

I strongly believe that this course can prove to anyone who is willing to do the work that they are:

Far better at selling themselves and their services/products than they thought possible;
Elevating your ability to sell and influence others makes life infinitely more fun; and
Able to generate far more income than they thought possible.

Sadly, I’ve noticed that there are 2 types of participant:

Those who not only invest in Ready Set Sell, and invest the time, effort, and energy to generate results from it;
Those who purchase Ready Set Sell and hope that mere possession will magically transform their results even if they don’t follow the process – this also includes those who ‘know’ all about sales, but don’t ‘do’ anything systematically to turn their knowledge into results.

You Are Far More Successful at Sales than You Will Ever Know…

Unless you choose not to succeed and decide to just think about the future you’d like to experience.

The power of confidence is that one level of success in sales leads to more success following the snowball effect. That’s why Ready Set Sell doesn’t just lead to your best month every, but leads to steady growth in what you define as best.

When you use my technique for focusing on what you want…

AND back that focus with decisive action…

AND reflect on what is working and the progress you have made…

THEN…

You become unstoppable!

Would You Like to Discover the Secret of Skyrocketing Sales?

Learn more about Ready Set Sell, my 30-day intensive course designed to help you focus on the sales you want and adopting the behaviours and mindset of a super-sales star at https://lifepuzzle.com.au/ready-set-sell/ to improve your sales success.

“No-one can read your mind! Half the time you don’t even know what you are thinking, so how do you expect anyone else to do so!”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take

I was talking to Vera, one of my closest friends, the other day and she was complaining about how people who were younger and less experienced were getting promoted ahead of her. She has always put it down to the fact that they were men and getting favoured treatment, but this time it was another woman!

(And yes… That “!” at the end of the paragraph is deliberate)

“She knows she’s not qualified, but she applied anyway and got the role. Just like the men do!”

“Did you apply?” I asked – knowing the answer was no.”

“Of course not!” She snapped. “I didn’t have 5 of the criteria they put in the job description – and all these people who are getting promoted over me have even fewer than I do.”

As the heading says, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Your manager can’t read your mind and is probably too busy to go around thinking about trying to persuade you to apply for new roles anyway. Your prospects are just as busy. If you don’t ask for the sale, you’ll probably miss out… Unless you are important enough for people to seek you out.

How Was I Supposed to Know You Wanted That

Some years ago, Anna came out of a meeting with her boss absolutely fuming.

I asked what had happened, expecting to find out that she had been reprimanded, fired, or had her leave request rejected.

It turned out that she was mad because she was thirsty and her boss hadn’t offered her a drink of water, instead he had turned off the fan.

“Huh,” I said. “That seems odd. Did you ask for a drink?”

“Oh no! But I told him it was draughty.

“You told him it was draughty and you expected him to get you a drink?” I asked… Just to clarify that I hadn’t misheard.

“Yes. And he just ignored that and went on with the conversation.”

Look… People can be really tone deaf. They can miss things we communicate explicitly, but when you say it’s draughty, not many people realise you want a glass of water, so it’s your job to communicate what you want clearly and concisely.

Why I Say that "Sales is the #1 Life Skill"

Both of my friends in the stories above felt they’d received a raw deal. The reality was, neither of them had taken the time or action to prepare a sales pitch or say what they wanted.

Instead of considering how to present her abilities and pitch her readiness for a new position, Vera convinced herself that she wasn’t qualified and never applied for promotion, then she got mad about others who were prepared to put themselves forward.

Instead of telling her boss she was thirsty, Anna got mad because he couldn’t read between the lines and see that she was thirsty, not cold.

AND…

Instead of telling people about the transformation your product and service can make in their life or business for them then asking if they’d like to learn more…

There’s a strong likelihood that you are expecting the other person to take the initiative and getting upset when they don’t respond as you’d like them to.

Conversations, Sales, and Open Doors

Most people aren’t very observant… Or, if they are observant, they’re paranoid about being offensive so they don’t share their observations.

I like to think that’s the reason that networking events and business dinners can be so stressful and boring. It’s not that the people there aren’t interesting, it’s just that they are afraid of offending someone or prying. Zoom meetings, social media, and lockdowns haven’t helped at all! In fact, they’ve made it much worse.

What do you do when someone says something interesting?

Do you ask a follow-on question, or do you just continue with your planned script?

Most people are too busy to see or hear the open door, so they just plough onto the next question… And so they lose the chance to listen, learn, and create a relationship… Which may (or may not) lead to a future sales or other opportunity.

The archetypal pushy salesman of the 70s and 80s with a briefcase full of brochures and the goal of selling whatever they have available ‘no matter what’ learned scripts and stuck to them. They deserved the rejection and avoidance they received – BUT the truth is that those people were never the highest performers.

The most effective and highest-performing sales people have always been the ones who listened, asked appropriate questions to draw out their prospect, and then offered a tailor-made solution that met their needs. Once they had done that, they asked for the sale fully aware that their prospect wanted and needed the solution that was being offered.

Because… If you don’t ask for what you want, you probably won’t get it.

Do You Need to Learn to Ask for the Sale?

I work with a lot of people who tell me up-front, “I’m just not good at selling.” Many of them assume that sales people are born not made, when the truth is no-one is born a sales person. It’s a skill we learn (or choose not to learn).

I’m passionate about teaching people to sell because I believe that confidence in your ability to sell makes life much easier and more pleasant… And we all want our lives to be easier and more pleasant!

I’ve developed a 30-day course called Ready Set Sell that enables even the most reluctant sales person to prove to themselves that they can sell and that closing sales is fun. It’s great for sales-averse individuals who realise that they need to learn to sell because it’s non-threatening, can be applied in any industry or setting, and can even be practiced on your friends and colleagues.

If you’d like to learn more about discovering the hidden sales power within you go to https://lifepuzzle.com.au/ready-set-sell/. I hope to see you inside.

“The thing that makes the biggest difference for most professionals and business owners isn’t learning more skills, it’s learning how to highlight the value of the skills they already have.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

What Skill Would You Choose to Focus on?

I was talking to one of my clients the other day about hiring new staff. He’s the CEO of mid-size company that has doubled its profits over the past 18 months and I’ve been training his sales team for about 21 months. He made the half-joking comment,

“You know, Chandell, I really ought to pay for you to coach the top candidates for every position we advertise so they can master their sales pitch. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that we’re losing some highly qualified candidates who have no idea at all how to sell themselves. That’s bad for them because they’re losing opportunities, and it’s bad for us because we’re losing quality candidates.”

His comment was born out of his awareness that he was no longer just relying on his sales team to sell their services and products. Every member of the team and gone through sales training and could present themselves and the product persuasively. That was the real secret behind their phenomenally successful results.

It works like this, when everyone from your partners and senior staff down to your receptionist and newest hires understands what your core business is about, they understand how to help customers and what needs to happen in order to not merely make a sale, but also improve the product.

What Does That Have to Do With giving Sales Training to Prospective Candidates?

If you’ve ever been responsible for interviewing candidates, you probably know what my client is talking about…

You’ve read the coverletter and CV or Resume… But did they write it themselves?

You’ve seen their work history and qualifications.

You’ve picked (or your recruiting company) has picked the best candidates to interview…

Now, it’s really all down to interview skills. And sometimes, those interviews don’t even take into account the kind of role a person is applying for.

This particular CEO talked about the candidates that had been sent for a technical position. Yes, they need to work with their team and think about the problem in a specific way, but at the core, they are being tasked with a lone-wolf technical job where attention to detail and ability are the essential skills.

“I’d love to put those people in a room with you for 2 hours, Chandell and teach them how to sell me on why their skills and personality is perfect for the job… and I’d like my interviewers and candidate selectors to look at those criteria too.” he told me. “Instead I had to task to see all the applications and pick the ones I wanted to talk to. I found someone, but I believe there is a better way.”

It’s Really Up to You!

My client had a point… From his organisation’s standpoint it would help if the candidates were trained to sell themselves… And how they responded to those sales trainings would tell him more about what he needed to know about them…

BUT…

It isn’t really the firm doing the hiring that is responsible for providing you with skills that will help you achieve your goals, is it?

It comes down to you.

Do you care enough about your future to learn the skills that will help you shine? You’ve invested in your education and training on a professional level, are you prepared to master the ONE skill that will help you move forward along the path to your goal?

In 2020, I was working with a Sales Team that was struggling to adjust to remote work and virtual sales meetings. One of the members, (let’s call him Sam) probably the most talented sales person on the team, was very angry about the changes. He sat through our trainings (mostly silent) and kept right on doing what he had always done. Month after month, his sales trickled in and he presented his results with an “it’s not my fault” attitude. You might have accepted his excuses if it wasn’t for Sally, another member of the team. Sally had her position on probation because the company really needs a sales person and she demonstrated her willingness to learn while openly acknowledging that she struggled to think of herself as a sales person.

Week by week, she took notes, practiced the skills I taught, and made calls. Week by week her results improved and in 3 months her results beat out all the others. After that, everyone but Sam got on board and worked their butts off, not just listening, but applying and refining their pitch and discovering ways of finding qualified prospects.

Sales isn’t just the Province of a Few.

Everyone can learn and change… If they choose to do so. Human’s are uniquely wired to adapt, so why wouldn’t you invest in learning one of the most powerful and useful skills on the planet?

You don’t even need to take a course. You can teach yourself to sell in an authentic and positive way… Your own skills and personality or anything else you want to. Don’t kid yourself that ‘nice people don’t sell’. I was talking to a doctor the other day and he said to me, “You know, if we learned sales skills at medical school, we’d be much better at helping our patients decide what was the best course of action to follow… And our patients would probably be healthier, happier, and more compliant. There’s a book called “Change or Die” that talks about how many strokes and heart attacks could be avoided if doctors understood the art of sales and took their responsibility to sell more seriously.”

What About YOU?

How are your sales skills?

Have you ever considered how much more effective (and profitable) every aspect of your business might be if you developed your own and your team’s ability to sell…

Yourself?
Your ideas?
Your solution?

I’ve noticed that many people today are looking around for a saviour – the government is an obvious candidate – but no Government can do everything for everyone. My solution is to find ways to help people help themselves… And learning to sell is something anyone can and should learn to do.

Sales, and the incorporated skill of communication, are life skills that rarely get taught effectively at school, so it’s probably up to you to learn it for yourself.

Part 1 of this series can be found HERE: Unleash Your Communication Superhero and Boost Your Sales Naturally

More than Words - The Secret of Convincing Others Every Time You Speak

Emotional Quotient - Charisma - Mindset… The Secret of Creating Powerful Personal Connection

Recognising Bad Vibes - Learn How to Use Humour, Assertiveness and Empathy to Direct Difficult Conversations

The Power of Attention in a Distracted World - Whether You are Selling Ideas, Leadership, or Products & Services Human Response Can Save the Day

Are you ready to take your business and relationships to new heights?

WARNING: Don’t Promise What You Can’t Deliver!

Discover Your Superpower - Identify Your Communication Strengths and Weaknesses

Put on Your Cape and Mask - Become an Expert in Body Language and Active Listening Skills

Fundamentals of Communication SuperPowers

Sales System Secrets that Position You for Success

5 Keys to Your End of Financial Year Sales System Review

Sales Systems and Processes for a Slowing Economy

Confident Conversion 90 days to More Clients, More Cash, and More Impact

From Nebulous Goal to Clear Process

Applying the Model to Sales Training

What About Training Your Team?

Sometimes Theory is NOT Enough!

You Are Getting the Results You Deserve!

I’m Really NOT Being Mean… Just Honest

It Happens in Sales, Too.

Are You Willing to do what Other People are not willing to do to get Extraordinary Results?

The Confidence Killer...

Never be Needy!

So… How Do I Stop Feeling Needy?

The Hydra of Neediness

Why Does Confidence Affect Your Sales?

The Three Sales that Matter

So What…?

It’s Not Just About Your Business Either…

THEN… Your Energy and Confidence Will Drive Your Actions

It Starts with Focus

Are You Settling for Second Best?

The Truth About Confidence…

Do You Lack Confidence in Your Ability to Sell Consistently?

There is a Solution to Your Sales Dilemma…

There is a Solution to Your Sales Dilemma…

You Are Far More Successful at Sales than You Will Ever Know…

Would You Like to Discover the Secret of Skyrocketing Sales?

You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take

How Was I Supposed to Know You Wanted That

Why I Say that "Sales is the #1 Life Skill"

Conversations, Sales, and Open Doors

Do You Need to Learn to Ask for the Sale?

What Skill Would You Choose to Focus on?

What Does That Have to Do With giving Sales Training to Prospective Candidates?

It’s Really Up to You!

Sales isn’t just the Province of a Few.

What About YOU?

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