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A lost art form: treating people with respect
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Posted on September 15, 2009 by Ari Galper
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Have you ever heard the phrase "There are no problems, only communication problems?"
That about sums up the truth of what may be holding many people back from effectively communicating with others in a deep way, creating trust in the process.
You see, many of us get caught up in hurrying through our day, multi-tasking, putting out fires, relying on emails to "talk" to potential clients, co-workers and family, that we lose sight of the real purpose of our day: to create deep connections with those around us.
There is a big difference between just connecting with someone through a medium (phone, email, SMS), and connecting with people while creating a deep level of trust at the same time.
Where am I going with this?
Creating trust with people in your world requires treating them with respect.
And what I'm about to show you is an example of how trust and respect can be "lost in translation" when we go through our day numb to the fact that we aren't connecting at a deep level with people -- we're just getting through our day.
Here's the story behind the message I'm about to show you.
I have a virtual team that helps me run my Unlock The Game business.
A great group of people who care deeply about the success of our subscribers, clients and members.
But they are human, like all of us, and over the last few months, I've been noticing tension-filled emails being passed among them and sometimes even emotionally-charged responses when they feel challenged by other co-workers.
They seem to have slipped into a comfort zone of focusing on defending themselves rather than creating trust and respect between each other.
So I stepped in the middle of this a couple of days ago and sent wrote a message to all of them about what our purpose is, and why they need to step out of themselves and rise to a higher level of respect for themselves and others.
(I think all of us need a kick in the pants like this once and a while)
My motivation for this was for my team to keep the "Ari culture' alive, as they call it.
This message that I wrote was also inspired by my dad, Dr. Marvin Galper, who I interviewed last week about the psychology of Unlock The Game and why it is the only sales philosophy and program that values trust over making the sale. (Listen to interview below)
Ironically, creating trust and respecting others is what brings you sales and success in this day and age.
I normally wouldn't be sharing an internal company message like this, but it was their idea for me to share it with you.
The result of this message has brought my team back into alignment with our mission of teaching people and companies how to create trust to generate sales success.
I hope the message below and the interview recording of my dad (below that) makes a difference in how you treat others around you.
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"Hi everyone, over the last few weeks I've been seeing emails being passed among us that are not written from the perspective of the Mindset that we teach our UTG members.
Many of us are not "living" the Mindset, meaning emails are being written that are too short to fully understand their meaning, some containing frustration, accusatory tones, and in some cases anger.
This has to stop, permanently.
I have worked hard to create a "pure" pressure-free work culture among us and will not allow anyone to contaminate that.
Most of you work with me because you were attracted to the way I treat you with respect and supportive communication (rare in most companies), and that's the culture I need all of you to commit to keeping among us.
If you happen to be an overly sensitive person who reacts and lashes back with anger when you feel someone is challenging you, leave that at home, don't bring it to work.
Is that asking too much to have you leave your personal issues at home and "come" to work with us in a positive and supportive environment?
I don't think so.
I have days when I'm tired and frustrated because of a lack of sleep or issues at home, but I work damn hard not to let that overflow into communicating with any of you.
And you should commit to doing the same.
If someone writes an email to you that you feel is challenging you or causing you to feel upset, DO NOT RESPOND via email, instead, pick up the phone and speak with them respectfully.
In fact, many of us are using email and skype to avoid calling each other, which is causing us to de-bond (is that a word:)) and de-humanize each other.
Don't we teach how to create trust and make things happen on the phone?
Don't we teach: 1. Diffuse pressure 2. Get to the truth 3. Solve the problem
Shame on us for not being role models with our own program that we teach.
I monitor a lot of the communication that passes between us, to make sure we keep the "Ari" culture permanent.
"When we treat people as objects and not human beings, we dis-respect ourselves."
That is a quote from my dad, Dr. Marvin Galper, that he said yesterday on our monthly QA interview where he was my guest interviewee.
Please take 30 minutes to listen to that interview below.
Then reply back to me with your feedback or comments, so I know you received this.
If I don't hear back, I'll pick up the phone and give you a call to hear your feedback. I practice what I preach.
My hope is that the interview will even inspire some of you to be the bigger person and apologise to others you may have been hard on or reacted emotionally in a response to them, without taking into account the Mindset -- apologising is being true to yourself and it creates trust.
All of you have infinite potential to achieve more than you ever thought possible, and you start tapping into that when you are keenly aware of how others are receiving you.
When you're communication is uplifting and encouraging, you tap into the best of you.
When you're communication is kurt, over emotional, or anger-filled, you close down your ability to attract positive things in your life.
This is as true as fact.
That's it from me, thanks for being in my world and I'll look forward to hearing your feedback on that interview with my dad.
Have a good weekend.
Q&A Conference Call - September 2009
An Interview with my dad, Dr. Marvin Galper
Interested in joining us? Learn about the Unlock The Game Inner Circle here.
To your success,
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From Boiler Room Salesman to Trusted Advisor...
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Posted on August 11, 2009 by Ari Galper
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Picture a typical New York financial advisor calling your home or business
trying to sell you on his services and asking you to hand your money over to
him for safekeeping...would you trust him?
Probably not.
But, what if that same New York financial advisor found himself in the
world of Unlock The Game and made the leap to master the Unlock The Game
Mindset...would you trust him then?
Probably.
Meet Brian Britt, one of our star Inner Circle members.
He crossed the chasm from hard core New York salesman to trusted advisor in less than a year with Unlock The Game.
His story is fascinating.
I love when I find members who are bucking the trends and aren't afraid to say goodbye to old school selling.
I rarely share these interviews with those who have not yet joined our Unlock The Game Inner Circle membership.
But given what’s happening in our economy, I felt that these strategies you’re about to hear, may be exactly what you need to break you out of the “same old, same old” sales thinking still so prevalent in our society.
And, I’m hoping you’ll feel drawn to finally join our exclusive Inner Circle membership, something people would normally expect to pay thousands of dollars for.
Contrarian thinking is the most valuable asset in our new economy, and you’ll hear how Brian leverages that to stay miles ahead of his closest competitors.
Q&A Conference Call - July 2009
Ari Interviews Inner Circle Member: Brian Britt
(This recording begins three minutes into the interview)
Would love to hear your feedback below
To your success,
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Trust in Selling: Fad or Trend? (video below)
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Posted on June 13, 2009 by Ari Galper
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Over the past few months I have received more speaking invitations, calls from companies wanting me to train their sales teams and requests for radio and TV interviews -- than I ever have in the past eight years.
I'm not mentioning this to impress you, but to simply raise the question:
Is Trust in Selling a Fad or a New Trend?
If you've been following me since the beginning, when I created Unlock The Game about eight years ago, you'll know that every email, product and message I have written and made available to my members and subscribers, has been essentially about one core idea:
Master the art of creating trust in the sales process --and sales will come your way without you having to try and "close" anyone.
When I started my mission to spread that message eight years ago, there weren't many takers.
Back then, the spotlight was on all the old traditional sales gurus teaching the same old sales messages.
I won't repeat them since you probably already know what they are.
Fast forward to 2009, there are now over 30,000 subscribers, clients and members of Unlock The Game -- and that number grows by hundereds every month.
Parallel to that growth, I've been growing a second company called Chatwise that takes the trust-building mindset and strategies from Unlock The Game and applies them to online sales conversion using the live chat medium.
For many people who have online businesses, the idea of overlaying the "human touch" on their website -- to boost their sales conversion -- is novel and new.
Because of it, we have a waiting list of new clients who want access to our Chatwise online conversion methodology and expertise.
Point here is, trust offline and online is now "hot" in buisness circles all around the world.
Funny, to me, trust in the sales process both offline and online is as core and as natural as the air I breathe.
Yet, it's "new" for so many people these days.
What's your opinion: Is Trust in Selling a Fad or a New Trend?
Check out this recent TV interview I did last week on the CNN equivalent (Sky Business News) here in Australia:
I'd love to hear your comments about is trust in business a fad or a new trend.
Post your comments below.
To your success,
P.S. Catch me at these upcoming events in Australia and the UK: http://www.BoomingInTheBust.com.au and http://www.Entrepreneur2009.co.uk
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The Kiwi bailiff who says he can't sell ...
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Posted on April 29, 2009 by Ari Galper
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I'm writing to you from the Auckland airport here in New Zealand waiting to board a flight to Wellington.
I've been invited to speak at a 200-person real estate conference where I'll be sharing the big success stories and discoveries our Unlock The Game Inner Circle members have been recently experiencing.
Seems all of a sudden, creating trusting relationships in business is fashionable again.
Trust in selling has been the pillar of what I've been teaching for years...so it's interesting that with the gyrations happening in our economy, business leaders are going back to what always works: creating trust with prospects so they become happily paying customers.
During my flight from Sydney to Auckland, which just landed a half hour ago, I sat next to a friendly gentleman named John who is a court bailiff in New Zealand.
I mentioned to him that I teach a unique system of selling that is being successfully used all over the world and he said to me "Oh, I'm the last person in the world who could ever sell."
I said "What do you mean?" and he said "I just don't have the personality for it and it's just not me."
In my travels I hear this a lot.
So I changed the subject and started asking him about his job as a bailiff out of genuine interest.
He shared that his responsibilities include collecting unpaid fines issued by the courts.
Apparently, there are lots of people who have "forgotten" that they were fined for doing something unlawful (i.e. speeding and other minor infractions) and they are overdue on their debt to the court.
John continues to tell me that he spends his day driving to these people's homes, knocking on their doors, introducing himself and asking them to make good on their debt.
"I go unarmed and without backup to some pretty seedy areas of town", he said.
"Wow" I said, "that's pretty brave, what do you say when they open the door and see you?".
John preceded to share with me his approach to creating a connection, building trust and getting them comfortable with paying off their debt.
And he says he doesn't know how to sell!!
What you're about to read is his "sales approach" to how he gets these folks to trust him and give him the money they owe.
If you find yourself battling with letting go of the old traditional way of selling, you'll find this refreshing and insightful.
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John told me that when they open their front door, he says "Hi, my name is John and I'm with the county court's bailiff office and I'm hoping you can help me out for a moment?"
He continues to tell me that he waits until they respond with "Yes, what can I help you with?"
Then he says, "I've got an issue that I'm hoping you can help me solve. You're late in re-payment of your fee to the court and I'm certainly open to any ideas you might have as to how we can resolve this together."
WOW.
I asked him, what was his thinking behind his approach, and he told me, "My goal is to build a connection with them at the human level. I don't want to intimidate them or come across like someone who only cares about collecting their payment at the expense of their current situation. I want to be a facilitator to helping them solve their problem. I care about people, and if you approach them in a non-confrontational way, they usually treat you with respect and work with you."
As I was listening to him describe his mindset as to how he approaches his "clients" as he calls them, I felt like I had found my long lost brother :)
He was articulating his thoughts about creating trust in an eerily similar way to how I teach my Inner Circle members to approach new potential clients in the sales process.
I asked him what his success rate of collecting the fees were, and he says he is the highest "performer" in the office.
WOW again.
Of course I then asked him if he would like to work for me :), but he said he still would have no idea how to sell anything!
Fascinating.
Someone who views himself as not a "sales person" is selling in a trusting way to help his clients solve their problems...and he is doing it with grace and elegance.
Grace and elegance are two words you'd be hard pressed to find in traditional sales books and CDs.
Why can't most business owners and sales people think like John?
Here's the reason: because they have only been exposed to one way of selling, the old way, with the main goal of "closing the sale" -- instead of creating trust.
That sort of thinking is what created the whole negative "sales person" stereotype in the first place.
The world has changed around us.
And if you're still selling the way you did before the world changed, you're asking for a mountain of frustration.
Now is the time to clear your mind, break away from the way you've been "trained", and join our Inner Circle of business people and sales people who refuse to treat people as "targets" for their own gain.
Your comments are always welcome below.
To your success,
P.S. Not a member of our Unlock The Game Inner Circle? Join us here
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Lessons from Pearl - my 96yr old grandmother - the ultimate business guru
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Posted on March 31, 2009 by Ari Galper
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I'm just getting on a plane for my second leg of my twice-a-year trip back to the US.
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Grandma Pearl and me at my sister's wedding last year
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This week, I'll be spending a half-day in Michigan with a private client who hired me to train his sales team on how to convert more prospects to customers using Unlock The Game.
The second half of the day will be spent with his live chat "sales" team, who have been trained using ChatWise , our proprietary sales process for converting website visitors into qualified leads and sales.
I rarely take on private clients these days, primarily because of the travel involved and the sense of loss that I feel when I leave my home, waiving goodbye to my wife Michelle, sons Toby and Nathan, and our new beautiful daughter Jaime.
There's always that tug-of-war between wanting to be home with my family so they feel the stability I can provide, versus going out to the business world to share my expertise and knowledge to help others become successful.
The latter slowly taking a second position to the first.
Later this week, I'll be in Cleveland with my executive team, meeting with Dan Kennedy as part of his Platinum Mastermind group.
The entrepreneurs in that group are some of the sharpest in the world, which continues to compel me to fly to Ohio each year.
And of course, Dan's insights on how to think differently when the majority think the same, is certainly compelling enough to make the trip worth while.
Then on Saturday, I'm meeting with Perry Marshall at his home in Chicago to brainstorm our businesses together to see what "out-of-the-box" ideas we can both come up with.
Despite all this business "jet fuel" coming my way this week, the highlight of this trip, and all my trips, are the two days I spend with my 96-year old grandmother in San Diego, grandma Pearl as we call her.
Grandma Pearl is battling with knee pains, blood issues and a lack of energy - but despite that, her mind is sharp as a tack, especially her business mind.
She and my grandfather used to own a store in Boston that sold freezers, which came fully stocked with frozen meat. That was their way of adding value to a commodity product.
That was over 50 years ago.
I asked her this weekend how she compares her memories of the Depression with what's happening in our economy today.
Her answers are rich in wisdom, rivaling even the most well-known business gurus dispensing their advice for a fee.
I'd encourage you to read her answers a few times, think about them, then let them fill you with confidence and inspiration for our future.
What's your opinion on our current economy versus what you experienced during the Depression?
"Well, I can remember those days pretty clearly. Luckily your grandfather and I always had food on our table to feed us and your father - that was primarily because of our idea of being in the "meat business" even though we sold freezers.
I remember seeing bankers standing in their fancy suits at street corners selling apples. But now I'm seeing bankers without a job using their Apple computers to carve out a new life for themselves looking for jobs on the Internet.
We never had the Internet back then Ari, and that to me is one of the major differences that will separate this economy from what I experienced back then.
The Internet opens someone in their living room to global resources and opportunities never ever imagined back then. But of course, it will only be the resilient and open-minded business people who will profit from those opportunities."
(Ari's note: Grandma Pearl doesn't own a computer and she has never seen a website. She reads a lot.)
Can someone become successful and wealthy during economic trying times like this?
"Look Ari, there are millionaires made in good times and in bad times.so the lesson there is the "times" have nothing to do with it.
The folks out there who get caught up in all the negativity that is dispensed by the media are the ones who can only see fear and not opportunity.unfortunately that is most people.
If you're going to read the news, it's important to read it separating yourself from it. Read it as an observer only, not as someone who is subject to what they are reading.
Read between the lines and look for the silver lining, because behind every negative news story is a turnaround success story waiting to happen. Everyone loves a come-back success story, but many people aren't willing to put in the risk and hard work to create one of their own.
My advice is to follow business leaders who are unphased by the current conditions of the economy and most importantly, run from the ones who solely blame the economy for their businesses not doing well."
What are some tactical strategies a business person can do to protect their most precious asset: the happy paying customer?
"Always add value to your customer's experience with you, rather than cutting the cost of what they are paying to be your customer.
The other day our van took us to do some shopping at the grocery store. After putting a few items into my basket, I brought the items to the cashier to pay for them. Next to the cashier was a stack of coupons that clearly were marketing coupons designed to bring in new or existing customers into the store.
I wasn't really sure why they were sitting on the cashier's counter in plain sight of already paying customers in the store, which I was one of.
After the cashier rang up my items, without even saying anything, he reached for the coupon, swiped it under his scanner, and I automatically got a 15% discount off of everything I bought.
That made no sense to me.
If I was the owner of that store and saw what just happened, I would have fired the manager of the store for leaving those in full view of paying customers who were ALREADY in the store.
I'd also fire the cashier for not having enough common sense to question the manager on the reason why customers should get an automatic discount, even if they were perfectly happy paying full price.
Conventional thinking would be that the cashier gave me a discount to make me happy so I'd come back and shop there again. Certainly, to a certain extent, that may make a difference for some people.
But on the flipside, that's just giving a way hard earned revenues for absolutely no reason at all.
The smarter thing to do, would have been to incent me to come back and spend MORE with them by offering some kind of promotion to bring me back in more often.like maybe giving me tickets to meeting a local celebrity if I spend at least $50 next time I'm in the store.
As I said before, always add value to your customer's experience with you, rather than cut the cost of what they are paying to be your customer."
For business owners struggling in this economy, what's your advice to them?
"The biggest challenge they really have is being willing to put a mirror in front of themselves and saying 'What elements of my business can't I see that are fundamental to me losing a customer?'
It's so easy to blame the "economy" for a business falling apart because there's comfort in people saying 'It's not your fault, you just got caught up in the economy like everyone else.'
Closely examine what it takes to help a customer buy what you have and you'll see where you're true opportunity lies.
Do you remember when we tried to go to that restaurant last night that supposedly was struggling because of the "economy" and we couldn't find any street parking near by.so we left and went to another restaurant instead?
They have a parking problem which could easily be one of the reasons why they have an "economy" problem.
The little things matter to keeping customers coming back. The people who think from the customer point of view will always prevail in the long term.
(Ari's note: Grandma Pearl is hanging in there, despite her age -- and I can't wait to see her again on my next trip, hopefully in August.)
To your success,
P.S. Not a member of our Unlock The Game Inner Circle? Join us here
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Will it work for me?
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Posted on March 10, 2009 by Ari Galper
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My Path of Discovery by Graham Shipway
My journey towards actually acquiring Ari’s program was a long one, however the results that I saw once I applied the principles were instant.
The journey all began due to my initial search on things related to direct response marketing so that I could attract more clients into my business, no matter what business I was doing. So I joined various forums, newsletters, purchased many books and courses in the field of marketing.
Yet, even after I studied a lot of stuff on marketing, I just wasn’t happy with what I was reading. It keep hitting my sensitive ‘Sales Person Nerves’. It seemed to have that consist air of trying to make me someone I wasn’t as well as continually focusing on closing, closing, closing the sale. Build trust so that you can close them at the end.
That for me just wasn’t right. So my search continued for something that was more suitable, had more integrity and made more sense. I needed something different. Then my internet search under the search word of –“Selling on The Phone” took me to Ari’s website.
I love to analyze things and over analyze things and make sure I know what I am getting into. I recognized Ari’s face from a presentation he had done, however, I wanted to know for sure what he was really about. So I decided to give him a call.
I was totally shocked. Ari actually answered the phone. He himself answered the phone number off his website. (I know he can't do that much any more due to the sheer size of his business, but it will never be forgotten). Not only did he answer the phone, we also had a fabulous conversation in which he never once pressured me, he listened to my situation, we discussed how I could apply the Unlock The Game program to my situation and he was simply there to provide me with information.
I truly felt that he practiced what he preached and was able to generate that trust with me. I chatted with him one more time late one night and then that was the deciding moment. I thought if he is “prepared to chat with me at this late hour then I am prepared to at least check out his program.”
What Made UTG Different
After getting into the program I started to see why it was so powerful. It had a lot to do with how it perceived the sales process and the notion of TRUST. A lot of the material I had been looking at on how to build trust so that you could CLOSE the prospect at the end of the process. Yet what made UTG different was that it was all about building trust, building trust and then building trust to the point of having a long term relationship with that person, not to close them.
To me, that was the big difference I was looking for and what I needed to be able to do, particularly in my line of business.
The Mindset’s Impact on my Business
For me it is hard to separate where I stop and where my business finishes. I love what I do and I truly desire to help more people. I am already so grateful to Unlock The Game and the program for all that it has done for my mindset. I haven’t been with the program that long, however, it has helped me relax a lot more and not worry about getting sales anymore. Although it wasn’t an instant change and was more of a gradual shift in my thinking and as I shifted into a new way of being, I felt comfortable that I now had the tools and methods of how to relate to people with more genuine integrity and a peace of mind that the sales would just naturally come from my new found ability to generate trust.
I think of my clients more as people with who I want to have a relationship with whether it is on on a personal or business level. Before, I was much more focused on solely the financial relationship I could develop with people and that is where I was going wrong. Thus, I was feeling guilty about the relationship and in effect also not making more sales. Now, my thinking has completely changed.
It is no longer about the financial relationship with people. It simply comes down to my belief as to whether or not I have done the best I could to solve the clients problems. If they want to continue the relationship further by buying more things from me then so be it. As Ari said in the program, taking pride in the problems that you solve for people is so important and was so powerful for me to cement the new mindset in my thinking. Your self-worth shouldn’t be based on how many zeros there are in your bank account, but how many problems you can solve for people.
With the UTG languaging I now have the power to sift through and pick and choose which clients I want to deal with and communicate better what exactly I can do for them.
Building Trust - Can I Help You With That?
We all know the old sayings and expected reply lines to – Can I help you? -No Thanks, just looking!
For me being able to bring UTG languaging and a feeling of trust back into retail was paramount. So from the moment a client walks in I try to do everything I can to build trust. Many of the phrases that I use to do that have all come from Ari’s program and it is such a comforting feeling that no matter what happens I have the tools to build trust with people.
Before I might have attempted to do it, but lacked the languaging to demonstrate that I really cared. It gives me much greater confidence knowing that I am achieving that level of trust with people that I am aiming for.
I always keep in mind that people never want to be sold to and I try to keep my languaging a reflection of that. If I approach a client I might simply say either one of two things-
-“Have you been to us before?” Or
- “Hi there. Sorry to interrupt. Is everything making sense so far?”
These simply phrases allow me to see where people might be at in their purpose for coming in and also allow me to position myself as a resource but NOT as someone that is going to follow them around the shop pressuring them.
Connecting at the Heart Level with Patients
When you are an eye doctor it is so important the patient feels that you really care about them and their well-being. Not pushing something in their faces was so important and the ability to show that I care gave me what I think is a gift- an ability to connect at the heart level. That is what I love about all those recordings of Ari’s. I know within myself that even if people don’t buy from me, if they see that I genuinely care and can express that, they will eventually refer people to me that might be a fit for what I have to offer. I make sure that I am always the first to tell people if what I do have is not right for them. Contact lens are a huge source of residual income for all eye doctors, however I will never suggest it to someone who wouldn’t be a good fit for them and by doing this I believe I am acting out of integrity, honesty and true care for the patient. This goes for all the products or things that I might have on offer.
Conversely if I do think something might be of benefit for them I am able to adeptly say things like-
-“Would you be open to a looking at trying contact lenses?”
-“Would you be open to trying a different way of correcting your vision?”
Naturally due to my level of trust and my mindset that I have in these situations I am generally always welcomed with a-
-“Yeah, I would be open to that.”
It is never just the languaging that gets the results, it is always how I mentally approach it and I believe that that does come across.
Applying The Mindset to Conflict Resolution
The UTG languaging is powerful in all areas of life. I have never liked conflict, however I have a new found confidence around handling both disgruntled clients and even problems within my personal life.
The UTG languaging allows me to defuse all types of pressure and truly open people up to maybe see things a different way. Nobody is perfect but when we approach a complaint or conflict with a humble, apologetic and open mindset no matter how upset the other person can seem, generally all situations can be resolved to some degree. It is your willingness to create that trust and reopen the dialogue that takes the relationship back to a healthy place.
Even on a personal level when conflict has arisen in the family that I haven’t felt comfortable about, I have used phrases such as-
“Hi, it’s me here. Would you be open to discussing what happened last weekend? I’m not here to tell you off, I just want to talk through things slowly.”
And even,
"I’m not pretending that we can resolve anything, but let’s just have a bit of an informal chat and see where it takes us.”
These kinds of expressions have done wonders to reopen people to establishing dialogue again. Even if I am in the wrong, if I am prepared to swallow my pride, use the right terms and the right tone of voice it really does soften people.
Words of Encouragement and Support for Members
For those who are just beginning or even those getting close to mastering the Mindset, there are some common themes that I have found that have come out of my own personal journey.
The first thing is that mastering the Mindset concepts is something that is a work in progress for all and doesn’t happen overnight. You must have patience with it and allow it to become part of who you are. Once you see success, and you will, it will give you the motivation to explore it deeper and become better crafted at it.
Secondly you must be willing to immerse yourself in the Mindset and also adopt it. It isn’t a form of manipulation but a way of being with people. You need to be comfortable with that. It needs to be part of your subconscious mind, so that you are not only saying it but believing what you are saying.
Finally, practice it. Practice it with your family and stick with the program. Don’t give it up because you think you have ‘got it’, the journey into the mindset is never ending so stick with it and make the effort to always go deeper.
The ability to connect with people is what makes all the difference.
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P.S. Not a member of our Unlock The Game Inner Circle?
Join us here
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It's A Girl!
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Posted on February 22, 2009 by Ari Galper
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Just a quick thanks to you, my subscribers, members and clients (now over 37,000 and growing) who have sent through your best wishes for our new daughter Jaime Raquel Galper. She was born last Thursday happy and healthy -- and Michelle my wife is also doing well. Toby and Nathan are very excited about their new little sister.
Thank you again for your kind words.
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A cry for sales help ...
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Posted on February 17, 2009 by Ari Galper
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Just a couple of weeks ago, I was invited into a large corporate
headquarters of a brand name company which I'm sure you've probably heard
of.
(In respect to the folks I met there, I won't mention the company name.)
I was invited to meet with the Sales Training Manager and his staff
because they were interested in seeing if Unlock The Game could help their
sales team performance.
Apparently the "economy" was affecting sales and they were looking for a
different sales approach.
I don't usually wear a suit these days, since I mostly work from my office
-- above a bakery -- just a quick three minute walk from my home here in
Sydney, but I thought it would probably make a better impression if I
dressed up rather than come in my usual attire: shorts, shirt and sandals.
...So I put the suit on.
But since the kind of person that connects with Unlock The Game is usually
someone who is actually doing the selling, rather than someone managing
sales people from a spreadsheet or training room, I wasn't about to set my
expectations too high.
But off I went to our meeting to see what they had in mind.
The receptionist at the front desk was kind enough to walk me to the
conference room as I waited to meet my hosts.
As I sat there alone, I couldn't help but to notice how sterile the room
felt.
Just a white board and some white walls.
I'm sure you've been in a meeting room like that at least once or twice in
your career.
After a few minutes of waiting, my hosts came in and began to introduce
themselves.
I of course briefly said who I was and then began by asking "Can you tell
me a little about your situation?".
That's the question I always ask when I'm meeting with someone new. (Tip:
that question is one of the opening phrases I teach in my Inner Circle
program. It does wonders for opening up the conversation around issues that
might be on the other person's mind).
The head honcho, the Sales Training Manager, a quite serious guy, started
to talk about the make-up of the sales force, the consolidation of different
departments and a history of the sales training the sales force had been
exposed to.
It was the usual suspects.
The sales team had been through SPIN Selling and Miller-Heiman training,
typical traditional corporate sales training that most large companies have
adopted over the years.
I asked, "So what's the issue with SPIN Selling?"
The Sales Training Manager began explaining that his sales team was really
good at asking questions to their prospects, but the answers they would get
back were at best, "half-truths".
Half-truths, hmmm, this was starting to get interesting.
He went on to say that their prospects were reluctant to open up to the
sales people because they didn't trust that the questions being asked were
for their benefit, but rather only for the sales person's advantage.
A lack of trust, now this conversation was starting to get even more
interesting.
Then he mentioned that his sales team uses account management sheets from
Miller-Heiman, where they're supposed to write down the details of all the
players in an account along with strategies of how to move the sales process
forward.
The problem with that, he said, was the information they were putting on
the sheets were getting sparser and sparser all the time, because they were
getting less and less quality information from their conversations with
their prospects.
Are you starting to see a trend here?
My gut was telling me, they don't have an "economic" problem
affecting their team's sales performance, they have a TRUST issue that was
the real reason their company was losing ground in their marketplace.
And I told them exactly that.
I went on to say that they've trained their people over the years to be
such by-the-book sales people, that they've lost the ability to connect and
create trust with their prospects at the human level.
When I said that, they just sort of sat there frozen, looking at me like I
had just said something they knew to be true deep down within themselves,
but were afraid to tell anyone about it.
This lack of admission and insight is so common in most companies today,
it could almost be called an epidemic.
I proceeded to explain to them why their corporate training programs were
quickly losing their value and what they needed to do to revive their sales
team and put their company back on the map.
Here's what I told them:
1. Begin by recognizing that your people have become so
"strategic", they've lost the ability to be completely present when
their potential clients are talking with them.
They aren't LISTENING!
They're trying to, but since the "next step" has been so drilled into
their minds by all the traditional sales training they've been through,
their trying to move the conversation forward rather listen without a hidden
agenda.
Listening without a hidden agenda is a core principle we teach to our
Inner Circle members.
2. Be willing to buck conventional thinking. Rather than start
by having your sales people ask a series of obvious questions designed to
get their prospects to admit their problems, enter the conversation ALREADY
knowing their core problems and begin the conversation with a "problem
statement" in words that come from their prospects, not from your corporate
brochure.
How do you know those problems ahead of time? You ask your current clients
what are the 3 to 5 core issues that went away after they bought your
solution.
They tell you in their own words what their problems were.
Asking questions designed to fish for a prospect's problems just doesn't
cut it in our new economy.
(Actually, I remember when I was a training developer for UPS about 10
years ago, some of the sales people had the same issue, probing for problems
without being able to articulate them at the beginning of the conversation
only got them B.S. answers.)
3. Record and listen to the conversations that your people are having
on the phones with your prospects.
I bet you'll hear a lot of rejection, abrupt conversations ending quickly,
and lots of "pitching" and boasting going on about how great your products
and services are.
You probably won't hear too many in-depth conversations about the issues
their potential clients are having and a willingness for their prospects to
open up and tell the truth of how deep their problems really are.
In other words, for many of your sales people, it's over at "hello".
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Before I could conclude all of my thoughts I had wanted to say, they said
they were very interested in rolling out Unlock The Game to their sales team
and wanted a proposal to do that asap.
I could see I struck a chord in their thinking and they were beginning to
see me as the guy who may have the answer they were looking for.
I told them I would send them something in a few days, we all shook hands
warmly, and I headed back home in a hurry so I could get back into my shorts
and sandals.
A few days later, I sent over a brief proposal.
The same day they received the proposal, I heard back from the Sales
Training Manager that they are just going through a re-organization and will
need to put the proposal on hold.
Even they were afraid to tell me the truth.
To your success,
P.S. Not a member of our Unlock The Game Inner Circle?
Join us here
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Your Success Mindset Stimulus Package
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Posted on January 27, 2009 by Ari Galper
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As I'm sitting here at my kitchen table reading the newspaper, I'm turning the pages as fast I can to avoid reading any headlines about the status of the global economy.
I'm actually looking for an inspiring and uplifting article, but no luck.
A friend of mine, Alexandria Brown, recently made a very poignant point about the news media: they're a for-profit-business, not a public service.
They know that fear sells and they exploit that to the extent that they can, cancelling out any news that would be encouraging and helpful to others.
Only reporting fear-based “news” without mention of good things happening in the world suppresses hope.
That's why I figured I'd take the initiative to create a "Success Mindset Stimulus Package" for you!
I've put together 7 Success Mindset Boosting Strategies for you to absorb and think about to help you fend off the negativity being churned out by the news media.
Here you go:
1. Shut out as much of the “news” as you can!
It’s all around us, I know, but that doesn’t mean you can’t discipline yourself to proactively decide not to turn CNN on when you get home from work or to just change the dial on your radio to pure music rather than the news.
You see, our minds are like tightly woven nets, they capture everything that we put into them. So if we dump broad-based negative news into our minds every day, it dramatically cancels out the majority of the good news and information that we already have stored in our minds.
The most successful people I hang around with spend their time reading materials that help them NOT think like the status quo.
They read inspiring stories of people and businesses that are flourishing in these economic times, despite the general trends.
Don’t become part of the general trend.
Draw upon the strength of your own mindset to create your own success.
2. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and have arrived at a "place" you want to be
Are the people you spend your time with talking about things that are out of their control that seem to be affecting their lives? Or are they talking about different ways of making the best of their situation or working on re-inventing their situation?
As far as I’m concerned, if you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backwards.
Become ruthless about the people you let into your world that influence your thinking.
Be around and follow successful people who have arrived at where you want to be or are on the fast track to getting there.
3. Look inside yourself and develop what you’re best at
We all have natural talents that we were born with. Those are the talents we need to develop.
I’m not a big believer in working on your “weaknesses”.
Sometimes being to “well-rounded” takes away from who you really are.
It’s not about being good at everything. It’s about being great at what you’re best at.
If you have a natural talent that you’ve put on the backburner for a while, maybe it’s time to take it out and start letting the world know about it.
4. Follow the business leaders that aren't using the economy as an excuse for poor performance
This continues to amaze me. Here in Sydney we have a high-end department store called David Jones.
The other day the CEO of David Jones was saying that the downturn of his company is solely based on the change in the economy.
Here’s the funny thing, I was in one of his stores last week looking to buy some clothes, probably was going to spend up to $500.
As I’m walking around the men’s section, none of the sales people approached me to ask if I needed some assistance....which I actually did!
When I looked around for someone, I could see a few of the sales people talking amongst themselves completely IGNORING the customers around them.
I left the store and bought nothing.
They don’t have an economy problem, they have a SALES problem. Yet the CEO conveniently blames the “economy”.
Sure, there is an impact from economic changes, but not to get down to the “ground level” and see the TRUTH of what’s happening in his own business is grounds for firing him.
5. Spend 10 minutes each day in a peaceful bliss "between your thoughts"
Limitless potential lives between the rapid thoughts that pass through our minds each day.
If you aren’t spending a few minutes a day in a quiet spot, being at peace with yourself, in a quiet meditation, you’re limiting your ability to create limitless opportunities for yourself.
It’s an almost magical experience being able to not let your “background thoughts” take over your thinking...meaning when you can find a few minutes of bliss each day, amazing things can start happen to you that you never thought possible.
I’m as pragmatic as they get, but I know that being at peace with my thoughts is what keeps me grounded each day.
The universe has a way of bringing things to us when we tune into the vibration of something larger than ourselves.
The same awaits you.
6. Recognize money moves and doesn't disappear
Money is being spent all around the world, every minute of the day.
A portion of it is no longer visible through the shifts in our economy, but that doesn’t mean that lot’s of folks aren’t spending it.
They key is to look at your business and the market that you serve to find the niche within the niche that is spending money and serve them well.
Re-examine your target market, and go deeper into that market to find the true problems that they are willing to spend money on to solve.
7. Keep a humble and open mindset
If you’re humble, that means you’re open to challenging your belief system.
If you’re not, that means you’re holding on tight to the way things “have always been”.
Learning to “let go” means that you are opening your mindset.
When you open your mindset, you arrive in a place where you’re ready to grow and prosper beyond your wildest dreams.
To your success,
P.S. Not a member of our Unlock The Game Inner Circle?
Join us here
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How To Take The Bull Out Of The China Shop ...
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Posted on January 14, 2009 by Ari Galper
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If I had a dollar for everyone who asked me this question: “Does Unlock The Game work if I’m not purely cold calling?” I’d probably have thousands of more dollars to donate to charity.
Of course the answer to that question is a resounding yes.
But rather than start charging for that answer every time someone asks me that question, I thought I’d illustrate it to you by giving you a “kick in the pants” real-life example for the new year.
Below, you’re going to get a “sneak peak” into how one of our Inner Circle members mines his most precious asset (often ignored by many) -- old clients no longer doing business with his firm.
He’s using Unlock The Game very successfully not just for calling new prospects, but for bringing old and often ignored relationships back to life.
So many sales people and business owners are so focused on winning new clients that they often ignore the long-lost client who used to do business with their firms.
And since most traditional sales programs fumble the relationship recovery process, old clients are usually ignored.
Additional profits that could have been made, completely wasted.
I call it a lack of elegance and grace in the way in which traditionally-trained sales people have been taught to nurture a relationship that has been ignored over time.
In many cases, what the traditionally-trained sales person does in this situation is call back the old client and give them a “sales pitch” about the company’s new services and products.
Ouch.
Talk about a bull in a china shop.
This doesn’t happen in our world, especially for our Inner Circle members.
Why? Because they understand the impact a single word can make on reinvigorating a past relationship and the power that a pure Mindset (free of “closing techniques”) has on the value of that relationship over time.
Meet Brian Britt.
An Unlock The Game Inner Circle member for only about six weeks.
(Yep, he chose to invest in himself BEFORE he bought presents for others under the Christmas tree, and now he’s reaping the benefits).
He works in the battered financial industry and has been traditionally trained in sales his whole career, until he joined us.
What you’re about to read is his story (my comments in bold), his exact languaging, and the Mindset he has learned from his involvement with Unlock The Game over the past few weeks.
Things to look for:
- Notice how each word he uses is not salesy (his Unlock The Game coach helped him create his wording for this scenario) and no sales pitch about what he has to offer
- Notice the reaction of the clients, no push back, but instead a warm embrace and a willingness to do business again
You won’t see this happening in any traditional sales programs.
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Hi Ari,
I have some results worth mentioning to you. I inherited a few accounts from some financial advisors that have recently left my firm. My approach was totally different than normal. I usually introduce myself and launch into an infomercial about what I do. (The “sales pitch” method is exactly the approach that burns, not builds relationships)
This time, I used your Mindset that you teach I your program. I was humble in my approach and tone and started by asking the client if they were struggling with how much value their accounts had lost in this recent market crash? (Notice he enters the conversation with THEIR problem, NOT his solution.)
The flood gates opened and they told me everything they did/did not like about their experience with their former advisor.(Here these clients immediately began sharing the TRUTH of their situation).
When they were done, I asked them if they would be open to some different ideas around identifying any gaps in their portfolio that might have magnified their losses in this recent crisis.(Another beautifully said, no pressure “opening phrase” crafted with the help of his Unlock The Game Coach).
Everyone said "of course" and most people started moving ME towards the appointment! (This is what happens when you master the Unlock The Game approach, prospects/clients gravitate peacefully to you).
At the end of one call with a gentleman who had been a client of the firm for many years, he said that he really appreciated the call and thanked me for taking the time to understand his issues. (Imagine being genuinely appreciated for attempting to reinvigorate a relationship? This happens all the time to our Inner Circle members and it feels great, sure beats rejection!)
He then said that he felt like I knew more about him than his previous advisor ever did. (This is EXACTLY what the goal of a sales call should be, for the other person to feel UNDERSTOOD by you. You can’t get that kind of reaction if you’ve only been exposed to traditional selling).
I couldn’t believe it because I really did not know that much about him from my 10-minute call, but from his perspective, I understood who he was and what was important to him. (This happened because Brian has immersed himself into the Inner Circle materials and has implemented everything he has learned so far.)
Next week I revisit my cold calling routine for the first time in 16 years. I made over 300,000 dials in the first 3 years as a stock broker and had great success. It was purely a numbers game and we intentionally stayed disconnected from the person on the other end of the phone to make the rejection easier. In the Unlock The Game world, that will be a relic of the past.
Thanks,
Brian
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Selling doesn’t have to be painful or disheartening. You can make plenty of money by selling without sacrificing your soul in the process.
If you’re not a member of our Inner Circle yet,join us here, so you can make this your best year ever!
To your success,
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