Rules for Winning Trials or Tough Situations
Excerpted from Robin Sharma’s Discover your Destiny
Rule# 1: Remember that life is a series of seasons. Every human being will have to endure the harshness of a few winters in order to get the glory of best summers. Never forget that winters do not last.
Rule# 2: Join the Hope Club. Big, beautiful and seemingly impossible goals are superb vehicles to keep you inspired. Da Vinci said: “Fix your course to a star and you can navigate any storm.” When you are reaching for great and noble goals that speak to the best within you, your desire to reach them will pull you through the tough times that you will encounter along the seeker’s path.
Rule# 3: Keep in mind, at all times, that we grow the most from our greatest suffering. As we go through it, it hurts. But as we move through it, it also heals. When a jug of water falls to the floor and cracks, what was hidden within begins to pour out. When life sends you one of its curves, remember that it has come to help crack you open so that all the love, power and potential that had been slumbering within you can be poured into the world outside you.
Rule# 4: Failure is a choice. Nothing can stop a man or a woman who simply refuses to be kept down. The book – The Go-Getter is very helpful on this point. Just make a decision from the center of your heart that, no matter what happens to you, you will keep walking the authentic path. Doing so will ensure you a life of real success.
Rule# 5: During tough times, there is a tendency to let go of yourself. As you encounter adversity, have the discipline to maintain your routine – get up early, do your holy hour, eat very well, exercise, spend time with nature. And make sure that you do all you can to keep all four of your central dimensions – the mind, the body, the emotions and the spirit – in fine operating order.
Rule# 6: Feel your feelings. When you are facing hard times, some people will tell you to “just think positive thoughts.” Such advice is not helpful. While living in the past is unhealthy, one must not rush to reframe a so-called negative event as a positive one. Doing so will throw you into denial. Feel through the feelings of hurt, anger or sadness that will naturally surface. It’s okay to be with them. Processing through them allows you to release them. Just don’t get stuck in them. The key is really to strike a balance.
Rule# 7: Remember that, no matter how hard things get, you are never alone.
Friday 4 April 2008
Know thy enemy: Understanding the tactics
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not your enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. -- Sun Tzu's "Art of War"
In this post, I'm going to try to identify a salesperson's tools, why they work, and what you can do to defend against them whenever you're going to make a purchase.
These aren't tricks or scams. They are solid sales techniques that have been proven to work. I won't go over outright scams, like bait and switch -- just the ones that are generally honest and good tactics.
While reading this, remember one truism: Salespeople need to eat. They will try their hardest to sell you something and they will persist if you give them any reason to believe a sale can be made. Being polite is one thing, but being honest and forthright is better. If you've decided not to buy, make it clear and salespeople likely will understand. If they don't, they won't be in sales for long. If they do, they'll be thankful and move on to someone who will turn into a commission check.
Becoming your friend
All salespeople worth their suits will try to build a rapport, try to get into your comfort zone, and ultimately try to become your friend.
The key to business is building relationships and networks. Business owners build relationships with customers, and customers come back and are more trusting, right? Would you buy from a random store or one in which the owner has shown an interest in your well-being? Certainly the latter. This practice extends to salespeople. By building a relationship, they know that you might not buy right now, but when you do buy, you're more likely to do it there.
Here's what you need to do: Become a friend but don't drop your guard. The goal of any businessperson, even if she or he is becoming your friend, is to close a sale and earn another dollar. You can take advantage of this by asking for discounts today in return for promises of future business and positive word of mouth. "If you help me out and knock off a few bucks, I'll be sure to tell all my friends to shop here."
Yes leads to more yeses
Studies have shown that people who are in a "yes" frame of mind are more agreeable. Salespeople use this by asking you a bunch of yes questions in the hopes that they prime you to agree to a sale. Sometimes the questions are ridiculously obvious. "Do you want something that lasts? Something with a brand name?" Sometimes they're not so obvious. Don't confuse primer questions with legitimate questions about your needs.
You should answer everything truthfully because some questions are information-seeking. Just remember that some salesperson psychology is going on here.
Making you wait
This always happens at a car dealership. You test drive a car, you start talking numbers with the salesperson, and then he or she has to get a manager to review the numbers. He or she leaves for what seems like a while, then comes back and says the manager is on the phone. Then the salesperson starts up an unrelated conversation about weather, what you like to do, her kids, etc. The manager might show up or disappear for a while.
Sometimes the manager is honestly busy, and sometimes they're trying to tire you out by making you wait. People make mistakes when they're tired. The salespeople are hoping your guard lowers a little more with each passing minute. It's also another opportunity for the relationship-building to continue.
If you have to wait more than five minutes for a manager, get up and leave. If you feel tired and drained, get up and say you want to sleep on it because you are tired. Firmly shake hands, ask for a business card, say thanks and walk away. You should never make a large capital purchase without reviewing the paperwork with at least two people you trust, and certainly never do it if you're not 100% clearheaded.
Special offer, today only
I talked about this when I got a quote on windows, and again when I got a quote on carpet. It's the "special offer" price that's good only for the next four hours. Or the next day. Or a week. Whatever the case, they cut a few percentage points off the price in order to get you to sign right now. They're creating a sense of urgency when none exists.
The deal is not a special offer and will be valid for at least a week if you ask. Once they recognize you aren't going to bite on a deal that "expires in 10 seconds," they aren't going to insult your intellect by insisting on it. If they won't extend it a week, walk away because it won't be the best offer out there. I think it's unreasonable to ask for a month because prices of raw materials fluctuate, but it can't hurt to ask.
The sample close
I forgot about this great tactic until savingfreak reminded me about it. This is when they say something along the lines of "if we were able to do this, this and this, would we have a deal?" A close cousin of this is when the salesperson says, "What would I have to do to win your business today?" With the first version, they're trying to guess what roadblocks you may have and overcome them right off the bat. If they guessed wrong, they're hoping that with the second question you reveal what is preventing you from signing so they can try to address it.
When they ask, tell them what you want and tell them everything you want. If it sounds unreasonable, that's OK. Don't ever give up something without asking for it first. For example, if you need $500 knocked off the price, 12 months of 0% same-as-cash financing, and for it to be leather and not cloth -- say so. You never know until you ask, and you don't want to say $250 off and then feel compelled to sign when they make it happen.
The handoff
Some people are good at buttering people up, some people are good at explaining technical details, and some people are good at closing deals. The handoff occurs when it appears that you aren't going to buy. This is a last-ditch effort when they bring in the big guns -- a VP or a sales manager --to "solve your problems."
The salesperson will usually tell you that he or she wants a manager to speak with you. Don't bother arguing, because chances are the salesperson could be fired for never employing this tactic. Just say "OK, but I need to leave in five minutes for (something)." At the very least, you can give the salesperson an excuse he or she can give to the boss if needed.
The few tactics I outlined are tried and true methods that have sold a lot of things to people. There is much more to sales, such as identifying the benefits of products, being persistent, working hard. But these are the tactics that can turn an otherwise level-headed buyer into a foolish one. I suspect that you've encountered one, if not all, of the tactics above, so please share your experiences. I'd be interested to see if there are any that I missed.
In this post, I'm going to try to identify a salesperson's tools, why they work, and what you can do to defend against them whenever you're going to make a purchase.
These aren't tricks or scams. They are solid sales techniques that have been proven to work. I won't go over outright scams, like bait and switch -- just the ones that are generally honest and good tactics.
While reading this, remember one truism: Salespeople need to eat. They will try their hardest to sell you something and they will persist if you give them any reason to believe a sale can be made. Being polite is one thing, but being honest and forthright is better. If you've decided not to buy, make it clear and salespeople likely will understand. If they don't, they won't be in sales for long. If they do, they'll be thankful and move on to someone who will turn into a commission check.
Becoming your friend
All salespeople worth their suits will try to build a rapport, try to get into your comfort zone, and ultimately try to become your friend.
The key to business is building relationships and networks. Business owners build relationships with customers, and customers come back and are more trusting, right? Would you buy from a random store or one in which the owner has shown an interest in your well-being? Certainly the latter. This practice extends to salespeople. By building a relationship, they know that you might not buy right now, but when you do buy, you're more likely to do it there.
Here's what you need to do: Become a friend but don't drop your guard. The goal of any businessperson, even if she or he is becoming your friend, is to close a sale and earn another dollar. You can take advantage of this by asking for discounts today in return for promises of future business and positive word of mouth. "If you help me out and knock off a few bucks, I'll be sure to tell all my friends to shop here."
Yes leads to more yeses
Studies have shown that people who are in a "yes" frame of mind are more agreeable. Salespeople use this by asking you a bunch of yes questions in the hopes that they prime you to agree to a sale. Sometimes the questions are ridiculously obvious. "Do you want something that lasts? Something with a brand name?" Sometimes they're not so obvious. Don't confuse primer questions with legitimate questions about your needs.
You should answer everything truthfully because some questions are information-seeking. Just remember that some salesperson psychology is going on here.
Making you wait
This always happens at a car dealership. You test drive a car, you start talking numbers with the salesperson, and then he or she has to get a manager to review the numbers. He or she leaves for what seems like a while, then comes back and says the manager is on the phone. Then the salesperson starts up an unrelated conversation about weather, what you like to do, her kids, etc. The manager might show up or disappear for a while.
Sometimes the manager is honestly busy, and sometimes they're trying to tire you out by making you wait. People make mistakes when they're tired. The salespeople are hoping your guard lowers a little more with each passing minute. It's also another opportunity for the relationship-building to continue.
If you have to wait more than five minutes for a manager, get up and leave. If you feel tired and drained, get up and say you want to sleep on it because you are tired. Firmly shake hands, ask for a business card, say thanks and walk away. You should never make a large capital purchase without reviewing the paperwork with at least two people you trust, and certainly never do it if you're not 100% clearheaded.
Special offer, today only
I talked about this when I got a quote on windows, and again when I got a quote on carpet. It's the "special offer" price that's good only for the next four hours. Or the next day. Or a week. Whatever the case, they cut a few percentage points off the price in order to get you to sign right now. They're creating a sense of urgency when none exists.
The deal is not a special offer and will be valid for at least a week if you ask. Once they recognize you aren't going to bite on a deal that "expires in 10 seconds," they aren't going to insult your intellect by insisting on it. If they won't extend it a week, walk away because it won't be the best offer out there. I think it's unreasonable to ask for a month because prices of raw materials fluctuate, but it can't hurt to ask.
The sample close
I forgot about this great tactic until savingfreak reminded me about it. This is when they say something along the lines of "if we were able to do this, this and this, would we have a deal?" A close cousin of this is when the salesperson says, "What would I have to do to win your business today?" With the first version, they're trying to guess what roadblocks you may have and overcome them right off the bat. If they guessed wrong, they're hoping that with the second question you reveal what is preventing you from signing so they can try to address it.
When they ask, tell them what you want and tell them everything you want. If it sounds unreasonable, that's OK. Don't ever give up something without asking for it first. For example, if you need $500 knocked off the price, 12 months of 0% same-as-cash financing, and for it to be leather and not cloth -- say so. You never know until you ask, and you don't want to say $250 off and then feel compelled to sign when they make it happen.
The handoff
Some people are good at buttering people up, some people are good at explaining technical details, and some people are good at closing deals. The handoff occurs when it appears that you aren't going to buy. This is a last-ditch effort when they bring in the big guns -- a VP or a sales manager --to "solve your problems."
The salesperson will usually tell you that he or she wants a manager to speak with you. Don't bother arguing, because chances are the salesperson could be fired for never employing this tactic. Just say "OK, but I need to leave in five minutes for (something)." At the very least, you can give the salesperson an excuse he or she can give to the boss if needed.
The few tactics I outlined are tried and true methods that have sold a lot of things to people. There is much more to sales, such as identifying the benefits of products, being persistent, working hard. But these are the tactics that can turn an otherwise level-headed buyer into a foolish one. I suspect that you've encountered one, if not all, of the tactics above, so please share your experiences. I'd be interested to see if there are any that I missed.
Thursday 3 April 2008
Humour : Different types of Marketting - Extended Version
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and say: "I am very rich.
"Marry me!" - That's Direct Marketing... "
You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a
gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and
pointing at you says: "He's very rich.
"Marry him." -That's Advertising. .."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and get her telephone number. The next day, you
call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich.
"Marry me - That's Telemarketing. .."
You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up
and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour
her a drink, you open the door (of the car)"Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations... "
You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks
up to you and says:"You are very rich!
"Can you marry ! me?" - That's Brand Recognition. .."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you
a nice hard slap on your face. - "That's Customer Feedback..."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she
introduces you to her husband. - "That's demand and supply gap..."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and before you say anything, another person come
and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she
goes with him - "That's competition eating into your market share..."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your
wife arrives. - "That's restriction for entering new markets..."
her and say: "I am very rich.
"Marry me!" - That's Direct Marketing... "
You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a
gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and
pointing at you says: "He's very rich.
"Marry him." -That's Advertising. .."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and get her telephone number. The next day, you
call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich.
"Marry me - That's Telemarketing. .."
You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up
and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour
her a drink, you open the door (of the car)"Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations... "
You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks
up to you and says:"You are very rich!
"Can you marry ! me?" - That's Brand Recognition. .."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you
a nice hard slap on your face. - "That's Customer Feedback..."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she
introduces you to her husband. - "That's demand and supply gap..."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and before you say anything, another person come
and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she
goes with him - "That's competition eating into your market share..."
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your
wife arrives. - "That's restriction for entering new markets..."
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