Change your Medication = Change your Results...

Studies have shown that winning the Lottery is bad for both your health and wealth...

In fact the more money you win, the more likely you are to commit suicide or end up bankrupt – or maybe both. Think about that when you buy your next ticket – there should be a health warning on the back... 

Why is this…?

Money and success doesn’t change a person it simply Amplifies who they already are. 

As Abraham Lincoln famously said “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character give him power…”

We have been educated in an Industrial Age economy; have been taught to work 2000 hours a year broken down into convenient chunks of 40 hours a week with two coffee breaks and a lunch break thrown in.

A Mortgage – which literally means “contract until death” – has been sold as a good idea; it becomes a shackle that ensures continued compliance with the Industrial mentality. We are encouraged to take out credit for cars, TV’s and life’s apparent essentials using cash that never existed in the first place, to pay for goods that bind us to the very system that “success” would enable us to escape from. 

At the same time we are sold the dream of the perfect body, the Bugatti Veyron, the Chanel Bag and the ideal life partner with whom we will have 2.4 perfect children.

It is a double whammy; on the one hand we are conditioned to work in an Industrial Age, wage dependent economy, and on the other we are tempted by government organised lottery schemes, success marketing and motivational gurus towards a Utopian life of freedom, independence and abundance...

That which we are dependent upon controls us...

Because people are dependent on wages to pay the mortgage, they stay put and are good worker bees, allowing them to be controlled and manipulated by employers, advertisers and the people they associate with. They become dependent on patterns of behaviour that validate everything they have been taught...

Of course they don’t say they are being manipulated – they just behave in a way that is consistent with how they would if they were…

Injecting freedom, independence and huge amounts of cash to someone who has been indoctrinated into this ideology, is a recipe for disaster – simply put, they cannot cope with it, they are not ready for this level of success, and they crash and burn.

It is the subconscious mind putting them back to their programmed comfort zone, getting rid of the “toxic” situation they have found themselves in - it's as if they are hitting the "system restore" button - they are simply reverting to the manufacturers original settings...

As in the Matrix, everyone wants to take the Red Pill and escape to the “real world”, it is the subconscious, and its effect on behaviour, attitude and beliefs that eventually ensures they get plugged back into the Industrial Age matrix from which they came, safe under the canopy of Blue Pill acquiescence. 

This self-sabotage is happening all around us... 

The same happens in business, I see people with amazing skills, passion and purpose who cleverly avoid the potential for success by self-sabotaging themselves and those around them such that success is never really an option – they can stay warm and safe inside their comfort blanket of mediocrity, safe in the knowledge that the adversity which they have been conditioned for will continue. 

They are still able to glimpse at the parallel universe of wealth and riches through the purchase of a Lottery Ticket, or the business idea that was never carried through, or the book they bought and never read.

So how can we fix this..?

Get yourself “Red Pill” ready…

Get prepared for success, become the person who is able to cope with the freedom and independence that success brings – make it your comfort zone and the industrial age mind set your discomfort zone...

Here's what worked for us... 

Clear the debts - reduce the dependency… 
Choose a “purpose” – be clear why you are going to do what you do…
Lose your friends – or at least the ones that hold you back… 
Learn – new skills and mind-set… 
Stop watching TV – that is simply a Blue Pill in disguise…
Take Action – stop procrastinating and get on with it… 
Hang Around – with like-minded people only… 
Stop It – with the self-help books and motivational quotes... 
Start It – by planning and making the change to become success ready… 

Reduce your dependency on Industrial Age artefacts, let go of that which controls you and take action to become “Red Pill” ready, then you can stop playing the Lottery and get on with your amazing life..

Check out more information about Results Rules OK - www.resultsrulesok.com  

Which Three Friends should you Fire...?

I am fortunate to have many friends, some I have known for years, others I am just getting acquainted with – but all of them have an effect and the ability to change the way I think, and all them are here for a reason...

Friends in Need...

 

The first three friends I want to introduce you to are those that I met as a child. They were introduced to me by my parents and would show up unannounced on a Sunday afternoon just before dinner, or on a Thursday or Tuesday morning before I left for school.

They had been friends of the family for years and brought gifts with them each time they visited. Alcohol, Tobacco and Codeine were their favourite although Caffeine, Chocolate & Roter Tablets made frequent appearances too.

When they visited us, it would end up in a row, they always seemed to overstay their welcome; I remember sitting at the top of the stairs listening to the arguments they caused, flinching when my name was mentioned and searching to put sense into the conversation.

When they finally left, the world kept turning and another day dawned, life carried on and nothing much changed; their prophecies of doom continually shown for what they really were - meaningless reflections of anger and regret...

As I grew older, the relationship with these three friends became closer, more familiar and increasingly abusive. I began to recognise them at school, through TV reporters, Soap Opera actors and the tabloid press.

They surrounded and suffocated me, and whilst initially I never knew when they would show up, however, as their visits and visibility became more frequent, I became able to predict their arrival with certainty.

They would regularly show up, either individually or in a group, at around 03.15 in the morning, waking me with chatter and noise, keeping me alert until sunrise when finally they submitted to sleep induced fading. 

I made them welcome and invite them to stay, make them Tea, or Toast and a Bagel, engaging in dialogue and discussion – the addictive melancholy of soothing of voices in distress.

These friends are called Fear, Worry and Doubt…

Friends in Deed...

The next three friends I want to introduce you to are those I have chosen to seek out, they are aloof and haughty; careful of who they associate with and transient at will. I first met them in books, paintings, poems and songs; they hinted at a different life full of possibilities and potential.

They were introduced to me by Lynn, my wife and best friend, who takes them with her wherever she goes, illuminating my otherwise darkened path.

They appeared to me in speeches and posters, in records at College, in the Pub and even on the train from Ponders End to Liverpool St. They live in the Green Belt, the Stars and the Moon, they thrive in obscurity and are mocked, ignored and despised by some. 

Although we may be dazzled by the light that they promise, their traces and whispers can be seen in our deepest desires and the obscure hope that tomorrow will be better - but these friends arrive by invitation only...

I have now discovered I can make them appear at will; I can invite them round for conversation and discussion. They come when I want and allow me to sleep, affecting my dreams their memories to keep.  

They bring with them gifts of abundance, potential and laughter. They bring the sunrise and the sunset, chilled Champagne and purpose with passion; they give meaning to adventure and the continued promise of fulfilment. 

They are, however, hard task masters and their continued presence depends upon the compulsory action that has to be taken towards the future they promise; in their shadows lurk the others ready to replace them should they be disappointed and we allow them to evaporate into the ether from which they were created.

These friends are called Love, Success and Opportunity…

The Choice...

There is an old proverb that suggests that there are two Tigers in our minds. One is the Tiger of Love, Success and Opportunity; the other is the Tiger of Fear, Worry and Doubt.

They are locked in a fight for control of our emotions, and the question we are asked is simple – which one is destined to win…?

The answer is simple too – whichever one we choose to feed…

Choose your Friends Carefully; they could stay with you for Life...

Thanks for reading - David.

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Luxembourg 18^th September – LINK

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The only Straight in the Village; listen carefully…

I was passed a Referral from a colleague at a regular networking event, she told me that the prospect was really looking forward to meeting me and was expecting my call…

 

I called, booked an appointment and attended what would turn out to be a transformational meeting. Turns out that I was being invited to be the Business Coach for a large and dynamic Gay Nightclub in the centre of the city – it was well known and very high profile.

This was new territory for me and I have to admit feeling a little uncertain about entering this world; as a married man with two sons, this was going to be interesting…

We agreed a Program and got started – and got working on how to make the business more profitable. 

The Night Club was located at the heart of the Gay Village, and as the character in the series Little Britain was known; Daffyd – the only Gay in the Village, I became known as David – the only Straight in the Village.

Over time, I got to know the Team well – they were a colourful mix of creative, passionate individuals who really knew what a good night out looked like, and they were some of our favourite clients – Lynn and I even held our 21^st Wedding Anniversary Party there complete with Snakes, Exotic Dancers and Rock Band; the story of Jackie the shoes and the “door whore” is for another time…

Lynn and I attended the Gay Pride Ball and got to know some of the best people we have ever had the privilege of working with – if I had known as a teenager that straight girls go to Gay bars so they get left alone, I may have changed my nightlife choices…

So my life and professional experiences expanded. I became used to seeing the guys wandering round in costume, learned why Vaseline had to be smeared lightly on all flat surfaces in the washrooms (drop me an email for the reason – and it is not what you’re thinking…), and most importantly, came to like and respect people whose lifestyles were totally different to mine.

Scroll forwards from the UK to Las Vegas…

We had the opportunity of moving to Las Vegas for Business. I arrived first and stayed at the delightful Hampton Suites for a few weeks whilst getting a house and car sorted out.

The car was easy – a huge Ford Expedition was purchased, and we still have it even though it is now in the Moselle Valley in France with us…

The House was a bit more difficult; Las Vegas is a big city with a population of nearly 2 million, choosing not just the house but the location was going to be a challenge, and I needed advice. I was referred to Steve, a Realtor (Estate Agent) and met him at the Blue Martini Bar, in the Town Centre area just off the strip.

He was originally from the deep south of the USA and had a pronounced “drawl” to his accent which when combined with the noise of the Bar, made conversation a little difficult, but here is an excerpt from our conversation;

Me – “so what area of Vegas would you recommend for property..?”

Steve – “somewhere like Summerlin or Henderson would be just fine, just make sure you go for a “gayded” community…”

Me – “really, a gay community…?”

Steve – “yes sir, you will need to be secure in Vegas, there are some real bad people out there…”

Me - "will they allow us to live there..?"

Steve - "yeah of course, this is Vegas man, you need to be careful..."

So you can kind of see what happened here…

In the noisy bar he had suggested that I look for property in a “Gated” Community, but with his accent I heard “Gay” community. Fair enough, I thought; perhaps my experience as the only Straight in the Village would come in useful after all.

On the 'phone I explained to Lynn how strange Las Vegas was, and that we would need to live on a Gay Community; but at least the parties would be good...

Off I go to ReMax - Realtor – and sit with Helen who specialises in Rental Properties in the Summerlin area of the city. She asks me what I am looking for so I give her the list;

Four Bedrooms, Triple Garage, Pool & Spa – and of course it must be in a Gay community…

She looked at me and I can tell what she is thinking – crazy limey. She explains that they don’t actually have Gay Communities in Las Vegas; the proverbial penny began to drop…

We ended up moving into a fabulous Gated Community in Summerlin, Las Vegas, and I also learned to improve my listening skills…

And the Moral is...

The moral to this story is to remember that when communicating with people, make sure they actually receive the message you intended them to - whether it is written or spoken, non verbal or visual; you may not be sending out the message you thought you were.

They will filter what they hear based on what they know and have experienced, not what you know and have experienced - always best to check for real understanding...

Is Dating Clients in the Black Country a good Idea..?

When we lived in the USA a good friend of mine, Michael Kiick would compare Franchising to being “a marriage not a date…” referring to the long term relationship that buying a Franchise entails rather than a short term single purchase of a service…

 

Selling anything, whether it is a product or a service requires a relationship of knowing, liking and trusting – we need to be careful how we approach the process. 

 

Don’t Date your Clients and Prospects….

 

When I first started in Sales it was selling packaging materials to industrial users in the Black Country – to the West of Birmingham, across the M5 for those who don’t know the region. 

Back then the Black Country was like Beirut, but without the amenities…

If you think yours is a tough business, try selling cardboard boxes in Quarry Bank and Gornal; We were based beside the Saltwells Pub where there was a meat raffle and a stripper on Friday lunchtime – no further comments please…

The first piece of advice I was given was “don’t go and be having sex with your clients…”

For those of you that know the industrial landscape of the Black Country, you will also know that there are very few attractive opportunities to have sex with anyone whether they happen to be clients or not…

Clearly this advice was given on the basis that someone had actually slept with one of the clients; this sort of advice only comes from bitter experience – welcome to Sales…

Selling is NOT Dating…

There are rules to Selling as there are rules to Dating; they are different…

Rule 1 – Testimonials.

Selling – You will need testimonials from previous Clients. We need to trigger “social proof” such that the prospect will believe that because others have had a good experience with you, they can expect the same.

Dating – You definitely do not want your date to speak with your ex. Your history and past conquests are of no interest here and should be avoided at all costs. This includes photo's, letters, text messages and Facebook comments.

Rule 2 – Getting Screwed.

Selling – in the sales relationship there has to be a genuine Win: Win. The value of the money transacted between the parties must be less than the perceived value of the service or product delivered, and definitely no one should get screwed or even feel that they have been.

Dating – getting screwed is perfectly acceptable here; in fact it is the primary focus of the relationship in the early stages. Whilst the novelty may wear off as the relationship develops, it is still acceptable, even if it happens only at weekends.

Rule 3 – Closing.

Selling – the sales ritual may involve dinner, lunch, telephone calls and text messages after which there will come a time when a deal can be “closed” work can begin. If the prospect objects or says NO, it doesn’t mean no it simply means “show me more value in order that I can agree to the deal”. The more value and expertise you display the more likely you are to close the deal.

Dating – the dating ritual also includes dinner, lunch, telephone calls and text messaging, after which time there is the potential for “taking the relationship to the next level”. Here, when either party says NO, they absolutely mean it and it is your cue to leave. The more expertise you display here is not only inappropriate but will likely get you arrested.

Rule 4 – Referrals.

Selling – when you do a good job with a client and they are happy with the service you provide it is perfectly acceptable to ask for introductions, referrals and testimonials to enable you to attract additional clients. The principle here is that you enjoy working with them so much that you’d like to work with more people just like them, and these are people they will probably know.

Dating – I tested this out. Lynn and I have been together for 34 years. I asked Lynn if she was happy and that our relationship was strong and mutually supportive, she confirmed that it was. So I invited Lynn to introduce me to three of her friends, giving me a written testimonial regarding how great I am and take a phone call from them if they had any questions.  Simply put, it didn’t go well, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Rule 5 – In Laws

Selling – it doesn’t matter what his Mother thinks of your or what her Father says about you. What matters is that the Client gets great value, and at some level we help them look good and get better results. We should have a single point of focus in the relationship and that is simply to deliver outstanding value on a consistent basis – that alone will be the basis for a long term mutually profitable relationship.

Dating – it does matter what Mommy and Daddy think. Whilst negative feedback can actually strengthen the bond between two people, sometimes parental influence can break the relationship. Furthermore, it can be important that both sets of parents like each other, further confusing the relationship.

Rule 6 – Reciprocation

Selling – Money is the currency of the relationship, and Value is the commodity we are trading. The more value we deliver the more we can expect to get paid; in business Revenue and Profit is simply the barometer by which we measure the amount of value we deliver, they are a symptom. If you want to make more money, simple; deliver more value.

Dating – don’t try this. If after a special evening you wake up and make breakfast in bed for your partner, that is a great move, if however you leave a £50.00 note on the bedside table as a reward, it is likely not to be taken so well – see one of my previous Blogs about Hooker Bookers for more detail. In relationships the currency is Love and the commodity is Friendship and Respect.

Summary

There are similarities between dating and selling – it is the differences we need to be aware of..

Selling involves both Logic and Emotion. Usually people will justify their emotional decisions with a logical reason - for example...

“Why did you buy a Ferrari 458…?”

“Because it doesn’t depreciate…”

No you didn’t, you did it to look cool and pick up girls – but guys don’t admit this...

Selling = Emotion x Logic

We need both to make the sale, build them both into your Sales process and you will close the deal, remember the currency is Money and the commodity is Value...

Dating = Emotion x 10

There is no explaining Dating – crazy things happen when the emotions take over, and that is why the approach has to be different.

Finally, to all the great people of the Black Country - thank you for getting me started in Sales, I am hopeful that your legendary sense of humour is still in tact...

I look forward to receiving your comments and thoughts. Check out our Events Schedule by clicking HERE

Have a profitable and enjoyable week...

Go ahead - Make my Day; a Sudden Impact...

It is now 09.27 on Friday 2^nd August 2013 here in the Moselle Valley.

At 10.30 precisely a client of mine will be test driving a Jaguar F Type sports car at the Jaguar Land Rover Dealer in Trier, just over the border in Germany.

He chose this car as one of his goals back in January, he has transformed his business – August will be the best month he has ever had – so he booked the test drive.

Trier is about 1hr 20mins away from us, so yesterday I rode my bike (motor not pedal, I love my clients but there is a limit…) over to Trier, looked up the Jaguar Land Rover Dealer and wandered in…

I found a Sales Advisor, who fortunately spoke English – my German doesn’t extend to explaining what I was thinking...

Standing next to the fabulous V8 Sports Car, I explained that I’d like to arrange for a gift to be presented to my client when he arrived for his test drive – today at 10.30… 

This idea struck a chord with him and he quickly agreed to join my little scheme…

I went to the local supermarket and bought a bottle of Champagne, had it wrapped, too it back to the dealer with instructions to present it to my client when he arrived for his test drive. Today is a big day for him, I have seen the work he has put in to get this far, this is a day to remember…

As I went to leave, he saw that I was riding a Harley Davidson Night Rod Special – and he explained how he rode around California & Nevada for three weeks on a bike. Turns out that this was while we were living in Las Vegas, in fact he had been to Las Vegas and our had paths literally crossed in the Nevada Desert back in 2009. In fact he had been to Red Rock Harley Davidson in Las Vegas - where I bought my bike...

Also in 2009 in the Nevada Desert…

Last week I had an email from a friend of mine in the USA Mr Gene Page, in response to a Blog post that I had written. Gene and I met in the Nevada desert in 2009 too. He was stranded in a broken down Land Rover, and we were able to raise help and make sure he was “rescued” from the Christmas Tree Pass

Gene was the still photographer for the Movie Piranha 3D which was being shot at Lake Havasu, where London Bridge was transported to in the 1960’s – you can see some of Gene’s work by clicking on the LINK.. Don’t let the fact the Kelly Brook was the bikini clad star of the movie in any way persuade you...

Christmas Tree Pass is a gravel road that runs between Laughlin and Las Vegas, it is in the middle of nowhere and the temperatures in Laughlin have been known to reach 125 degrees – you really don’t want to be stuck out there.

We stopped and helped – Gene would have done the same for us and I’m sure most people would, but we took the opportunity to not only help, but to connect. Gene is mentioned in my book and, I have warned him that he will be appearing in the Blog too. 

Goosebumps…
So Gene, myself and the German salesman were in the Nevada desert at the same time, the salesman sells Land Rovers and Gene was driving one – or rather wasn’t  – now my client in Germany is test driving a Jaguar Land Rover and will be handed a bottle champagne by the biker salesman who was in the Nevada desert at the same time I was with Gene. 
Synchronicity… 

I have no idea what the effect will be when my client shows up at the Jaguar Dealer and receives his Champagne, we had no idea that we would connect with Gene in the middle of the desert – what I have come to learn is that the World for those who reach out is really small and interconnected, taking a minute to make someone’s day really does change the world for the better.