Successful sales people deliver excellent results regardless of recession or not!

				I've been around long enough to see what makes the difference. Even though the market may be in an actual downward slope, some of us still deliver outstanding results. Why? It's not like throwing a paper plane, you know! "Oh no, the wind caught me. I no longer am in control!" Quite contrary to what most sales people expect, negative trends are just another opportunity to outperform the competition. How?

As a student years ago I majored in Finance and got my Masters degree in Influence Management, but this education makes little sense when everyone starts complaining about the market. I've witnessed great sales people drop like flies! The difference lies in knowing how to find business and then to maneuver in such a way that you become the most attractive alternative.

A year ago I wrote a blog post that introduces the subject of how the best sales people are flexible enough to adapt smoothly to circumstance. It will lead you to other blog posts that tell you more about how to be successful in spite of external conditions. It's not a secret!

In June this year we began organizing what is now known as a worldwide group of Elite Sales Professionals. Today we are more than 1.000 high performers and a powerful group of competent people. LinkedIn serves as the initial connection and meeting point, but it will soon be complimented by smart online solutions. These solutions will allow members three basic privileges:

• An evolutionary collaboration model for tipping-point results
• A network of quality people to visualize business opportunities
• An online framework to innovate new money generation activities

The current group definition reads: "High performing sales people with experience in strategy and positioning, network and relations as well as pure skills and customer centric concepts such as innovation and product development. Trustworthy and competent professionals able to create value balancing people with business and money."

Once we've reached critical mass and the beta versions of the online solutions are in place, the Expert Panel behind this group will introduce a second round of qualification. This is when we'll experience the long planned "explosion" of the quality network we're only witnessing the small beginnings of today. Let me assure you; the Expert Panel is not without ambition with this worldwide undertaking! (And yes, the Expert Panel is yet to be formally introduced.)

We can control our subconscious mind to become more influential. Here's a brief blog post about how you can make the subconscious mind work for you. It can both influence you and then others without manipulation.

				Thoughts precede actions I've long been a fan of James Allen's small book "As a Man Thinketh". The subject matter is that thoughts precede our actions - always. We are what we think. However, there is a deeper level. Thoughts, too, are merely the result of deeper choices we've already made.

Scientific background

Benjamin Libet's groundbreaking scientific research indicated that while we believe our actions are conscious decisions, the subconscious has already guided us in how we respond. This may seem to be in contradiction with Stephen Covey's maintaining there's a "gap between stimulus and response", meaning we can decide for ourselves and be proactive. How do these seemingly opposing views add up?

Desires precede thoughts I believe where it all starts is with our deepest desires. What we want is what determines where we spend our "thinking engine". So even though, actions are a result of thoughts, and thoughts are a result of desires, we can indeed make up our minds as to what we want.

Sales people, in particular, have ample reason to pay special attention to how we apply the subconscious mind in this respect. If, for instance, we simply want the money and the sales bonus, but don't care much about the product or service we offer, then it will shine through. Our desires affect our thoughts, our thoughts affect our behavior - and this is the key point - our behavior is read by the subconscious mind of the customer (Their mind will read: "insincerity" and "you don't really care, as long as you get your bonus and money".)

The customer may think he or she makes conscious decisions about you and your offering, whereas what really takes place is the projecting of your deepest desires onto them.

Decide NOW what you want! You're already getting what you didn't know you already want.

If you want to influence others - follow these four steps for taking notes and you'll quickly discover an improved flow in communication, mutual understanding and increased power to be persuasive:

(1) Divide Paper in Four

First, before taking notes divide your paper in four areas by drawing a big cross (as explained in my previous blog post). Above the line (the red area), write down keywords for everything that is negative. Below the line (the green area), keep score of every positive statement and explanation.

(2) Differentiate Between Positive and Negative

When you ask the right questions, you'll find that problems (the top red area) are sometimes indirect, i.e. they are connected to or a result of other problems. Make sure to distinguish between the two. The same goes for solution oriented positive statements. Consider this example:

PROBLEM: "My computer crashes on me..." (direct) "...I lose important data" (indirect)

SOLUTION: "...a laptop that never crashes"! (direct) "...keeps my data safe" (indirect)

(3) Balance the Feedback

Persuasion is found in knowing both what bugs people and how they'd like to fix it. Top sales performers spot the difference and always make sure there's a balance between "red" and "green". If the client only provides problems in the "red area", we pull out - through questioning - the flip side of those same problems; the solutions in the "green area". Vice versa, if clients only give us wish lists, then we dig for the problem(s) behind their expressed desires.

(4) Stick to Your Notes When Presenting

Once the other person has clearly and fully explained what's wrong and how he or she would like to resolve the matter, then we present our offering tailored strictly to the bullet points we've written down.

That's an effective way to take notes in a sales meeting - and apply them both in the meeting and for future reference!

When we're taking notes during interaction with a customer or partner, mostly what's being written is downright useless. As a result, notes are rarely used for future reference or stored for long. What does it take to make notes from a sales meeting serve their purpose, and what is that purpose anyway?

The purpose of taking notes can be summarized by asking three key questions. How can we apply notes taking to:

• BE EFFECTIVE
  ...make sure we both listen (live in the present) and write (store for the future)?

• IDENTIFY WIN-WIN
  ...stay focused by gleaning out and visualizing the purpose of the information exchange?

• CENTER AROUND ACTIONS
  ...make sure the interaction results in execution around shared objectives?

Taking notes must remain simple and easy for it to have the power to influence. Here's what you do: Draw a big cross in the center of your page. That leaves you with four basic fields of information - key words only.

Ask yourself: What's the ideal information you put into a CRM system following a sales call? Simply put, it's the information you're left with on your paper with this structure.

If you stick to doing it this way - always - 80% of your purpose has been achieved. The remaining 20% becomes your header and footer. On top you add the date and individuals you spoke with, including data you believe is critical to otherwise remember. Down below you specify every action point you agree on, including a deadline for each one.

Why taking notes this ways works I'll leave for my next blog post to elaborate on ;-)

Taking notes is not a common habit or lifestyle. Taking notes is in fact rarely seen spontaneously among people being trained or even while sitting in meetings. That's very unfortunate - for them - for those sharing their intelligence and energy - maybe even mostly for those not present. Why? ...and what happens when people take notes?

Taking notes is one of many forms of interactive rhythm. Let's just briefly consider three elements of "notes taking" as a subject, and then our own contemplation may help us discover more than what this short post can contain:

(1) Taking notes to improve dialog

When people take notes you can quickly spot a difference in attentiveness and concentration, openness and sharing, innovation and creativity, participation and dialog, involvement and ownership, ability to learn and apply and many other traits crucial to interaction that will lead to change and results.

(2) Taking notes the right way

Learning how to take notes is therefore a major competency few are aware of or ever learn. We take different kinds of notes in different kinds of settings. (My next post will be about taking notes in a sales meeting.). When taking notes is done well, the value increases dramatically and we feel a strong desire to keep them safe from harms way or loss.

(3) Taking notes to extend memory and feelings

Taking care of notes is important for safekeeping of new learning, discoveries*, commitments and maybe most important - the feelings and emotions we have. When was the last time you wrote down what you felt or what impressions you had besides what was actually being said e.g. in a meeting? Can you imagine why that would be important?

Good notes taking extends our memory. Strictly personal notes and the more profound "lessons of life" - I think - should be kept in a journal. Individuals who actively write and keep a journal appear to be more mature. Maybe it is because it leads to a kind of constant therapeutic exercise and self evaluation that's healthy for all of us. It increases self awareness.

So many times we make the greatest discoveries while we venture to write down in words what we just discovered. Spot the pattern of your notes during the past year. Where are they? Do you browse through them sometimes? Are they in a safe place? Will they be available in 5 or 10 years?

(4) Taking notes to influence others

The habit and principle of taking notes will enhance your lifestyle in ways you cannot understand until you actually start doing it. It's interactive rhythm and will - over time - add to your ability to be more persuasive, yes, even charismatic! Without further ado or elaboration, I am today who and what I am, very much because of the notes my closest peers took while I was not there. Consider what your notes may some day do for someone else.

I encourage you to a) carry a notepad with you, b) think through what and how you will write and then c) work on the habit of constantly doing it. Take notes!

* Ideas and discoveries disappear usually as quickly as they appear. Having a notebook handy always is as valuable as the impressions you may want to retain.

O®O is powerful and practical. To illustrate what the 3E dialogs are about, I've put together a number of samples. This first sample is "Finding Rhythm":

1st dialog: Operational

Suppose you've been feeling guilty for not getting regular exercise. At some point you decide to pull yourself together and get back into it. The moment that feeling drives you to actually start running, swimming, biking, walking or other type of concrete action, the first dialog that's been going on for a while becomes visible.

		(Energy triggered from Operational dialog: PASSION)

2nd dialog: Opinional

Once we recommit to regular exercise we may decide to share it with friends that are supportive. This sharing with others leaves you vulnerable as they are getting to know something about your personal struggles. It may feel risky, but it helps you stay on course.

Many of us muster strength to begin something great, but few of us turn good intentions into a lifestyle. One significant way to reach higher commitment is by including other people in our quest. A friend, spouse or colleague may be of great help when you decide to make radical change - even though it may seem very small or insignificant. It is when we commit to another, a group or to the public in general that we find strength beyond our own. Too few of us make use of this!

		(Energy triggered from Opinional dialog: CONNECTION)

3rd dialog: Optimal

Even help and support from others is not enough! When reality hits in, when you're gasping for air, when you're body hurts and when strength is gone most of us simply quit. Maybe not instantly, but over time, let's face it, we give up. Is regular exercise a lifestyle or does it tend to "come and go"? If it's no lifestyle, but rather a haphazard project, then you're not seriously tapping into the third dialog which could be e.g. "finding rythm".

Every successful individual has reached the stage where a distinct pattern reveals itself - over time. It's a kind of rhythm. When you run, you find that running in sync with your breathing helps. That's what we might call a "micro rhythm". A macro rhythm would be your running every day, every other day or even just once a week. Rhythm can be a lot of different things. Most fascinating of all, rhythm is only truly understood by those who keep pressing on. It can indeed be challenging to explain rhythm within a particular field of expertise to an outsider simply because some of it will remain concealed until the two first dialogs are in place!

		(Energy triggered from Optimal dialog: INTUITION)

Each stage is a dialog - internal and external. These dialogs apply to EVERY aspect of life, but in this setting we especially have the perspective and interest of helping sales people improve performance. Staying in physical shape is but an example of principles that apply everywhere.

Each dialog revisited

Once you've been through each dialog, a continuing spiral comes into effect, leading you to revisit each dialog at a consistent basis, but every time in a more profound way:

1. (Revisiting Operational) e.g. building a culture or tradition - pass it on to others
2. (Revisiting Opinional) e.g. becoming inspiring and an example to others
3. (Revisiting Optimal) e.g. innovating new ways to improve

If you want to influence others - either way - energy is where it's at! By default, most of us instantly think of energy as something good and positive. I admit, I also easily perceive it that way. However, energy can in fact be either positive or negative. What happens when we pass on negative energy?

First of all, very few people actually communicate with energy. The majority of us simply don't put forth the effort, which means there's little or no passion present in the first place. Then, when we do apply passion, too often it's the negative kind.

			< Positive Vibes       Negative Vibes >

Of course, even though we may not believe it, negative energy breeds negative results - always! Did you ever try to bring about positive change with negative energy? Of course you have. We all have missed the mark this way. (Trying to "fix" someone or something short term with negative energy only causes greater damage long term. Energy always returns back to us, both the positive as well as the negative.)

To apply passion by way of positive energy requires serious and conscious effort, mostly because it's not natural to do so. In the continuum above, most of us spend our time and strength on the negative side. To get more positive results, make the switch by replacing negative energy with positive energy. In stead of being grumpy, start smiling. When you feel like criticizing, pay a sincere compliment. It's the beginning of becoming truly influential.

Intuition is the ability to act without reasoning AND harvest a successful, sometimes predictable, outcome. Intuition is knowing how to act without necessarily being able to explain why. Intuition can be the tiniest inkling, but at the same time a powerful urge, and when suppressed it will leave you feeling imbalanced and out of place. Intuition is natural talent and can almost have similar characteristics as that of a reflex. Intuition is the principle of personal power in that it belongs to you, being almost like a protective force as well as giving you an edge on your surroundings. Fight intuition and you'll lose. Nurture intuition and you'll grow, you'll learn and above all you'll be victorious.

Is intuition a mystery? Sure it is. But, however mystical it might be, it still remains a fact. There are a lot of things that are hard to explain, but we still know they are real. Intuition is real. You're asking: How do you know, Vidar? Well, I've "tasted" it. I've acted on it, and I've taught others to do so, and do you know what I've found..? Intuition never fails. It's like an inner compass that points out the way and energizes everything we do.

Why is intuition important?

I always emphasize intuition during training sessions. One important reason for this is because intuition frees up talent. Each one of us does things differently. Sales models often specify behavior too much. If a sales model is not focused around generic principles it tends to limit a persons freedom to employ talent - which all of us have in abundance. By focusing on principles, individuals can apply them whichever way they want.

But even in this, intuition is not completely defined. Intuition has the amazing capacity to instantly and without warning also help us discover new principles - while on the go. And beat this; intuition especially uncovers those specific principles YOU have a unique gift to wield in battle. Any one particular "style" may be almost impossible for one person to adopt, but might beautifully fit another, almost like the size of a shoe. This fit usually takes place when two conditions are first in place:

• When we learn what needs to be learned about basics
• When we make a special effort to succeed - we move through frustration and exert ourselves beyond our comfort zone

My advice: Learn from others, but apply that same learning your way! Your inner compass will tell you how.

The past two weeks Lillian and I brought our five kids far away to a warmer climate (...we live in Norway ;-). I left my computer at home and pretty much never touched my PDA or any other technical device. I guess that's good therapy for someone like me.

Yes, we had a wonderful time, but what I wanted to share is how regardless of holidays, sunny weather, money spent, or even the illusion of "more time at hand", none of these can add to what we already and always have with us; daily one-on-one opportunities with the most important people in our lives.

In breaking with regular routines, there was at least one thing we didn't change during our holidays, and that was regular one-on-one time with each of our children. I always spend Sunday evening visiting with them, one at a time. We share anything we feel like talking about. Most of all, it's a time when they know dad will eventually look them in the eye and simply tell them how wonderful and unique they are. Nothing in the world beats that moment of eye contact, calling them by name and sincerely from the heart express: "I love you".

"One-on-one is where the gold is found..."

Equally amazing are the hours immediately following such a prized experience. I can always sense a leap in self esteem and self worth. Conflict, if there were any, is gone. The atmosphere is one of increased harmony. There is a release of unparalleled energy. In my opinion, one-on-one is the single most powerful investment I know of. That's why, even though I have these opportunities every minute of the day, I actually schedule time to create this arena at least once a week. It's just to make sure that it happens regularly. I wouldn't miss it for all the world.

Applicable in all settings

Always remember, relationships are one-on-one. That's how they really grow and sprout. When one individual interacts with another - and it doesn't have to be in a perceived "private" setting per se - this is where the gold is found. This is where we can create mutual value. This is where energy starts and where it has the best beginning.

Keep in mind this principle next time you plan your week and days: How are you going to create effective one-on-one incidents with colleagues, customers and clients, as well as anyone you know you need to build a quality relationship with? If you do, you'll also be more alert and attentive whenever you have unplanned opportunities to nurture such a moment.