Here's a great exercise for explore your affluent prospect's values and beliefs, thereby really getting into their mindsets.

We do this through the concept of 'social positioning'. In life, business, social settings, there are many social levels in which we relate to the world. We can be 'one up' in some settings, 'one down' in others, and on equal footing in others. These terms are very general, but once I get into more detail, you'll see what I'm getting at.

When I was nineteen, I decided I wanted to be the manager of a health club. And so I, with youthful zeal, made an appointment with the VP of the company. We sat down and he said, 'Okay, Kenrick. What can I do for you today?'

I replied, "Well, it's not what you can do for me, it's what I can do for you. You're probably going to think I'm a smart ass, but here's what the deal. I am your top salesman, in the whole company. I hold every single record there is to hold in terms of sales. It's time you made me a manager."

He looked at me and said, "Yeah right."

And I said, "I don't think you're hearing me. Now you're going to make me the manager and if you don't, I'm going to take the European Health Spa right next to one of your strongest clubs and I'm going to run yours to the ground."

He couldn't believe it. He said, "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

He said, "You can't do that."

To which I replied, "What's stopping me?"

Then he got an attitude, "You're not good enough."

So right then and there I said, "Goodbye."

I walked out and did exactly what I said I was going to do. I recruited all of the staff, the staff I had hired and trained, and took them with me. This is about the time the old club had a fit and tried to hire me back.

Here's a perfect example of social positions.

Remove any idea of 'judgment' and think about it this way: who has the most power in the situation?

This has to do with logical levels of thought as well. If I elicit criteria from you about selling your house and I get to the higher level value of, let's say, freedom. Freedom is not equal to "I want to sell my house". It's what you want to accomplish by having your house sold.

In order to move someone from one position to another, elicit their highest value and use that value to move them. In order to do this, you'll have to learn how to move up and down efficiently and effectively.

Are you approaching everyone as a sales person?

Are you working from a lower level and supplicating yourself, saying, "I'm so lucky that you're even listening to me. Thank you so much for just a few minutes of your time"?

If you are, stop.

You've got to learn to come in basically at equal and then quickly put yourself into a higher position if you really want your affluent prospects to get your value. And if they don't get your value, they're not going to buy from you.

This isn't about domination or arrogance. And maybe you even had to start a little lower to start. Keep in mind at all times that these positions are all in your head, they're your intention, and you have to get good at moving between them as the situation warrants.

Learning how to maneuver societal position will really help you to do better in your life because you're not just locking yourself into whatever feels right for you today, you're actually thinking about it. In turn, you become a more effective persuader.