I've spent 3 decades studying top sales professionals, and the last 15 years training sales people from a broad cross-section of industries and measuring the results they've achieved. There is a very clear picture of what aspiring professionals need to master if they, also, are to gain control of their income.



INCREDIBLE RAPPORT

Way beyond matching and mirroring, these are skills that put you deeply in synch even with people who start out being resistant to you.

Let's hope the online dating gurus don't ever find out that this highest level of rapport even exists!

From what I've seen of the online dating gurus (and I have studied them!) they seem very intent on using rapport and other strategies in a very manipulative way. And that's incredibly dumb, because manipulation is a rapport breaker! And if you did go into a situation with manipulation in mind and did effectively achieve great rapport, do you know what that would mean? It would mean that the other person was a manipulator also! So avoid manipulation like the plague, and go for deep and genuine connection with people instead.

If you'd like to acquire incredible rapport skills you're going to have to practice, but you'll be surprised how quickly they develop, given the right practice! One exercise that you can do is, believe it or not, practiced by synchronised swimming teams each time they perform.

These teams need to be "in synch" if they are to perform in synchronised precision. They take time before each performance to stand in a circle and really connect with each other, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

MIND READER EXTRAORDINAIRE!

An amazing level of rapport is one thing, but mind reading, where you actually know what your client is thinking, is a skill that borders on "spooky" but is certainly achievable.

These days you can use cutting edge accelerated learning techniques to move you toward a state of deep competence as quickly as possible, so that you learn to appreciate what your clients are thinking even before they realise it themselves.

How would you like to know the difference between "yes/no", "like/dislike", and "ready/not ready"? Useful?

To gain mind reading skills to this degree of usefulness you'll need to practice with a group of friends or business associates. Have each person think of, for example, things that they like very much, and things that they dislike very much, and see if you can tell the difference. Do this with as many people as you can, and you'll soon be able to pick up much more subtle cues, even with people who are complete strangers to you.

THE *ONLY* PERSONALITY TRAITS THAT MATTER

Although therapists work with several personality traits, most of them don't know THESE! These are the traits that predict how a client will go through the decision making process - the traits that give away the very factors the client needs in order to say yes. Can you see why I say they're essential for you to know? (And they should be essential for therapists too!)

Some people try to make out that these traits are "rocket science" and I've seen trainers charge thousands of dollars to teach them to people. The irony is that you already have the ability to recognise these traits IMMEDIATELY once you merely read and understand what they are. Almost everyone does.

Here's an example of one that is not so unusual, and it's called "Match/Mismatch".

I'm sure you know at least one person who habitually disagrees with anyone and anything. It's not that they're being negative, because if you say something is lousy they'll assert that it's perfectly OK! This is a mismatcher, or "polarity responder" and it's just the way they are. They are always sorting information for "difference".

You might think that nothing could be worse than a mismatcher, but their opposite number can be just as irritating. This is a person who seems able to focus only on what matches or is similar. It's very difficult for them to perceive difference or even "newness" because to them everything is the same or familiar! These people miss on out differences, especially subtle ones.

How This Trait Works in Real Life

Fred the sales professional is talking with Macey the general manager and Macey seems "contrary". Initially she explains that she has a problem with one of the manufacturing processes, but when Fred refers to this later, using Macey's own phrasing in order to cut out any misunderstanding, Macey denies that there is any problem! Macey even mismatches her own statements. (Author note: People like this do actually exist, and I can point to a particular senior manager at a major organisation who did exactly this, repeatedly throughout the encounter.)

This might seem like an impossible situation, but because the mismatcher is so predictable, it turns out they're the easiest to influence. In this situation Fred could say "Macey, I'm not sure if you feel the same or if there's not an easier way to run that process, but I wonder if you wouldn't find it more effective to ...."

Fred could go on to say (getting closer to wrapping up the deal): "Macey, this particular model isn't for everyone and it might not be attractive to you ...." (she'll be thinking "oh yes it is" because she can't help herself). Once you fully understand all the personality traits you'll find it impossible to clash with your client's "style" ever again.

MILLION DOLLAR QUESTIONS EVERY SALES PERSON SHOULD KNOW

Elite sales professionals use 3 little questions to understand the client's needs on a very deep level.

What these questions do is to take a laser light to the client's core values in relation to the buying process. And in addition, if you're listening, the answers will include the very words the client needs to hear if they're to decide to buy.

So these questions really are pure gold. Not only do they add to your chances of selling, but used non-manipulatively (ie, to understand the client's needs better) they also enhance the relationship and make it much more likely to lead to referral streams.

PRECISION CONTROL OF YOUR EARNINGS

Do you currently know how to achieve any sales goal you choose? Consistently and persistently?

Top sales performers can do that month after month because of one reason: they know and use the statistics that matter. They absolutely know and control the mathematical equation that results in a known sales level.

So far as I'm aware, Frank Bettger was the first professional sales person to formulate and use this mathematical equation to literally choose his income. Even though selling activities have changed, and the skills I've discussed certainly increase effectiveness over older methods, the mathematical equation still holds.

To determine your own equation you need to make a list of all the sales activities that you perform (together with the time it takes to perform one "unit"), both direct and indirect, and calculate (or make a guestimate) of the sales result of each. Now you have a list of activities and time on one side, and a sales result on the other. If you wanted, for instance, to double your income, what would you have to do? What activities are paying their way and which aren't? What else would be a better use of your time and effort?

But to actually come through on this equation, you have to plan, document, track and analyse each activity. Otherwise you're still flying blind, and you're not being accountable - not even to yourself. If you are prepared to do these things then I'm excited for you, because you're nearly there!

MAKING FEAR OR DOUBT VANISH!

Often people absolutely know what to do, have the skills to do it extremely well, and really want to do it, but for some reason they retain some niggling discomfort (or abject fear!) and find that they sabotage their success with inaction. They just can't bring themselves to do it, or do it in a consistent way, in order to get the results they crave.

So what can you do if you know there's no logical reason for you to NOT make those calls, or NOT take up that speaking invitation, but you still perspire madly every time you imagine yourself doing it?

A fast and easy way to eliminate these problems has been available for several years now, but only a few especially-skilled therapists know about it.

One of these techniques is called "NeuroStim" and it's been proven in clinical trials to be so powerful that it can completely eliminate depression or chronic pain in a matter of days without drugs. Similar techniques have been used in trials of over 50,000 to eliminate various types of fear or anxiety.

STATEGIC NETWORKING *PAYOFF*!

We used to recommend that our clients and students join a networking organisation and in fact our manual "Speed Business Networking - the Manual" was designed to help people network better in their organisations, and to help the organisations themselves provide a higher-quality networking experience for their members.

But you know what? We don't see any evidence of networking organisations even UNDERSTANDING the principles of effective networking, let alone teaching them to their members.

So today we say that if you want to be successful, you need to form your own network of business friends, and engage with it in a quality way, in business hours because after all it's a crucial business activity. A network like this automatically delivers great relationships, superior peer-mentoring, advocacy, joint venture agreements, sharing of resources and expertise, and of course referrals.

No more spending money on networking memberships that don't (or barely) pay for themselves. No more wasting time talking with people with whom you have nothing in common. No more stupid elevator pitches, putting up with complete strangers stuffing their business cards at you or pressuring you for referrals. No more robbing yourself of precious time to spend with family and friends. This is how to play the game so it's personally and professionally enjoyable, and really PAYS OFF! Even if you're a complete introvert like me, you're going to LOVE networking like this!

CAN YOU DO IT?

Even though there is always more to learn, especially in terms of communication skills, if you can only do the 7 things I've discussed here, you will absolutely achieve your dreams, and you will have earned them!