3E

Publication of 3E 30th of Sep

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:47:34 GMT

The count-down has begun. On Thursday the 30th of Sep at 18.00 GMT+1 at Klosterøya in Skien you can sign up to attend what I believe will be the most exciting 45 min training session you've ever experienced + get a signed copy of the 3E book. If you'd like to participate online, this too is possible.

"The 3 Energies Behind Sales Success" has the following message on the back of its cover:

Success a Bi-product of Excellence

In one form or another we all want something in life. That something or someone is how we tend to define success. However, success or what we get is only a bi-product of excellence. In other words, whenever we succeed it was because we reached an excellent or superior position in relation to what we want. Something happened that attracted the desired outcome, and that something is excellence. Therefore, what we really want is excellence; a state of mind or condition that naturally turns every surrounding force or person into an ally.

Excellence on Three Levels

The essence of excellence is effective communication on three levels. These three levels or energies dramatically affects your influence. We can influence people and circumstances, but it is by how we change ourselves that our capacity to influence increases. This will help you become a better spouse, father, mother, friend and neighbor. In short, 3E will not only enhance your sales talent, but also make you a better leader.

Sign up now!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Intelligent Action

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:08:04 GMT

Did you ever work on something you knew deep inside was a waste of time? Or maybe it seemed important there and then, but long term it proved to have little impact? Sure you have. I certainly have. It happens to all of us, and to a degree it's good we've been there to know what it feels like. It's not a good feeling, is it?!

Let's pinpoint something that's definitely not good. For analytical purposes, let's simplify our working hours and divide everything we do into three categories - in general:

Low impact - casual work effort (80%)
High impact - planned structural labor (20%)
Dramatic impact - great discomfort and pain (0%)

Let's define the two first categories to begin with, and then look at the last one that's suffering.

Low impact, i.e. "the casual work effort" comes to us all by itself. There is no need to plan or look for it. It's the list of tasks that the world assigns to us just to keep our head above water.

High impact, i.e. "the planned structural labor" is the result of conscientious planning. It's the list of tasks we assign to ourselves to make sure we are reaching our goals.

80/20 Is an Excuse and Self Fulfilling Prophesy

Most of today's workforce spend 80% of their average time in low impact activity and 20% in high impact activity (yes, you've probably heard it before - 80% bring in 20% of the results and vice versa). However, these first two categories are dominant because it's what is expected of us, and sadly enough it's what we expect of each other, in total. That's why it's a well known pattern, but our own fault. Sad thing!

Of course, sometimes we do not work at all, but are on the phone with friends and family or are taking care of private matters. In this simplified analysis we class them as interruptions and we've left them out of the picture completely, as these activities are necessary to provide balance to our lives.

Taking Intelligent Action

We can, however, live and work more intelligently by taking a few simple steps. You see, if we want to move away from brainless living to take intelligent action, it will take a little more than just planning.

Moving beyond planning is done by taking regular time-outs to creatively think through our main objectives from a birds eye perspective, both individually and as a team. We do this by asking the basic WHAT, WHO and HOW questions to discover the stuff that will have dramatic impact on your business. These questions are so basic, they will bring you to the heart of the matter. Inevitably, you'll find that the suggested activities will mostly bring you "great discomfort and pain". In other words, you'll only do them if you are truly passionate about what it is you do. But, here's the magic: If you start doing them they will inspire Passion and more Intuition - a continuation of the process.

Surprisingly enough, if we listen to our intuition and act upon it, most of us know exactly what needs to be done, especially if you foster an atmosphere of openness and sharing. Silence and pausing is OK. But not only OK, reflection is extremely valuable. People need time to think and contemplate. Also, the more we act on intuition the stronger its guidance will become.

In Practical Terms

What really will make a difference is raising the bar by engaging everyone in a regular ongoing dialog to create a consensus aiming for a higher standard. For instance you might say; "Let's work smarter, and if smarter, maybe a little less..." Ask: "What will it take to make a dramatic difference, rather than a big difference, for which we're aiming right now?"

And where do you find the time to take such a time-out? By stealing from low impact activities. Typically I counsel our clients to get together during a Friday lunch or late Friday afternoon. That's where you'll usually find low impact activities, and a time-out like this usually is considered as fitting anyway. As a contrast, I would not typically engage in this type of dialog on a Monday morning. You probably see why..?

Thus, the real work is: 1) putting ideas down into writing and as measurable activities that will hold us accountable for results next time we meet and report, and 2) helping each other actually doing it - before we get "that other stuff" done which is less important, and really doesn't matter that much.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

The Kind of Motivation That Works

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:11:52 GMT

Today I watched an excellent clip produced by RSAnimate based on a talk by Daniel Pink. It describes some of the essence behind The WHY Questions: How people are driven by autonomy, mastery and purpose, rather than money when the task at hand is complicated, when it requires conceptual and creative thinking.

I recommend watching this 10 minute video. There's not a dull moment - promise!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Networking? That's why!

Mon, 31 May 2010 16:51:35 GMT

Networking has taken on a new dimension the past few years. That's why it's time to ask a couple of serious questions. WHY should you nurture and build the people in your network? WHAT is important to the people in your network? WHO is important to you? HOW can you tell whether or not a person in your network is worth your trust and effort?

Only five years ago it was a lot easier to spot a true networker. These days, everybody is somehow into it. With the exploding social media everyone is connecting with friends, family and business associates. This however, does not mean that we're all networking networkers. Far from it!

A "networker" is someone who is genuinely interested in building value for the people he or she interacts with. The most basic trait of a skilled networker is someone that completely abdicates self interest by constantly asking: "What can I do for this particular individual - right now".

A networker thrives simply by giving, offering excellent service without pay and can keep going without expecting anything in return - ever. That does not mean a networker is not paid. All research indicates quite the opposite. However, if that someone - while seemingly giving - secretely harbors an objective or hidden agenda of getting more than giving, then that sought after reward will remain missing. There is something magical about true, sincere and honest intent!

Before Facebook, LinkedIn and all other networking solutions I kept my network of contacts in a spreadsheet with thousands of key people. For obvious reasons I no longer maintain contact information and current status updates manually like this. (And if you do, you're wasting time. Today's paradigm has moved towards "everyone updates their own information".)

WHY

So, why network? There are many reasons. The most obvious one is "because networking is a lifestyle, and it's the right thing to do". Right thing? Yes, people who care will find people who care. People who don't care will soon find themselves alone. To me that sounds like an irrefutable law to prove its validity and eternal principle. But there's another reason why sincere networking is so powerful: "Because it's smart". With a big network, you'll find that almost any task becomes much easier. There's always someone who knows someone that has what you need.

WHAT

The tricky part in networking is what. The reason being, offering people what they need is being flexible to take a time-out and help people as the need arises. That, as you know, is hard, simply because everybody has a hectic schedule. In my experience, the people who want to help are better at this than those who do, but don't want to. "Intent counts more than technique (Quote: Mahan Khalsa)."

Even more important, I'd say, is looking for opportunities. A good networker will respond to needs, reactively. On the other hand, an excellent networker proactively seeks to create opportunities to create value for others. He or she asks effective questions to uncover needs, connects people that overlap in purpose and effort, and maybe above all - follows up to make sure it went well. So many people create value, but when left without follow up, they miss reciprocity, which almost always appears in some form or another when you're seeking to finish what you started.

WHO

Who's important? That's easy. Everyone is. I'm serious! When interacting with humans you simply don't separate between important and unimportant. You may have a pressing need to speak with someone, but that doesn't make that single person more important or noteworthy than anyone else.

I often encounter people who obviously are too much occupied with title, rank and/or position. Over the years I've learned an important lesson. Hear it from me: First of all, people are of equal value and if you don't really believe it, you'll act accordingly and sooner or later it'll catch up with you. Secondly, but that's only nice to remember, you never know who's who in a few years from now. One quick example:

I once spent several hours helping a young man who was working for a small insignificant company. They had no budget and nothing to offer, it seemed. Because I was responsible for our companies' policies and because I did care, he received all the help he needed. One year later he contacted me again, this time as the CTO of a major corporation. As a result of my previous investment in time and effort we now partnered up and did BIG business.

HOW

How do we know if someone is worth our trust and effort? First, like I said, everyone's worth an effort. What about trust? Do you really want to know who you can trust? The answer is obvious. Whoever does and lives by the above mentioned characteristics:

People who care because they care - without any thought of reward (WHY)
People who offer to help when it's not convenient (WHAT)
People who treat all people alike (WHO)

Be a networker, but make sure to rise above the crowd. It used to be like that. It still is!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

The Crying Engine

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:27:37 GMT

Clients, just like small children and toddlers, have a crying engine that sometimes needs to run for a while before we reach the heartier matters - the stuff that really makes a difference and that defines customer needs. It's not necessarily logical, but it certainly is psychological.

Did you ever witness a child crying for a long time? And then, when you offer your comfort and help, the child is simply unable to stop crying for quite a while. Even several minutes after the crying has "officially" stopped, the child is still experiencing periodic and uncontrolled sobbing. This phenomenon is what I refer to as "the crying engine".

Do You Remember?

Of course, we've all been that child who cries, too, haven't we? Think about it; just how does serious and deep crying feel? Are you able to recall the feeling?

When you're crying that intensely and that long the hurt is deep down. It's almost as if it slowly moves down from head and tears to the heart and chest. So much so that it starts aching and kind of stiffens your chest. Then, to bring yourself out of it again the pain needs to return the same way up. And it just takes time, doesn't it?

Crying Remains the Same

What does this have to do with influence and sales?

Grown-ups are experiencing much of the same feelings in many ways. We may not frequently let it all out in as easily a recognizable pattern as public crying, but the process and the pain is exactly the same. Effective sales people allow the client to go through that process - gently - both the growing awareness of pain moving down to the heart as well as the resolving of deep feelings of hurt and disappointment moving up and out. The concluding result is wonderful. The other person experiences great relief, which is a reward in itself, I feel! The bonus is that your odds of making a sale quadruples, if not much more.

Mind you, the old school of "problem and pain questions" is a solid and good one, but supposing that all customers need help like that is of course taking it much too far and will only lead to miscommunication in so many cases. This is one of several good reasons why of all the different sales systems I appreciate the flexible approach of "Helping Clients Succeed" by Franklin Covey so much.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Self Defeating Behaviors

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:17:09 GMT

Of all self defeating behaviors, the worst stain must be the illusion of change - the fact that most of us remain in old and ingrown patterns and either don't know it or don't believe we do. Real change is slow, rarely found and a tough, honest and soul searching process when it occurs.



					Many years ago I studied the work of Robert E. Hardy on Self Defeating Behaviors (SDBs). Simply put, we tend to establish and maintain patterns, even those patterns that are self destructive. To begin with, that particular pattern or behavior served to help or protect us (which is why we established it), but when circumstances change and people mature, and because our approach is not principle based, it now hurts us, bars our way and keeps us from reaching new goals and higher levels of achievement. In other words, we hang on to patterns of behavior even though they don't treat us well.

Here's the bad news: We're all deeply entrenched in many self defeating behaviors. Most of them are hard to recognize. Many of them are difficult to admit to. Some are obvious and we hate to face them for what they really are. The good news is: We can eliminate SDBs, if we're willing to face them and deal with them.

Can you think of a self defeating behavior you're suffering from? How would you like to get rid of it?

Well, there certainly is no quick and easy answer to such a big and important question. However, for the sake of briefly introducing you to what matters most and how you can make it happen for real, here's what you should be looking into:

Change begins and lives with PASSION. Nothing else will last.
You will succeed only together with others. Establish a CONNECTION with the right people.
The most important answers are found inside yourself, so search your INTUITION.

These three; Passion, Connection and Intuition represent a proven process for change, improvement and greater influence in the lives of the people around us, just to name a few benefits. You want this. You may not know it yet. However, sooner or later you'll find that success in any area inevitably will bring you to visit each of these three areas. Why not apply simple wisdom and humility by learning more, right now?

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

A Return to WHY

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:59:21 GMT

"If you tell me WHAT to do, I may do it for you. If you help me understand WHY I should do it, I'll want to do it and get it done, much better". The WHY makes all the difference. Why then, if WHY is so important, do leaders tend to forget its importance?

Every time I do training, coaching or any kind of work to improve a company's performance I see the same crucial principle at work: Unless individuals see and understand the WHY, no lasting improvement ever takes place. However, when WHY is clear, dramatic change can occur, sometimes even instantly and without resistance.

WHY seems to be the redeeming element of effective training - the ultimate source of motivation.

A repeated flaw in leadership is forgetting to focus on individual perspective. When leaders try to make a significant difference, they mostly make their appeal to the masses. Thus, they forget that lasting change of habits and patterns is highly personal. We don't change groups of people as much as we change individual behavior. Help one person see the picture and you're well on your way to actually improve an entire organization.

I witness both types of leaders every day and it's fairly easy to spot the difference between them. When leaders are personal and stick to individual follow up they are able to move large corporations. When they don't, they fail and fail miserably.

Stay personal. Work one-on-one as well as with the larger group. Inspire change in that one individual. When you win the heart of the one, it gradually opens the door to everyone else.

Make a Big Difference

So if you want to make a big difference, at least three energies are indispensable to getting results. Each energy has a principle attached that guides our efforts in becoming a change agent among people:

(1) Ask WHY / WHAT

Action: Ignite Passion by going one-on-one => inner conviction.

Passion is the energy that makes a person unstoppable. It lights up when WHY and WHAT becomes clear. Ask yourself the simple but tough questions: "Why am I doing what I do?" and "What am I about?"

(2) Ask WHO

Action: Make the Connection by executing plans together => shared conviction.

Connection is the energy that bonds us and causes us to succeed together. It brings a spark to every meaningful relationship when it becomes clear WHO matters most to us. Ask yourself the simple but tough questions: "Who is most important to me?" or "Who will give their all to the same mission as I have?".

(3) Ask HOW

Action: Stimulate Intuition by allowing individual freedom => discovered conviction.

Intuition is the energy that brings out the best in us. It shows the way in much the same way as our conscience. Individual answers will come to each of us as we deeply ask ourselves "How should I do this?" or "How can I best apply my talents and my style to solve these challenges?".

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

More Business With Better Clients

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:34:44 GMT

The slogan of any sales training should be "More business with better clients". More business is not necessarily good business. You've probably heard it before.

When sales people desperately want to succeed they tend to welcome any client into their sales funnel. Consequently, the pipeline is filled with an excess of bad business.

What's bad business? Well, not only does this uncritical sales activity lead to a waste of time on business that will never be closed. It also means wasting time on customers that will waste your time even when you do get the business. That's bad business!

When I was a young boy, I asked my father why he kept cutting down the different trees in our garden. In my mind, a big tree was a good tree. My father explained to me how a trimmed tree always lives longer and remains much more productive or fruitful. The same goes for sales and business!

Sales training is about getting back to basic. It's about focus. If training doesn't help you find which clients you want and HOW to do it, then training will only make you more busy doing what doesn't lead to profitable customers. Believe me, more business with poor clients, is not want you want.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Are You Free to Enterprise?

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:29:20 GMT

To no other person is free enterprise so free as to the individual with sales skills coupled with a network of quality people.

There's is nothing like a business professional!

A lot of people know how to sell. Also, a lot of people have experience with business development. But a combination of both is what really makes the difference. A true professional is skilled at both sales and business development - the hallmark of free enterprise.

That unique confidence found in long-time professionals comes from the ability to create opportunities from almost anything. And what skills typically make up the difference?

The essence of business development is creating win-win solutions. The only way to visualize and clarify win-win solutions effectively is by sharpening your sales skills. Why? Because sales skills is the WHAT, WHO and HOW to draw mental pictures of value in the mind of another person.

You may have great ideas about value creation (i.e. business), but your business plan comes alive only when you know how to execute it. Execution is helping people believe and work that plan. In other words: Selling!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Bright Times and Dark Moments

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:27:52 GMT

Life will bring you dark moments. It hurts to go through them, but when you're proactive bright times will dominate your life and can in fact jumpstart your path to success. To a person in sales, with a lot of regular setbacks, this is an important lesson to be learned and can become a lifestyle that will make all the difference.

Yesterday was an awful day for me. Just terrible! In addition, I lost a major contract I expected to close. Everything I had scheduled was headed toward success.

However, not only did I fail miserably, but people and circumstances gave me clear feedback about mistakes I had made. If you're like me; I can live with failure because it's what success is all about, but making mistakes is ten times worse. It's personal and hurts more than failure.

So I was feeling low!

When I came home I worked hard to get deeply involved in the life of my family members, replacing my concern for self with that of others. I decided I wouldn't even try to "get over it" until I'd had a good night's rest.

Why? Because I know how it works. Here's how:

Did you ever find that when you look back on life, memories are mostly the happy ones. For some reason, most people tend to forget the dark moments, but savour the bright one's. In sum, all the happy moments appear to the mind as long and enduring bright times. (That's why we sometimes are inclined to think: "I used to be so happy, but now everything's so hard...")

So what can we learn from our ability to filter out the dark moments? How can this help us improve our lives on a daily basis?

Maintain Energy and Momentum

When you're experiencing a dark moment, accept it. Don't fight it. Strong and bad emotions are necessary opposites in a happy life. Let it pass by not making any serious or rash decisions. Close your mouth if you're tempted to take it out on the people around you. Listen more. Get involved in the lives of others and most importantly, retire early and let the body and mind rest it out.

Remember, late night moments are literally in the dark. If you retire early they will not last long. (During the night, your mind will be searching for answers and often find them, sometimes without you knowing it. Let the mind do the work for you.) In stead of extending the day - and the pain - by burning the midnight oil, rather choose to arise early and spend as much of your waking hours in the (day)light. It's a lifestyle that maintains your energy level and increases your momentum. The people around you will be surprised by your ability to get back up so soon after having taken such a serious beating, believe me!

Inevitably, dark moments will occur, however brief they might be, but bright times and feelings of happiness can and will dominate your life, now, not only in the past, if you want it to.

p.s. I'm well aware of chronic illnesses and serious depression, for which there certainly is no quick fix. What we're talking about here, though, is the tendency of any "healthy" person to sink into depression over matters that will evaporate if only you apply the principles outlined above.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Getting In Control

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:13:57 GMT

Do you ever feel you're not in control? Let's put it this way: "You're not the only one". How do we know we've lost it and what can we do to regain control of our lives?

Not being in control really hurts. Here are some examples to help you discover when you've lost control:

When you're constantly running behind schedule.
When your life and surroundings are cluttered or messy.
When you find yourself breaking promises and commitments.
When your relationship with the people you really care about is slowly deteriorating (...and maybe you won't even admit that you do care about them..?).

When bills are hard(er) to pay (on time).
When you sense that your mental, social emotional or physical health is declining faster than it should.
When you know you're not doing what's most important and you just can't seem to get your head around to making that change.
...or when you're feeling poor and depressed and you just can't really tell why you sometimes feel that way.

Of course, there's no simple formula. If there was, we wouldn't be hurting in the first place. However, there's are a few principles that have greatly helped many people. You should know these principles. You deserve to know!

There's something else you might like to know about these principles, too: They're currently applied by the most balanced people you encounter in your life. On a sidenote, in the world of business these principles are literally worth millions of dollars, even though that's maybe not why you'd like to know, right now.

That Little Extra

Just for once, let me dive straight into HOW you could gain control, and then I'll just leave it to you to find out WHY you should. (After all, your WHY is ultimately something only you can answer.) On the first day of every week, revisit the following process:

(1) Define your different roles (e.g. husband, father, employee...).

(2) List the key people relating to each of those roles.

(3) Write one sentence for each person: "WHAT would you like that person to say about you a year from now".

(4) Identify your areas of frustration - the small but important things in which you currently fail (both in relation to the people you've listed as well as your own private life).

(5) Decide on what you will do to correct it, when you will do it and how you will do it. Stay focused on only 1-3 goals.

(6) Produce reminders so you will remain focused throughout the week and recommit daily.

(7) Plan to repeat the process next week.

Are you able to extract the principles behind why this is a process that really produces long term results? You'll find that these regular steps lead to one very important result: It's what I like to call "that little extra". Here's a real life example to illustrate.

Some time ago one of my younger daughters paid me a thought provoking compliment: "Dad, you're really good at sitting in front of your laptop". Oh! that hurt me right to the center. Why? Because that's exactly the opposite of what I'd like her to say about me some time in the near future.

So, I decided it was time to make some small but serious changes. On the following Sunday evening I sat down and carefully put together a reminder to help me put away my computer when my family was around. I also imagined with mental colored pictures what I would do when my family spoke to me while in front of my laptop.

During the week my daughter came asking me to read her a fairy tale. Normally I would have told her it would have to wait, but this time I put away that alien machine and welcomed this precious young lady to take place in my lap. We had a wonderful time together, and we always do whenever she asks for it. Believe me, it only costs me a few minutes, but it makes all the difference!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Rise and Fall of Man

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:47:26 GMT

What determines the rise and fall of man? Passion does. Passion is not just a tool in selling or influence. It's you! In fact, Passion is life itself. Passion is about what you open your heart to, and whatever you choose to let in will determine nothing less than the direction and outcome of your entire life.

Maybe the most powerful feelings we ever experience is the sensation of Passion?

For instance, do you remember your first and deep love? It may serve as an example of what Passion can feel like.

Passion is when you become completely consumed by a desire so strong that everything

else matters less, or even close to nothing. This Passion, however, is still something you can choose. Passion - one of your greatest assets in life - doesn't need to be accidental, and it shouldn't be. We should carefully consider why and for what we open our Passionate powers. Why? Because it may (and I believe it indeed will) determine the direction and outcome of our entire life.

Let's consider two basic principles of Passion from which we may extract a few simple rules, and which when applied will produce the success every trainer, manager or even parent wants to achieve:

(1) Passion Precedes Results

In a professional setting the majority of the work force is not passionate at all. If they were, you'd see dramatic improvement both in performance and learning, instantly!

Before we do training, therefore, we assess the level of Passion in each individual team member by the use of a tool called "Passion Assessment". (We also make use of similar tools for "Connection Assessment" and "Intuition Assessment").

Immediately after training "Passion Assessment" may give an indication of the quality of the event

itself. However, the long term results are of far greater concern. We have found that if team members' Passion from training remains for more than 21 days results naturally follow.

To make such a reality, team members need a burning WHY and WHAT to remain passionate. This makes all the difference!

RULE # 1: .Effective training includes at least 20% WHY and WHAT

(2) Passion Triggers Feelings

...and feelings are good. We want employees to be emotional about their work. The best employees are those who know how they feel and are able to both communicate and stay in control of their feelings in a balanced manner.

The minute we start tapping into Passion an interesting thing frequently happens: Conflict comes out of the closet.

Understand this: Conflict hampers Passion, big time! The exchange of honest opinions often is an early sign of Passion and therefore usually is a positive indicator of future success. Of course, to really kindle Passion those conflicts need to be talked through and resolved.

RULE # 2: Start building trust by getting feelings out in the open first

So to summarize...

If you want to be successful - if you want to influence others - you have to be passionate about WHY you do WHAT you do. You have to exercise influence in such a way that others become passionate too, i.e. self-sufficient and without your constant help in the long run.

Passion is what will determine your rise or fall. It will be how you rise. It will be how you fall. The same goes for all the people around you. Passion is the beginning of success.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Major Traits of Passion

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:17:26 GMT

Greater influence brings you faster to where you want to go. Passion is the definitive first step to greater influence. To a greater or lesser degree Passion lies in every positive change you ever saw. How can you tell how much Passion you've got? It's something people keep asking me. That's why this time I'd like to highlight three traits of Passion that seem to surface in successful individuals.

Passion, Connection and Intuition are the three components of influence.

Since Passion is the beginning of influence - in fact, the world never saw success without it - why don't we take a closer look at the immediate side effects Passion has on us. It's a long list of positives, but the following three emerge as the most dominant characteristics:

(1) Unstoppable

The right kind of Passion makes you unstoppable. Whereas average people easily get discouraged and resent rejection, passionate people are inspired by rejection and put forth an even greater effort.

Thomas Alva Edison, the famous inventor, when asked about his many failed attempts to produce a working light bulb responded by saying: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

"Sometimes you just gotta do whatever it is you do long enough..." There may not be anything wrong about what you're working to achieve. In fact, you may be on exactly the right path. However, time is required to prepare and mature the world around you to eventually receive and welcome what you can already see in your mind's eye, even though it's not a physical reality yet.

Passion will keep you going until you finally get the long desired thumbs up that your cause deserves. Edison pointed it out like this: "Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

(2) The Real You

Passion will bring out the real you, for better or for worse. So tell me, what does a passionate person look like? Answer: Vibrant!

It usually is easier to love and adore someone that's passionate about something. They're even easier to communicate with, because they'll tend to have strong opinions. Their passion makes them come alive and it highlights how they are unique. Passion accentuates the talent inside people. Passion ignites their capacities in such a way that eyes start glowing and facial expressions display what can no longer be kept silently inside.

At this time we should also point out how Passion effectively drives away fear. Fear of being different, fear of being alone, fear of failure and maybe even the fear of fear itself, too.

(3) Spreading Effect

Passion triggers feelings in the people around us. We all know that passion or enthusiasm has the tendency to be contagious. However, let's remember that passion is much more than merely enthusiasm. We so easily think of passion as being "happiness". Passion is not a fast paced happy individual per se.

For instance, a passionate software developer does not necessarily move so much as a muscle and an officer in command may not be typified by a smiley face in the middle of a battle. Passion is energy that we can sense, but it reaches us in different ways. What we can be sure about is that (real) passion can be spotted in the surroundings of passionate people.

So what?

Would you like to be unstoppable? (Maybe not when it comes to being flat out stubborn. However, that's not what we're talking about here.) Would you like to become your best self? Would you like to have a positive effect on the people around you - excite them to action? I dare you: Find Passion and so many of your current challenges will slowly evaporate!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Back to basic

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:27:44 GMT

Regardless of what project you're in and no matter what your purpose or task might be, sooner or later we always end up asking ourselves: "Things are not going too well... what can I do to improve?"

I believe there are at least three basic questions we can always come back to and greatly benefit from. In my experience, every time I explore these three areas I reach new levels of understanding and conviction.

Get past that first hurdle yourself!

1) Am I passionate?

What is my purpose? Do I believe in my own "mission"? Am I driven by pure desire? If I'm not, then what can I do or even adjust to reach such emotions? No passion, no change!

It takes two to tango!

2) Do I connect with others?

Who among all are my key contacts and what's important to them? Does the way I interact with the people around me trigger their passion? What will it take to turn the lights on in my peers? No connection, no results!

What does your inner compass tell you?

3) What does my intuition tell me?

What is the one and single most important action I could take today that would make an immediate and/or long term difference? What does my heart tell me? How can I apply my talents and my abilities to have a spreading effect? If I were to just be my best self, how would I go about making a serious difference? No intuition, no value creation!

So what?

Passion, Connection and Intuition each lead to three distinct levels of conviction. Passion leads to inner conviction. Connection leads to shared conviction and Intuition leads to discovered conviction. Here are three suggestions to how this can be applied - right now - today:

Increase passion by thinking
- read inspiring literature - discover WHAT
- then... take time to reflect and explore
- then... take notes
- then... make commitments and execute
Strengthen connection by interacting
- spend time with inspiring people - discover WHO
- then... take time to listen
- then... take notes
- then... make commitments and execute
Follow intuition by leaving your comfort zone
- seek inspiring challenges and environments - discover HOW
- then... look for opportunities
- then... be flexible and accept the speed of the moment

And the best thing is, pick whichever area you'd like to start with. There is, however, a principle based order to these energies, as you've probably noticed: 1) ignite yourself, 2) ignite others and 3) ignite your surroundings. Try to cheat the order of this and you'll find you're up against a headwind. If you apply yourself to the process, you'll see, wind will start blowing your way.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Win the heart

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:14:58 GMT

Whether you're a father, a friend, a boss, teacher, coach or even a lowly servant by formal definition, you're always serving and you cannot effectively do so unless you win the hearts of the people you are trying to reach.

During our life we fill many different roles. Regardless of which role, in every setting we deal with other people. In fact, a role is exactly about just that: "Who am I in relation to you"? (See also Wikipedia to further explore the meaning of a "role".)

On a daily basis, during training and coaching, I find that people are dealing with deep frustrations in the different roles they have. Why? Because they are trying to influence others without first having won their hearts.

You've heard it before... the old adage "I don't care how much you know until I know how much you care" sums it up. And even though it's that basic, even though it's common sense, unfortunately it's not common practise. Too many of us are consumed by our own agenda. This time, decide to make that basic change. Don't just read this. Make it happen!

Passion

Well, here's a challenge you will appreciate, and I will turn it into a conditional promise: You cannot win another's heart until your own heart is right. And a heart that is right is open to the vibes of another.

Connection

And what does this mean in practical daily living? Next time you're with another person bring yourself to really look that person in the eye. Then ask yourself, what does this person really want? If you feel uncertain you may even want to ask them.

Intuition

Thoughts will come to your mind - ideas will flow. Then, it's time to act, to reap the fruits of inspiration: Do whatever it takes to give it to them. And remember, the higher the cost and personal sacrifice it requires, the better it feels - for both of you.

And it's not just smart. It's life!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Your track record doesn't mean a thing

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:44:59 GMT

Just because résumés and track records are being used to filter out and find the best sales people doesn't mean they're worth something. In fact, past success only means you did well in the past. It doesn't guarantee you'll be successful in the future.

Your past success can make future success pretty hard in more than one way...


						"Sales is just like a piano"

For instance, successful sales people tend to be promoted. Most of them stay sharp, but some stop exercising that sales muscle, become arrogant and self centered and lose the edge they used to have on life.

Oh, I know. Success can repeat itself, and it often does if there's talent. But let's face it. The success you had in the past doesn't prove a thing, does it? What matters in sales? Strictly speaking, nothing matters but the sales you will make in the future. Your current value is the sum of your future contracts. That's what you get paid for. And if you're a sales manager hiring sales people, don't you forget it!

Sales is just like a piano. Once a key has been struck the music is gone - it's history - nothing but a memory. The only value of a piano key is the music it's producing, in harmony with every other key --at this time-- and for as long as he or she will be.

The real deal

Why are you in sales? Is it for the money?

Sure, I earn my living that way, and it's good. But you know what. The reason I love selling is because it puts me right where I want to be; in the hottest furnace of constant communication training. If there's one area I'd like to master then it's the ability to reach someone else with a message. And by "reach" I mean totally embrace, both ways, i.e. I embrace you and you embrace me.

If you're asking me, I believe this is the toughest most noble of all tasks in any person's life: To constantly increase the talent of bringing someone over - not to "my way of thinking" - but to a higher shared level.

To me, that's what selling is about, and also how past success (i.e. your track record) can destroy what you have. When you think you're good, you're at risc, because pride may get in your way and stop you from delivering results now and in the future.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

We constantly judge the energy of people around us

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:07:25 GMT

Energy is real. It's the stuff that's behind everything we do and say, and that stuff is either positive or negative. There's nothing in between. It's either positive or negative. Children easily pick up energy - instantly. For example, did you ever see a child that naturally sought the company of a stranger (positive energy)? Or vice versa, did you ever experience a person that every child shuns (negative energy)? Why? It's energy and it's as real as anything. Do you believe adults are the same way? You bet'ya!

All our senses are in sum a constant antenna. Look at the picture of the child. Even long before its ability to speak this antenna is in place and working. You can only wonder why some parents never understand nor learn that a child's inner feelings and outward behavior directly reflects the energy they themselves send out.

The same goes for anyone in sales. For some it's a hard lesson learned; We're all naturally attracted to people with positive energy. That's why, if you want to influence others it all begins and ends with energy.

Most people see energy as some kind of undefined "something" beyond our own control. But there are loads of practical things we can do. Let's pinpoint a few (among millions) just to illustrate:

regardless of pressure and stress, always get enough sleep and eat healthy food

regardless of circumstance or people, decide to encourage and speak highly of others

regardless of how you might feel right now, never let bad emotions influence immediate action

Many of the renowned sales gurus have created language to explain "energy" in their own words. Mahan Khalsa speaks about "intent" and "ego". Brian Tracy emphatically stresses the "psychology of selling". It doesn't matter what you call it, really. It's what comes from inside and spreads through the cracks. It makes ALL the difference!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Follow a path to positive energy

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:52:19 GMT

Let's consider an every-day example of how energy makes all the difference while for instance raising a child or taking care of your family. Lillian and I have five children. As a family we've frequently discussed in family counsel how we'd like our mornings to be. But even though everyone puts forth an effort, with five kids ages four to twelve, there's bound to be some challenges - every single morning. How does energy apply in such a situation? And what does this have to do with sales or influence?

If I'm frustrated, irritated, impatient, tired, late or even just gradually growing angry, any one of these emotions will automatically transmit to the people around us - immediately. I may try to hide it, but really it's impossible to keep that energy inside. It all leaks out through the cracks. And we know it all too well, don't we?!


		But, you see, the trouble isn't really knowing and understanding. Remember, what's common sense isn't necessarily common practice out there... In fact, it's mostly exactly the opposite; what we know we should be doing, we often don't do. That's how it requires constant and conscious effort to stay focused on positive energy. Now, let's look at why it makes such a difference to do so.

I should be the first to admit, I don't always succeed. Reflect for a moment on what might be the elements of a typical morning for any of us...

(1) Getting up

PATH TO NEGATIVE ENERGY: When the alarm goes off, our partner gets up, but we ourselves might be tempted to just slumber a tiny bit longer. Already at this point negative feelings may start building up inside. Children jump into our bed, someone turns on the bright light or opens the curtains, we get reminders of how much there's to do today, and even when we do get up, both the toilet and shower are occupied.

PATH TO POSITIVE ENERGY: The night before we've retired early. Together with our partner we wake up before everyone else, well rested. We make our bed together and turn on pleasent music in the living room. The volume is so low you can hardly hear the music. Family members wake up with a hug and kind words. Whenever anyone does anything to trigger bad feelings we remind ourselves: "I love this person!" and we ask "I wonder how he or she feels right now / how can I be of help?"

(2) Getting breakfast

PATH TO NEGATIVE ENERGY: Everyone's hungry and looks out for their own breakfast. When someone enters the kitchen another leaves. It's usually best to be among the first to eat, because sometimes we run out of milk or even bread. The kitchen is messy from yesterday when we didn't take the time to clean it up. Sometimes there's unkind words spoken as the rush and disorganized meal causes frustration or even accidents. The youngest kids are at times alone in the kitchen, when everyone else is going back and forth trying to get ready... not smart!

PATH TO POSITIVE ENERGY: The night before the table has been set by one of the kids. Breakfast starts at seven sharp. If someone's late, nobody calls out loud for the missing person. Rather, it's an opportunity to give that someone another a hug and a compliment. Breakfast is kind of slow. Some of us are just quiet. There's time to think, to wake up and time to speak and ask questions as we check up on some of the most important upcoming events of the day. When fruit and vitamins have been swallowed we're ready for another day.

(3) Getting out the door

PATH TO NEGATIVE ENERGY: While everyone is more or less desparately scrambling together their stuff, you regularly discover that a shoe or a glove is missing. Someone's yelling for more toilet paper while others are brushing their teeth, too fast and in a hurry. Parents repeat the threatening warning everyone knows so well: "You're gonna be late for school - again!"

PATH TO POSITIVE ENERGY: "Good luck with the test today" becomes everybody's que to getting ready. The table is cleared by all in less than a minute. Someone's telling a joke as hugs and kisses are passed and the youngest kids stand waving at the door. It's tradition!

Your feelings about the others

The difference lies in how you feel about the people around you. The above mentioned path to positive energy is of course never that perfect! It rarely is. However, there are proactive elements in it that makes it much easier to keep a sincere and heartfelt smile on your face - throughout the remainder of the day.

Getting up, getting breakfast and getting out the door are all activities that repeat themselves every day. Even if you're single and alone, there's always a number of "good reasons" to quickly start tapping into negative energy right from the very start. If you do, however, you'll only generate more negativity. Why not think it through, discuss the details and decide what you want, together?

People who take control of how the day starts tend to sincerely and honestly think more positively and highly of the people around them. As a result they also find themselves surrounded by people that want to and indeed do return those positive feelings.

If energy is to work for you and not against you here's what you may want to consider: Retire early in the evening and start the next day with a conscious effort to stay tuned in on the positive, especially every time you're tempted not to.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

THAT's what's missing

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:40:35 GMT

Today I'll share with you what seems to become the introduction to 3E:

Every single one of us has capacities beyond what we are aware of. Even talent and power beyond our wildest dreams. We are living receivers, bearers and channels of enormous amounts of energy. Do you believe that’s relevant to individual and team performance? Is it relevant to quality of life? It certainly is. Energy makes all the difference.

Sometimes we are placed in situations or circumstances in which we may get a glimpse of this energy. But most of our lives we hardly draw on any of those unique powers. I say hardly, but that's not entirely true. We actually make use of them all the time, but only in minor proportions to the amount of 0,1 % or much less. Yet, sometimes in brief moments we might experience pure magic.

You have experienced these special moments yourself. Maybe you weren't aware of it, but all people have. It may happen in your head, in your body, together with other people or even somehow come from the outside.

Maybe the most obvious moments are when we're under extreme pressure or have to fight for our life caused by sudden danger. It is well documented that almost everything we do can in fact be multiplied by a factor of hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands when we must or when motivation is focused and channeled in the same and right direction.

This book is about that power which is built into our very system as human beings. It is about what some would refer to as "being in the zone". It is about how both we ourselves and the world around us instantly can change to dramatically perform at levels we normally perceive to be impossible.

I don't expect every reader to understand what I'm going to share, but I do know - from experience - that if you want to understand I can show you on a practical level what is required to seriously increase the frequency of what people perceive as coincidence. To some, success may seem like coincidence, but when you look behind what happened you’ll always find that special ingredient - energy.

Do you want to know what's missing when things don't quite work out as you'd like it to? There's probably a number of important issues, but in my experience, energy is always among them. And believe me, it sure doesn't hurt to have a little more of it.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

If you want to communicate effectively...

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:16:56 GMT

What's common sense is often not common at all. Here's one case to prove it when it comes to effective communication.

Three dialogs are always running at the same time, and they're there regardless of whether you want them to or not. When two or more people interact the following applies, and you better be aware of it:

Operational dialog

The context in which we interact ("position")

Opinional dialog

The feelings behind words and how they are perceived ("relation")

Optimal dialog

How we communicate ("perfection")

If you're mindful of all three, you'll experience high levels of mutual understanding, and the likelihood of influencing others increases.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Protecting client interests

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:56:19 GMT

Over the years clients sometimes have built dysfunctional procurement routines to protect themselves from dysfunctional sales people and sales systems. In fact, "sometimes" is a euphemism. In my experience, almost every organization has to varying degrees a dysfunctional procurement culture. These flaws arise mostly from sales people who do not honestly protect client interests in the pursuit of short term business. What can you do today to reverse this trend?

There are loads of books written touching this subject. In Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play, Mahan Kalsa and Randy Illig beautifully elaborate on the matter. Maybe, in my opinion, they do so better than anyone else up to this point. For this reason, quite frankly, this book is simply a must read!

You can do many things to combat dysfunctional selling. When you do so, you'll promote the development of healthy and open procurement models. One basic habit inevitably reinforces ways to how you better can protect client interests. It is this: Seek out senior sales people and executives and ask them what they would have done differently had they started their careers today. The advice you'll get, you'll see, almost always will point you in the direction of how to --better protect client interests--.

My favourite question has always been this: "What would you have done differently..." It's kind of like a life jacket. Learn from the mistakes of others. Maybe it won't keep you from falling into the water, but it certainly will help you stay afloat. It makes sense. Try it. Today!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Time is more than just money!

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:21:23 GMT

"Time is money"! Says who? If it's just money, then time sure isn't worth much, is it!? That kind of thinking, such a poor paradigm, will not produce the results you have it inside you to deliver.

Time is not only money. Time is the stuff that allows you to make a difference.

You will never ignite PASSION, seldom make a CONNECTION and rarely experience INTUITION unless you devote yourself to a higher purpose than what the moment calls for.

Discover that purpose. Answer the WHY!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

It's Thursday!

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:52:15 GMT

The first principle of influence or selling is POSITION. I often summarize the principle of position with two words: "It's Thursday!" What's position..? It's Thursday! If you haven't heard me explain it during training, here's it is.

Your position in any sale is where it all starts, pluss it's what affects everything else. Think of it as a question to a customer about what he or she thinks of you and your offer. If you skip all the beating around the bush, every customer always has a very clear opinion of both you as a person and your offer, at any given time. You better believe it. You may not get it out of them, but they have one. Their perception of you and your offer, that's your position with them. If you hypnotized them they'd give it to you, loud and clear.

To illustrate. If someone were to ask me what day it is, I'd be able to respond promptly: "It's Thursday". No discussion. End of story. It's finite. Accepted. Taken for granted.

Is it a fact, though? Sure, it's a fact; it's Thursday. A relative fact, maybe..? What?! Well, what if the majority of the world's populace just decided to make it Friday? Hypothetically speaking, it's possible... But highly unlikely, don't you think? That's how position works, how position appears. It easily seems as though nothing can be done about it.

Position is the first principle of sales success. Position is perception of relative facts. "It's Thursday" is a relative fact. OK, it's an extreme example, but it's still relative. The principle of position as perception of relative facts teaches us a load of things. Maybe the first most obvious lesson is this:

(1) Your position will either work for or against you

So many times I do training and dig into specific business cases with sales people. Every time a sales team starts discussing real customer cases there's a number of recognizable characteristics in individuals that come to the surface. They reveal the differences between high and OK performers specifically related to the principle of position:

High Performers	OK Performers
Understand the importance of a good position	Underestimate the power of position
At all times, are aware of their own position	Are unaware of their position
Are able to see what factors influences that position	See nothing but reasons why position is fixed and determined
Have confidence they can improve their position	Possess little faith in themselves and that position can be changed
Are unwilling to accept an unecessary poor position	Believe position is decided by fate
Plan and proactively spend their strength improving position	Go about traditional selling hoping circumstances will change
Have the wisdom to adapt to a poor position	Are unable to work around poor position

You can see how one quality leads to the other, as these traits are listed almost in successive order. A second lesson that follows the first is:

(2) Change the position itself or you adapt to it

"It's Thursday" as an example of POSITION also illustrates how positions in fact regularly change, we just need to be there when it happens. Either you change the position itself or you adapt to it. If you were to ask me again tomorrow, I'd say "it's Friday". Of course, you say. Well then, why don't you stay at it until you win that way. Almost always, I repeat, almost always, there are ways to change or improve your position, i.e. the way the customer perceives the facts about you and your offer. Typical positions we can influence are:

a bad or malfunctioning product
a poor brand or reputation
a market in recession or tight budgets
incompetent management, mine or yours
a failed relationship with a customer or vendor

These are just examples. Now, today, consider your most important sale, right now. Ask yourself what your position is. If you're not sure you're in a better position than your competition (and competition is not just other companies, but every factor that competes with you getting the contract) then look closely at what can be done. You'll find there's always something.

I'm telling you, you can decide to be a high performer if you're willing to do what it takes to improve your position. You do this by either "working around the fact that it's Thursday or changing the relative fact that it's Thursday". Either way you can win!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Stay focused on position, trust and behavior!

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:03:59 GMT

Imagine you have the perfect position, the highest trust and the most optimal behavior with a potential customer. Is there anything that could make you lose the deal? No, there isn't. These three covers it all. You see, when you know what 1) position, 2) trust and 3) behavior is about, then you know what needs to be done, with who you need to work and how you should do it. You're aware of any weakness and you either win the deal - every time - or quit trying early in the process.

I'm serious. Whenever we lose a deal it's because we're perceived as being weak in one or more of these three areas: Position, trust and/or behavior. When we win, it's because in sum we have the strongest position, the highest trust and the best behavior.

So if we want the contract, these three become the key to winning the deal. What are they about? Well, that's a huge question. But here's an extreme summary and a short sentence to introduce what they can be:

POSITION

The customer needs your product and service and has great admiration and respect for you and your organization.

TRUST

You know the right people and they are unafraid to share any concern they might have, because they perceive you as being trustworthy and competent.

BEHAVIOR

Given your insight (position) and relationship (trust) you naturally think, say and do exactly what the other person needs.

MESSAGE

The sum of these three is what becomes the message, what the customer or other person perceives and picks up - in total - about what we do, who we are and how we do it. In short, we are what they buy, and if they don't like it they pick someone else that they believe does it better. Our task is to convince them in each area.

How do we leverage position, trust and behavior?

The strange thing is, each one of these - position, trust, behavior - is indirect. We can't tell someone we have a strong position. They need to sense and feel it by everything else that communicates this. The same goes for trust and behavior. Trust is indirect. We can't really effectively just tell someone they should trust us. Trust is the indirect result of consistent loyalty and good results. Likewise, behavior is also one third of the subliminal message we communicate. We cannot really behave what we don't truly perceive and mean. We only behave what we already believe and are inside. Our behavior only makes transparent what's already there.

Thus, the message is the result of what indirectly precedes position, trust and behavior. In other words, what you do to position yourself (PASSION), build trust (CONNECTION) and skillfully behave (INTUITION) well. You position yourself primarily by asking the WHAT questions. You build trust primarily by asking the WHO questions, and you skillfully raise behavior primarily by asking the HOW questions. You can read about each of them by clicking the links.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Energy in communication revisited

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:31:02 GMT

So what's this energy thing in communication? Well, it's everything. How can you communicate and not relate what you're doing to energy? Communication is energy. But there's more to energy in communication than you might think. Let's take a quick look at energy again, and maybe we'll catch a glimpse of it.

There are different energy levels in communication. You may have felt it. It's real. It matters. It's something every successful individual intuitively knows and effectively applies. Most of all, it's quantifiable, specific and something you can repeat - over and over again - that is, if you know how to.

Since the term "energy" may sound a bit blurry or hard to "practice in real life", why don't we bring some structure to it. Just for argument's sake, let's say there are three levels. The first level would be ME, myself. It's when I begin to resonate with a particular kind of message. The second level is US, you and me. It's when we begin to resonate with each other. The third level is IT, something out there. This would be when we begin to resonate with the environment, the higher and invisible forces we're surrounded by.

(The third level doesn't need to be any more mystical than e.g. two individuals having a long distance conversation by the use of a cell phone. Are you able to explain the force or channel through which they're interacting? Unless you've studied it in school, you're probably not. But there's no immediate need to understand or explain how a cell phone works, only the fact that it does).

That third level

Most people can easily relate to the first two energy levels (i.e. ME and US). But to some, the third energy level (i.e. IT) sounds too mystical. That's OK, if you feel it that way. Just remember though, whatever the message you behave will be understood differently on each level (yes, "behave" is the appropriate word for it). You see, each level gives more information, because behavior takes on different and more meaning the higher up you communicate. When all the others around you are perceiving the world on "the third level", you'll be missing out on quite a bit if you're still only communicating on "the second level". Why don't you just go in faith for once and test yourself. You may discover there's more to communication than you originally thought. Quite frankly, what have you got to lose?

Even though level one (ME) and level two (US) are understood, most people seldom experience them for real in a professional setting. How sad this is! What's more, because there's no resonating ME, WE don't resonate either (i.e. US). Why? Because there's a natural principle based sequence to this. We can't resonate unless there's first individual resonance. And that's also why so few people understand the third level, which in turn is dependent on both ME and US. You get it?

Let's illustrate with an example to make sure I didn't lose you: Now that there's such a stir around Michael Jackson's passing away, why don't we consider him for a moment?

First, do you think Michael Jackson ever went on stage without reaching some kind of "resonating ME"? Do you think his best concerts were without a burning desire to share his best self? Of course not. Did he like the songs he was singing? Indeed, we may suppose he did. Second, do you think his resonating with the crowds was significant to their musical experience or his performance on stage? I'd say, probably... Third, do you think his wildest fans might refer to something bigger than just music and dance while experiencing him first hand during a concert? Does their ecstatic behavior make sense to us? Maybe not. Does it make sense to them? In some inexplicable way, most likely. If in doubt, take a look at Michael Jackson for yourself.

It begins with the individual, spreads to those around and then becomes something intangible, but real. At this point, I'll quickly point out that effective communication seldom is a "performance", but rather a shared experience. It can be quietly done without any extravagance or even technique. The absolute minimum that it takes is sincerity (outbound energy) and sensitivity (inbound energy).

Practical and doable

To help understand each level, a long time ago, I put together three scenarios visualising what essentially takes place every time there's a shift in energy. The three scenarios explain each level more precisely. If you haven't heard them explained during a training session or read them I suggest you do so now, before reading the conclusion of this article.

What's the big deal? Well, my message and claim is simple: YOU CAN, it you want to, communicate in a much more exciting way than you're currently doing. It's possible to trigger enormous amounts of energy on three levels. First of all inside yourself. Secondly, in others. And third, and most of all, in unison by the use of power in your environment. And to what purpose? To get a much deeper commitment in yourself and others. If you're in selling, knowing about this is simply a must.

So how do we apply it? Here's how to put it into action. Always stay focused on three areas (one for each level respectively):

Position + Trust + Behavior = Message

Each of these is very concrete and measurable. We dive deeply into each of these areas in my book The 3 Energies Behind Sales Success, but if you'd like some other examples (and they're merely examples) of books written on each topic, you may consider the one's listed below. Note! These authors don't necessarily explain how to unleash the energies, but they tap into the do's and don'ts:

Level 1: Position - Strategic Selling, Miller Heiman
Level 2: Trust - The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey
Level 3: Behavior - SPIN® Selling, Neil Rackham

Conclusion

To trigger energy - the stuff that adds real power - and makes communication become really powerful, you'll have to work on answering the WHAT (position), WHO (trust) and HOW (behavior) questions. This is the secret to energy in your communication. There's no shortcut, but hard work. However, once the energy's there, it sure feels like a shortcut.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Three shifts to energation

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:56:44 GMT

Communication can be powerful if you do it the right way. The wonderful thing is that "the right way" varies with each individual. Our research indicates that as long as key principles are intact the style with which you apply them is completely up to you.

To help appreciate the power of The 3 Energies (Passion, Connection, Intuition) at this time we'll share with you three different scenarios.

Feedback from 3E participants seems to suggest that these scenarios quite dramatically clarify the effect and breakthrough we can experience when 3E principles are applied correctly - i.e. in line with your own individual way and style:

Scenario # 1: LIFE

Imagine that you are visiting a new potential customer. You're in a comfortable office in the top floor of a prominent skyscraper. Everything is going very well and you're currently seated doing small-talk with the CEO of the company. She is approximately your age. The setting is very promising. As you move through the preliminaries of the meeting the conversation takes an unexpected turn. From what is being said you suddenly realize that the person on the other side of the table will die by the end of the day unless you help her with your product and service.

What is your immediate reaction? How does this affect you and your style? What happens inside of you? How does it show on the outside? What becomes your primary concern? Is there a shift in balance? How would you describe the feelings you have? What kind of energy are you experiencing?

Scenario # 2: FAMILY

We continue where we left off in "The LIFE Scenario". As your conversation becomes more intense another unexpected piece of information surfaces. You both discover you're family. This distinguished lady is in fact your twin sister. The two of you were separated at birth and you didn't know.

Now, what is your immediate reaction? How does this affect your interaction? What happens with your relationship? How does it show? What becomes your primary concern? Is there a shift in balance? How would you describe the feelings you have? What kind of energy are you experiencing?

Scenario #3: ECOSYSTEM

...but there's more to come. You've just had an incredible experience in "The FAMILY Scenario". While you are speaking yet another surprise hits both of you. The building starts shaking and you realize that you're in the middle of a serious earthquake. Even though the building does not collaps, you're both strikken with fear of a devastating catastrophe.

Again, what is your immediate reaction? What happens with your interaction? What do you do? What becomes your primary concern? Is there a shift in balance? How would you describe the feelings you have? What kind of energy are you experiencing?

These three scenarios each illustrate the essence of what The 3 Energies are about, respectively Passion, Connection and Intuition. Next time I'll comment on each and how they enable energation. Energation is the setting - the atmosphere - where all three paradigm shifts are taking place.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Energy based selling

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:33:48 GMT

Successful selling is about three breakthroughs that each unleash a specific type of energy. What are these energies and how do we unleash them?

When we consider the tree illustration from last week it should be easy to see that successful selling consists of three major breakthroughs (read: paradigm shifts). Every seed breaks out:

from underground to fresh air
from sprouting to reaching for the sky
from growing up to fruit-bearing

We call them root route fruit, being respectively 1) the root structure and then 2) the route to 3) the fruit. Each one of these is most successful when going one-on-one. Root, route and fruit each deserve separate training and attention, but at this time, let's cut to the chase and extract the essence only - a summary so short it's almost impossible to explain with fewer words.

Root

Our number one mission is strategic positioning, which figuratively speaking is "growing the root structure". That sounds great, but what does it mean? It means answering the WHAT questions.

When we breakthrough with answers to WHAT we create context and experience inner conviction that unleashes the first energy we call Passion. Passion represents gasping for air and getting it (see bullet # 1 listed above) and maybe most of all clear and solid identity.

Route

Mission leads to strategy. Our number one strategy is a network of trusting relationships, which figuratively speaking is "branching out like a tree". That sounds great, but what does it mean? It means seriously asking the WHO questions.

When we breakthrough with answers to WHO we stir feelings and experience shared conviction that unleashes the second energy we call Connection. Connection represents reaching your highest potential (see bullet # 2 listed above). Potential is directly linked to your success with other people.

Fruit

Strategy leads to network. Our number one way to network is consistently practicing technique and tactics, which figuratively speaking is "maturing and becoming fruitful". That sounds great, however, again what does it mean? It means working with the HOW questions.

When we breakthrough with answers to HOW we identify technique and experience discovered conviction that unleashes the third energy we call Intuition. Intuition represents seeing the ultimate fruits of your effort (see bullet # 3 listed above), but more than that individual talent will surface.

A generic model for every perspective

Root, route and fruit is an allegory to explain 3E, which can be applied in every single setting. 3E is easily applied in both macro and micro perspectives, that is e.g. sales management (macro) or daily selling activities (micro). We can also apply 3E for internal or external activities. 3E also effectively enhances both organizational and personal improvement programs.

And here comes my personal highlight: After two long years we're finally ready to publish my next blogpost. Coming up next are the three scenarios that clarify the exceptional power of the methodical 3E approach to energy based selling. It will become clear what this really is all about. Yes, you may expect some of the best stuff you ever saw when it comes to sales theory!

Here's an overview of what we just covered in a simple matrix:

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

A world where people say "yes"

Mon, 25 May 2009 15:38:03 GMT

Are you in a world where people say "yes"? Are you surrounded by positive people? Or just maybe... do you ever find that whoever is in a position to ignore or deny your humble petition in fact responds with a clear and unmistakable "NO"?

The world of only "yes" doesn't exist. I'm sorry to be the one that has to break the bad news to you. The world needs "no", even though being in sales it can hurt - BAD! But you know what? Being in a world that doesn't care isn't quite so tough if you're positive and - over time - seek out likeminded people.

Can you see the flower?

...and that's just it!

Inevitably, during all my years in sales, I believe the greatest comfort I've experienced is the ability to fall back on the good people around me. If you're going to be good at sales, of course you'll fail, and if you're going to be VERY good you'll fail even more. I don't believe any of us are super heros, but I do believe that those who stick around and succeed have family and friends that are there to support them when they need it.

Maybe you didn't know, but the best sales people have a sales strategy inside the sales strategy. The inside strategy outlines how you deal with failure (as well as success, for that matter). The inside sales strategy is almost like selling yourself to your own peers, but it's not what we tend to think of as being traditional selling. This kind of selling can be compared to "sincere goodwill".

You want to know more about that - have more of that..? Well, stick around this blog, and you've begun a journey that will lead you to understanding how to attract positive people that will say "yes" when you desparately need it and a network of people that will pick you up when you get too many "no's". Better yet, why not become the "yes person" the "no people" intuitively turn to when they themselves are rejected?

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

One-on-one at three levels

Sat, 23 May 2009 13:16:08 GMT

One-on-one is the best way to do your selling. Nothing beats one-on-one! However, to be successful it's crucial to understand the depth and complexity of one-on-one interaction. Every sales cycle will include three levels of one-on-one dialog.

In reaching any kind of result we move through three levels or stages. The mental picture was originally introduced by Dr. Sephen Covey where he highlights natural law.

Sometimes we tend to think that social systems differ from natural systems, but really they don't. Just like growing a tree, moving from root structure to eventual fruit and harvest every human interaction has the same characteristics. Just like nature will not let you cheat, so it is with social systems. If you try to force the process, you'll fail.

Each level demands attention, and one-on-one is the basic most powerful and effective way to go about it: a) One-on-one to strategically position yourself, b) one-on-one to build a network of valuable relationships and c) one-on-one to skillfully apply tactics in reaching agreements.

We will continue dealing with this subject in the next post coming up.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Nothing beats one-on-one!

Mon, 18 May 2009 19:38:09 GMT

In striving for excellence every so often we tend to forget the basics. It has always been like that... We see this in all sales people, too. When there's a dip in performance, you can be sure, 80% of the time it's due to forgetting some of the basics. What lesson can we learn from this? If we're careful to be aware of and stick to the basics, we can save ourselves an awful lot of pain and failure.

So what are those basics? There are a few! In stead of naming a number of them, let's just consider one and one only; face-to-face one-on-one conversation. Ultimately, the most basic interaction and sales activity is one-on-one contact with another individual. You can make a lot of mistakes, but if you fail to go one-on-one mistakes will usually do unnecessary and greater damage.

I once had a CEO that intuitively understood the principle of one-on-one. It was a beauty to witness! Almost on a regular basis he would come for a quick visit in my office and discuss some of the difficult issues coming up in our next management meeting. By the time he left my office he would know perfectly my feelings and viewpoints. Knowing him well, he did the same thing with all the other managers, too. Then, when the time came to meet and discuss, he would have no difficulty reaching an agreement.

In short, he exercised a form of one-on-one sales, and it worked very well for him.

The speed of trust

Make sure to keep in mind how today's screaming need for efficiency may lure you into a dead end. E-mail, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twittering and other similar online tools - even the phone - may increase the frequency with which we are in touch, but quality conversations can never be replaced. The time and place to share intimate or private matters is face-to-face. One-one-one may not be the only way to build trust, but it certainly is the most effective way, even-though it may feel oldfashioned and slow.

While recommending Stephen M. R. Covey's book The Speed of Trust, David Neeleman, Founder and CEO of JetBlue Airways says it so well: "With high trust, success comes faster, better and at lower cost."

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Measure sales performance

Tue, 05 May 2009 10:17:02 GMT

Management and their sales people measure success mostly in monetary value. Of course, this is the main driver behind corporate sales activity. However, getting the money alone is a misplaced focus and will inevitably represent long term failure if you don't keep in mind the other five measurements of sales success.

Keeping track of results is everything!

Why don't we say it again. Keeping track of progress and results is everything! Whatever we measure receives attention. So what are we to measure and keep track of?

Personally I'm a fan of several programs, among others The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Franklin Covey. It introduces you to how we facilitate execution in individuals and teams. However, in generic terms, what is it we seek to accomplish?

There are many ways to measure success, but we've found the most effective perspectives to be individual and organizational. That's both to keep it simple and focused on daily and weekly measurables.

Individual success

The perspective of individual progress is based on The 3 Energies (3E) Passion, Connection and Intuition. Looking at each individual they become:

Personal insight (mission statement and goals)

Improved balance (planning and personal considerations)

Sharpened skills (empirical data based on observation and recordings)

Organizational success

The perspective of organizational or team progress is also based on The 3 Energies (3E) Passion, Connection and Intuition. Considering results from an organizational view they become:

A better position and reputation (Key Performance Indicators - KPI's)

An improved relationship with key people (CRM and personal considerations)

Sales numbers (budget compared to actual numbers)

Measuring results is crucial, but measuring poorly or ad-hoc tends to demotivate individuals and teams. It can in fact hurt more than do good. The first steps of sales success is deciding WHAT to measure, WHO to measure, HOW to measure and then stick to it.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Marit Breivik: Principles of world class performance

Fri, 01 May 2009 21:59:38 GMT

Without moderation, I believe Marit Breivik may well be among the best coaches in the world. Her management has brought about outstanding results. She's widely known for creating a phenomenal team spirit. What are some of the distinctive principles behind her success?


			From left: Marit Breivik and Vidar Top at Grenland EXPO

I was asked to speak at the same conference as Marit Breivik last week and had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her tremendous success.

The similarities between sports and business became curiously apparent. As Breivik is the lady behind the most amazing team spirit I've ever seen, it should be worthwhile to spend a few minutes adhering to her advice.

One of the key factors she points out is the importance of supporting each player individually, making sure to highlight key strengths that fit into the whole. Teamwork is not only about bringing each player to flawless expertise, neither is it possible to create synergy by itself --unless-- each player and the entire team knows WHY and WHAT they are about.

Humble and teachable

I also appreciate Marit Breivik's humble approach. During her career she has stressed the importance of taking counsel from others and making sure the entire culture is one of constant learning. There are few world champions, but as a team we can create complimentary strengths that collectively come close to world class performance and passion. Being the best takes daily effort, and staying ahead of the game demands ongoing and intense attention.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

How to make sales technique really hit hard

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:02:18 GMT

Last month I did a quick webcast on This is Selling. If you look closely you'll find that a complete summary on selling is grouped into three areas. If you focus on all three, you'll discover that your skills begin to work as they should.

Regardless of what topic or expertise within sales you are looking into, it will always be one of the following three:

Context (WHAT)
Feelings (WHO)
Technique (HOW)

Whatever you say and do it will be perceived by others in three perspectives: (1) The context in which you say it, (2) the feelings behind what is being said and heard, and (3) the way you say it (i.e. technique or method). Consequently, to influence others, these three perspectives will decide your degree of success. All three of them!

Focusing only on technique is less effective

Context, feelings and technique are basic principles of communication. Context is WHAT you do to create the best possible setting and position. Feelings is WHO you talk with and the emotions you are filled with. Technique is HOW you say it and when.

These three areas are numbered because context outweighs feelings, and feelings in turn are more dominant than technique. Without context and feelings in place technique suffers. People often want to challenge the order of this, but without exception they fail.

Sales technique is not even secondary

Let's be very clear, especially because it really is this simple: Technique helps, but fails when feelings stand in the way. Also, feelings are powerful, but ultimately must give way to context and the bigger picture. If you want to influence others, even influence influential people, first work on context - your position, secondly work with feelings - your relationship with others, and thirdly practice technique - say it right and at the right time.

Remember this, unfortunately most sales training is aimed at technique only. Yes, technique indeed is poor out there, and technique is also mostly weak on a stand-alone basis. The deciding factor that gives technique real power is when context and feelings are taken care of first.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

When WHY hurts and WHAT is useless

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:49:32 GMT

Helping to ask WHY is key --ultimately the only way-- to seriously motivating people. When we help people ask WHY-questions they will inevitably be inspired to self driven action. But asking WHY can also hurt, in fact, if we're not careful WHY may be counterproductive and do a lot of damage.

The natural tendency for any parent, spouse, manager, colleague or coach is to ask WHY when something goes wrong. The "WHY did you...? approach" can be counterproductive when coming from another person in retrospect. WHY seldom rectifies the wrong when filled with blame and guilt. We drive the other person into a defensive mode. Just think about it... When we make a mistake, most of the time it's hard to explain WHY we made a bad choice, and it certainly isn't fun to elaborate on stupid mistakes.

While the other person is on the defence - shutting out external influence - we tend to respond by attacking the behavior. In other words, when we sense that WHY fails we quickly move into giving advice by telling the other person WHAT he or she should have been doing.

I see people doing this all the time. Let's be clear. It doesn't work.

Lesson # 1: How we tend to fail

When someone is to blame we tend to "ask WHY and tell WHAT".

Lesson # 2: How we can succeed

To inspire others to change we should "ask WHAT and discuss WHY".

By making a fairly simple switch from the ineffective "asking WHY and telling WHAT" to the effective "asking WHAT and discussing WHY" we make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. We get rid of blaming and fighting. Instead we introduce fruitful discussion. Just try it out. You'll quickly discover the positive effect it has!


									Asking WHAT means we establish objectively the things that went wrong. Once we've agreed what went wrong, then discussing WHY will be an opportunity to appreciate new and mutual learning. Suddenly asking WHY becomes positive and has meaning. It becomes a solution to problems to prevent them from happening again. It points the way to a brighter future and instills hope - it makes passion grow - makes mission become clear. WHY is the beginning of everything!

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Your sales pulse indicates future failure or success

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:36:19 GMT

Few sales people are aware of the sales pulse and how it is the ultimate tool to measure whether you're headed for failure or success. Just like physical health, pulse indicates if you are leading a balanced effort in sales. Sales success doesn't come by chance. Consistent sales success largely depends on how you measure your sales pulse and whether or not you apply your findings to develop Passion, Connection and Intuition.

To explain the consept of "sales pulse" I usually share an eye opening experience of when I acquired a rather sophisticated pulse watch to keep track of my regular exercise. This watch helps me monitor my heart rate. If applied the right way, it also encourages me to balance the workout, specifically with the heart rate in mind. To make effective use of the watch it requires some basic information input, such as age, weight, resting heart rate (RHR) and maximum heart rate (MHR). This is to adapt all feedback to my actual physical state and condition.

A pulse watch guides you in making a balanced effort.

Before I start the timer it encourages me to select a so-called "heart rate training zone". My choice, of course, depends on the objectives of the workout.

The first time I chose the Aerobic Zone I made an interesting discovery. As the watch beeps whenever BPM (Beats Per Minute) is too high or too low, with me it would not stop beeping. At first I thought something had to be wrong. Surely I had put in the appropriate and correct data!? I was running like I always did.

There was nothing wrong with the data nor the watch. I just had to slow down. Up until then I had always maintained an intensity much too high for this type of exercise. What I thought was normal and right was not only ineffective - it kept me from reaching my long term objectives and goals.

Slow down to increase performance

A balanced effort is not about going slower. It's quite the opposite. A balanced effort is going as fast as possible, but keeping the long term perspective in mind. We want high performance, always, not just haphazardly off and on. Just like me, replacing "too intense training" with slower running for an extended period of time, balance provided me the necessary oxygen I needed to gain a greater appreciation for aerobic exercise. In addition, slowing down improved my balance helping me perform better also in the Anaerobic Zone. In sum, it made me run a lot faster, but also, and this is the point, over longer distances I spent less strength to finish the race faster.


			A healthy heart affects all else.

In much the same way as no--body-- is able to run at maximum speed all the time physically, so it is with mental and social performance and capacity. To deliver both short term and long term results we need to vary our speed as circumstance requires - at different time intervals. Even though occasional sprinting is needed, most of the time a steady pace is what gets you the results you're aiming for.

The long term objective of physical exercise is a more healthy heart, body and mind - increased stamina, strength and flexibility to deliver remarkable results, and oftentimes specifically to outperform competition.

The sales equivalent of the physical heart, body and mind lies in Passion, Connection and Intuition.

The sales pulse

Just like it takes extra effort to keep track of your physical pulse (you have to measure it), so it is with the sales pulse. There are ways to measure your sales pulse to determine your current condition and what's needed to increase your capacity. Let me illustrate with an experience I had when I was brand new in sales:

I was a telesales rep in Oracle. Our team did extremely well and we sold licenses for millions of dollars. However, in spite of all the success we had, one of my colleagues clearly stood out. This made no sense to me. I would look at the call stats and find that his time on the phone was way below that of the others, especially mine. I was always leading the way when it came to putting in hard hours of work. It didn't seem fair to me that he should sell twice as much as me with "half the time and effort".

Having gone through this painful realization for several months, I finally decided to humbly ask him why this was the case: "Why are you selling so much more than me, putting in so few hours?" His advice, which I won't elaborate on at this time, caused me serious reflection. I realized that his pace was slow, that whatever he did was well thought through and that his focus was on quality, rather than quantity. This WHY question triggered an amazing chain of events which led me to asking WHAT questions, WHO questions and HOW. The results were staggering.

Why? I resolved to make deep and profound changes because someone helped me measure my sales pulse and pointed me in a better direction. Believe it or not, this type of fine tuning is constantly needed, regardless of how successful you are. Any good athlete keeps track of the condition of his or her heart.

How to measure the sales pulse

Slowing down represents the ability to pause and ask effective questions to increase self reflection about basic belief systems.


						Checking pulse to assess progress.

The sales pulse is mainly measured by asking WHY and WHAT questions. Action oriented corrections are usually made by asking WHO and HOW questions. (And in case you're wondering, WHEN is part of HOW.)

Just as physical pulse variations are natural, so are also sales pulse variations always present. The physical heart rate varies depending on factors such as heat and humidity, dehydration and altitude. Also, biological variation hits in, causing heart rate variations on a daily basis between 2-4 beats per minute. Sales pulse variations are similar. We'll look into those next time, as well as how we measure the sales pulse specifically.

If you want to know more about the subject, you may want to read The key to motivation as well as other related articles.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Paul Potts' WHY and WHAT

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:13:32 GMT

Take a quick time-out. I encourage you to watch three YouTube clips that exemplify the power of WHY and WHAT - how it defies the expectations of our surroundings.

Did you have the privilege of following Paul Potts in the "Britain's Got Talent" show? This man inspired millions of people with his passion for singing.

Notice how Paul Potts clearly states his WHY... "I feel it's what I'm born to do", followed by his WHAT... "I've always wanted to sing as a career". Watch the first appearance of Paul Potts.

Passion will carry you through any opposition. Passion makes you unstoppable! See what this means by watching the intro to Paul Potts' performance in the semi finale. (Click on the link to appreciate the next paragraph!)

Paul Potts is a wonderful example of how talent and "the big public victory" he experienced much later was born inside many years before him being discovered. That's what passion does; fruits over time. Watch Paul Potts' performance in the grand finale. Remember, the secret behind talent is first and foremost passion!

(Here's a bonus clip if you feel like watching more of Paul Potts.)

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Tell me why and I'll move heaven and earth to do it!

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:29:50 GMT

Said a famous philosopher: "Tell me WHY and I'll move heaven and earth to do it". WHY is the key to peak performance. Given this, you may be wondering: Is it possible to produce outstanding improvement through simple things?

I have great news... Yes it is possible to harness dramatic change by simple means. In fact, keeping it simple is key to phenomenal improvement. Simply start by asking WHY and then listen. If you're asking yourself, listen to what thoughts come to mind. If you're asking a team member, pause and don't interrupt. Regardless, the right WHY questions will work wonders, I guarantee.

As we've looked at these questions from different angles now, let's summarize the WHY, WHAT, WHO and HOW questions with a business example, just to illustrate how it can be applied in every day life:

We are about to switch to a new employer. The most effective question could be as simple as...

WHY should I work here?

If the answers qualify for an overlap in mission and purpose, the first question you'll be looking into as a new-hire is also pretty self evident...

WHAT is it that we offer?

Once we know our value to society or the market place, it's wise to clarify as best we can...

WHO will care and want to collaborate?

Then, finally, the question that really brings every other question to full fruition is...

HOW should we go about it?

Let's review each question category and look more closely at what their fruits are.

MISSION

primarily comes from asking WHY

Do you believe knowing WHY will make a difference in your job? I mean, really knowing why?! Most people, even when they leave a job in favour of another, never fully understood why they were there... and that's in fact partly why they switch to another company and/or position. When anyone comes even close to performing on the job, this someone has a serious WHY burning inside them. They're usually more loyal and stay on for a longer time. Check it out, if you will.

PASSION

primarily comes from asking WHAT

Some sales managers frequently are afraid of investing "product knowledge" in their team members, simply because they've experienced how a little knowledge easily makes sales people less inclined to being open and listen to client needs. Of course the tendency is there, but that's because they only get irregular and/or insufficient training.

It is my experience that the best sales people also know best WHAT they have to offer. If they're passionate about it, because they know WHAT they have, then that's a perfect foundation. But note this; if they're passionate and at the same time know little about the offering, it is very much likely that the sales rep is biased and you'd better be careful, both as an employer and as a client. A biased sales rep often has characterics such as dishonesty, hidden agendas, fictitious and fluctuating motivation and maybe most importantly little or no ownership to what is being delivered.

CONNECTION

primarily comes from asking WHO

So often I meet with sales people that have a fantastic product and/or service offering, but somehow they're unable to seriously produce results. On almost every occasion it's due to their not having done the simple exercise of finding out who they should be speaking with. Even when they are speaking with the right people, they know little about why the solution or offering matters to them.

INTUITION

primarily comes from asking HOW

Most sales training jumps straight into HOW, and because of that it is less effective. That's why most training, I'd even claim almost all training, only has short term results.

If, however, people also are becoming highly skilled in HOW, invariably something magical happens to them. Something inside them begins to glow. Some call it self esteem. Regardless of what it is, when skills become natural "the real person" seems to come out and uniquely influences the situation. This is when we begin to see intuition in action.

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

In search of sales excellence

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:19:41 GMT

If you want excellence you need to start in the right place and then follow through. This text answers where to start. When you apply the principles described here and in other related blog posts, you'll find that current problems transform into stepping stones, and that the battle for success wasn't really where you originally thought it was.

There are two kinds of WHY questions. If you want to be successful, you not only need to ask WHY, but also the right kind of WHY. Should you ask WHY the wrong way your efforts will work against you and become counterproductive. Let's take a closer look at all this...

We've already pointed out how success might not be what you think it is. For instance, success is mostly quality, not quantity.

We've also clarified how most people tend to ask WHAT instead of first searching and scrutinizing WHY. Skipping straight to WHAT leads to a misplaced focus on having rather than becoming.


			Cerebellum, the "little brain", highlighted in blue down below

With this in mind it's time to address what those "right WHY questions" really are.

In my last blogpost it was suggested that WHY can trigger the powers of the subconscious mind. For a moment let's take a factual scientific approach: When answers to WHY is gradually becoming clear to someone, i.e. a person begins to define purpose and belief systems, the subconscious mind will become a team player to support those beliefs. More specifically, it will feed the "little brain" or the human cerebellum with positive signals, it being responsible for posture and every type of movement - movement of every single muscle in the entire body. (Can you see how all of this is about energy?)

Every one of us is a public display of deep belief systems, and we cannot help it. Those are the facts.

Why the right WHY is crucial

Now, consider this: There are proactive and reactive WHY questions. Some WHY's seem to activate us positively while others tend to passify and depress. We're talking about positive and negative energy - how some activities seem to energize us through healthy reflection while others slow down or dull our momentum.

For instance, putting it bluntly, when someone we love dies, asking "WHY did this have to happen?" is likely to drive you into self pity and depression. A WHY of this kind is of course tempting to linger on, but it is of little help and to no avail.

A better approach might be to ask "WHY am I still alive"? Can you see how immediately this question brings us back to purpose? Can you see how it will make us search out positive meaning? Can you see how it will trigger subconscious activity that soon will inspire you back on your feet and running?

Of course, WHY is a process. In fact, WHY questions belong to the time-outs of life. Are you good at taking regular breaks to reflect on deeper questions? If you are, you'll find that it serves you well. Decide NOW to pull back for at least a few minutes once a day - slow down. It's the beginning of greatness.

Great things are emotional

If we have even just a tiny bit of ambition, what Brian Tracy calls "the belief that I can do better", then we'll strive to accomplish and somehow do "great things".

The conscious mind strives to do "great things". However, the conscious mind is logical and slow, seeking to logically work success. Remember, success is mostly emotional. But emotional results, the great things, are not controlled nor influenced mainly by the conscious mind. Emotions belong to the irrational and psycho--logical-- subconscious mind. The great things the conscious mind seeks to logically accomplish are emotionally accomplished by the subconscious. And what is it that trigger the emotions from the subconscious mind? It's so simple, it's almost scary: When you start the process of asking WHY - WHY in the right way. If there is such a thing as great things, then at least they are emotional.

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love." (Mother Teresa)

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

Breaking out of the sales prison

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:21:08 GMT

Most professionals seem to know that effective selling basically is about asking questions. If that's the case, then why don't sales trainers apply the same principle? It's because somehow they believe they can teach excellence. They see training as "putting in" all the great things they know. But teaching and training isn't something we put into others, rather it's pulling out what's already inside them.

I've seen it many times. Leaps of dramatic improvement in people only comes from one side; the inside! And when from the inside it can be instantaneous, surprising and uncontrolling. It's a paradigm shift - sometimes almost like an explosion.

Quite frankly, most of the sales trainers and managers I've been involved with believe their people need to learn from them. They may say they believe in inside-out, but really they don't, because their behavior implies otherwise. They tend to "tell and preach" as opposed to "ask and draw forth". I call this breed of so-called trainers "trapped experts".

As a result, trapped experts seldom experience staggering and life changing improvements in the people around them. They never quite make the discovery of how people indeed are great in the first place. The mission of a teacher or trainer is to bring out the greatness in others through igniting them with passion. Ironically, trapped experts stay at it, almost as if they're unknowingly caged in "a training prison".

The training prison

Trapped sales experts believe they're on the outside, trying to get in and help those poor sales people break out of prison. What they don't know is that in reality they are themselves imprisoned, unconsciously fighting to keep everybody else behind bars. The key to unlocking the prison is two-fold:

Trust and faith in the amazing abilities of every individual
Patient and effective interaction through questioning to help individuals discover themselves, grow and come alive

Igniting passion

So how do we bring individuals and teams out of the sales prison, or for that matter, how do we break out of it ourselves?

The main reason for the training defect is of course that trapped experts never broke out of their own prison to begin with. It simply is impossible to lift others beyond our own level or degree of freedom and passion.

I frequently share my own "Golf or Die" example to illustrate how powerful "breaking out of the sales prison" can be:

Personally I don't care much for golf. Many of my friends and contacts, however, love the game. In fact, a lot of them have a deep passion for golf. It's always interesting to see what happens when I, and sometimes on purpose, tell them I don't enjoy the game. It also helps to further emphasize how I feel golf is indeed a complete waste of time.

The response is always immediate and the same: First, energy surges from inside. It swells and grows until they become unstoppable. Then they spill their guts and personal emotions about why they're converted to the most fascinating and enriching experience on the planet. At this stage, there's no need to remind them that they hate selling or any of the sort. Selling "golf" is natural and fulfills a need in itself. Also, any objection from me only fires them up even more. They've transformed - within minutes - into the most brilliant, persuasive, almost charismatic personality and character in the room. Now, change the subject, and they're quickly back to what we ironically call "normal". What a waste!

Tapping into the subconscious mind

Can you imagine what each one of us has on the inside? I believe only few, if any, of us can. There's an amazing power in how passion awakens the subconscious mind. The ratio of the conscious versus the subconscious mind is appx 1 to 70,000,000. Just think about it! Passion actually triggers a change that aspires to being equal to 70 million times your "normal" capacity. It sounds crazy.

We're mostly limited by our own mind. This limitation can be gradually overcome by "reaching out". Asking questions is a way of reaching out, and in reaching out we inspire others. We invite them to come out of their shell.

However, at the same time, in the process of asking questions and "seeking for answers" we open ourselves up to reflection. Reflection is equal to "becoming" and venturing on the path of realising and discovering our own potential.

So in summary, the best way to start the process of breaking out of prison is by asking WHY-questions. When we start asking WHY, then we begin to reflect on purpose and meaning. It stretches us and makes us tap into the powers of the subconscious mind. How? Stay tuned for the next post ;-)

Follow Vidar Top at Twitter

This is selling!

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:54:50 GMT

If you ever had the ambition of becoming an expert in sales or any area of persuasive communication you will need to help your team or organization address the most basic questions.

...and most of all, you need to ask these questions yourself.

The questions you need to ask yourself as well as instill in others are WHY, WHAT, WHO and HOW - and in that order. They in turn, give us the structure of the entire subject of sales or selling activity. No more do you need to look for a complete overview of what selling is all about.

Motivating employees

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:13:19 GMT

We have defined the single most important element of motivating employees and people. I am convinced motivating others is among the most noble tasks in life.

To motivate another person you need to help him or her discover their own WHY.

The very moment someone knows the answer to WHY, that someone will immediately experience pain and dissatisfaction. This pain comes from the gap between where they are today and where they want to be. Without a clear WHY (i.e. reasons or purpose) there will be no pain and no experienced gap, hence no motivation.

Motivated employees

Have you ever experienced someone with no perceived purpose? We all have. In fact, I dare say most people give little thought to purpose at all. In stead they spend their strength asking WHAT, WHO and HOW and thus become obsessed with immediate gratification and pleasure - of having more than being and becoming. Any wonder why we find so many employees and professional individuals today only half-heartedly and/or cynically pushing company interests? They don't really care. If an obstacle bars their way, they simply go around it.

While training people I always feel sorry for whoever is superficially motivated by WHAT, WHO and HOW. It's so very obvious. Without exploring the deeper WHY there isn't much mission or "life" left. Without WHY we're not really living, but are being lived - not really working, but rather being worked up. Also, without a deep desire and drive the ability to enjoy is as it were non-existent, too. Without ***WHY*** WHAT, WHO and HOW are only a shallow exercise to satisfy short term needs and wants.

Employees need "a WHY perspective" to a bright and clearly defined future. If they haven't got the mental picture you may need to help them paint it.

Mission of a manager

Your own WHY cannot be projected on to others. Each individual needs to discover it for him or herself. Our task becomes one of facilitation helping one person at a time to identify this WHY. When we do, something magical takes place.

As you can see, the essence of motivation is in fact selling. When you motivate someone, really what you're doing is selling. I cannot imagine a more noble task than inspiring and motivating other people. Selling is helping people discover their purpose - waking them up - giving them a life. Can you see why the art of selling (or motivation) is so paramount to any other subject or talent, especially in a manager?!

A manager that doesn't know how to sell should never be left in charge of human resources!

High performing sales people are like profitable customers

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:32:13 GMT

It's ironic! High performing sales people are just like profitable customers: They are driven by a mission and purpose (i.e. WHY). Their burning desire leads them to what we call "desperate dissatisfaction" (i.e. WHAT, WHO and HOW).


			The WHY keeps the flame burning to answer WHAT, WHO and HOW.

What is it that perpetuates a burning flame in sales personel, or to make a comparison, in our most profitable customers?

Profitable customers know WHY they're in business and they join forces with vendors WHO help them with HOW they can accomplish WHAT they want. Unless you're into coaching and consulting, the short version of business is "WHAT, WHO and HOW", the three dissatisfactions.

If you can't help the best companies find the best answers to WHAT, WHO and HOW you're losing business to competitors that do. WHAT, WHO and HOW each represent a specific type of dissatisfaction:

Distrust
Disability
Discouragement

(WHAT) From distrusted to entrusted

The most fundamental part of any success is trust. Trust begins with WHAT. It's down to such things as your track record, what you've done in the past and what you stand for. If what you have to offer based on your history fulfills their purpose (WHY), then this overlap becomes the driver of continued value innovation. One of the initial dialogs with a customer should always be aimed at answering:

What are you seeking to accomplish?

(WHO) From disabled to enabled

People without people are disabled. The great enabler is WHO. Some say: "It's not what you know, but who you know". The saying is almost true, but in the long run, the correct rendition of reality is "it's what you know and who you know". To build any successful win-win the starting question always is:

To whom is this important?

(HOW) From discouraged to encouraged

Not knowing how causes feelings of despair and discouragement. The way to encourage performance is helping others discover HOW. Rather than projecting our own solutions on to others, we should pose queries centering around:

How do you want to do it?

Just like customers, sales people first need to know why. Either help your sales people find out WHY or don't hire them at all. They will never burn like you want them to if they don't know why - from their perspective.

The key to motivation

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:47:38 GMT

So you're a manager and some team members are not performing equal to their potential. What do you do?

I will tell you right up front. The root cause of poor performance is the unanswered WHY. Every individual who is not running at "max speed" is somehow struggling with the WHY. We see this everywhere! Here's an example to illustrate:

In one of the world's largest and most successful companies I was recently asked to turn around a sales team of 26 Account Managers from poor to peak performance. One young man clearly stood out. In spite of his being inexperienced and new on the job his performance was out of the ordinary.

During our coaching session I asked him: "Why are you here"? It was as I expected. Unlike any of the others, as soon as we tapped into WHY, he could hardly stop talking. He knew! He told me about his desire to learn how to sell, about his failures in the past, about his feeling frustrated about his life and about how he wanted to make a serious change. Most of all, he wanted to be reunited with his family.

The sum of all these WHY's gave him the reasons he needed to perform on the job. They drove him to performance. Nobody had to push him. He was pulling himself.

When we know WHY our entire being shifts from "content" to what I like to call "desperate dissatisfaction". Reflecting on WHY helps us realise a number of important dissatisfactions, all of which can be grouped into three areas:

Distrusted - WHAT
Disabled - WHO
Discouraged - HOW

Next time I'll comment on each of the above dissatisfactions.

Yes, motivation may be a challenging task, but no more do you need to wonder about where to start: Go one-on-one and begin the process of exploring WHY.

WHY are you working so hard?

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:54:12 GMT

Take a 30 second time-out. Ask yourself this question: Why am I working so hard?

Don't hesitate! Listen to yourself. The first thought that comes to mind may surprise you. It sometimes is honest and the real reason.

In my experience, though, most people find it difficult to be honest, even with themselves. We hide deeply inside what really drives us and matters most.

If you give it a second thought, I can almost guarantee you'll find two answers:

You're not really giving it your all
...because there's something else you want more, really!

Someone ought to give you a kick, and that someone is you. Level with yourself, be honest. Answer the WHY!

What motivates us the most is WHY!

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:46:47 GMT

What is it really that we're doing? (Pause and think!)

It's a question that has moved almost every successful business to where it is today. Although "what" seems to be the ultimate beginning, there is in fact a question that precedes it. The question that drives anyone to asking "what" is "why". And "why" is by far the most powerful motivation. Why? Because "why" is about purpose.

The reason I love being involved with sales people is because they are nearly always measured on performance. Other departments and teams often miss out on clear guidelines for when they are successful.

Measuring performance does something to people - and when done correctly it's powerful and good. Quite frequently I deal with companies that are poor on measuring performance, but the sales department mostly has an underlying culture of accountability and reporting. Let's state it as clearly as possible: You'll never get peak performance without accountability and regular reporting:

"When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement accelerates". (Thomas S. Monson)

Reporting deals with "what". It focuses on numbers and statistics of something we've chosen to measure. Reporting is but a tool. Accountability is the real issue. It's the fundamental feeling of being responsible. Guess what accountability deals with? You're right, it deals with "why". Here's the key to peak performance:

Focus on why, because why puts what, who and how in perspective!

In my experience, the majority of sales people know perfectly WHAT to do, they know WHO to contact and they even know skillfully HOW to do it, but they perform only half heartedly. In fact, even the best sales people are only moving "half the speed of their full potential". What's missing is the WHY. When WHY falls into place, suddenly there's an instant and visible shift in tempo. Maybe you have to see it to believe it..? It's striking and scary all at once!

If you find yourself somehow being in charge of motivating people, you've got to be an expert on the WHY. How do we go about helping team members find individual and collective answers to WHY? If you want to know more about this critical subject, stay tuned for my next blog post ;-)

Energizer or drainer?

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:55:43 GMT

In many ways, we're almost like a battery. What happens to a battery that is put to active use?

Active use means regular charging and constant employ. This helps retain the capacity of the battery. Strangely enough, "saving" a battery by only sporadically charging and discharging it is equal to poor maintenance.

We're the same way. If we want to be high-energy peak performers, we don't need to "always be working hard", but we do need to be mindful of how we invest our strength. This will determine whether we are renewing ourselves or shutting down / unplugging completely.

Too often, relaxation slows down momentum and becomes counterproductive. We think we get more energy, but in reality it only adds to our exhaustion.

No matter what we do, every single activity will either boost our energy or drain us. I once listed some examples of activities that either increase or decrease our energy levels. Here are the examples I listed - and I emphasize - they're only examples that are generally true:


Energizers (balance)	Drainers (imbalance)
Getting exercise	Excessive TV and entertainment
Taking a power nap	Sleeping in
Listening attentively to someone	Talking too much
Giving a family member a back rub	Surfing the web with no purpose
Playing an instrument and/or sing	Working too hard and/or too long
Reading a good book	Staying up late
Go for a brisk walk	Overeating
Writing a blog post	Reading gossip and lies in a magazine

Remember, it's not about rest or recreation per se. The key is to steer away from activities that have the appearance of "rest", but that produce results contrary to what we want: More energy, motivation and stamina!

Successful selling is...

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:48:15 GMT

This is the short version of successful selling. People who easily gain followers are all alike in this respect.

Successful selling always has three basic ingredients:

Generate energy (internal)
Share energy (collaborative)
Receive energy (external)

...and in that order. In short, success is a growing conviction "first inside, then between us and ultimately coming from the outside".

A lot of sales people misunderstand "energy" and have a mental image of pure enthusiasm and an overly excited person. This is a poor stereotype. There are many ways to communicate and share "energy", but the energy is a must. It cannot be faked, especially not in the long run. Individual energy is the power behind every successful effort. When you separate successful from less successful this energy is the core difference.

It all starts with the first step; if (1) inner conviction fails, then (2) shared conviction and (3) discovered conviction fail accordingly. Now you know it. If you fail, this is why, but make these your primary focus and you've come a long way in replacing failure with success.

Verbal Vocal Visual

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:13:37 GMT

Albert Mehrabian's well-known research (1971) gave an indication of the relative importance of verbal, vocal and visual messages. What other factors are at play when seeking to influence the final outcome of an important decision?

Verbal, vocal and visual messages are all part of the Optimal Dialog. This dialog represents the peak and crowning frontline of communication.

However, underneath this top layer we find two equally important areas of influence. These two layers precede the Optimal Dialog in order. How?

Red

The bottom layer in red represents the Operational Dialog. It deals with strategy and position. For instance, a clear purpose and strong position affects your attitude and perception of the world around you.

Blue

In turn, position gives relationships meaning and power, which is the second and blue layer. The Opinional Dialog is where feelings can be shared without risk and restrictions.

Green

Likewise, only when position and relationships are in place will the technicalities of the top layer - the Optimal Dialog - really have the desired effect.

To get results

Most sales training aims at the top level of the influence pyramid. In other words, people receive their training without even a basic understanding of the power behind the two preceding layers. Our training and research seems to support a) the importance of paying equal attention to each layer and b) that traditional training only works when done in this order.

Influence is mastering communication on all three levels. That's why most sales training frequently has little effect on performance and results.

Recognition is not just a compliment

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:30:38 GMT

It's not really a big secret. I've seen people work a lot harder for a little recognition than for bonuses and money. And get this, money doesn't always motivate, but recognition - when given the right way - is a sure winner. On a scale from 1 to 10, recognition may not be a 10, but it clearly scores higher and more accurately than monetary rewards. Where does that leave us?

Last week I asked: Is recognition from others important? The poll quickly returned 43 responses, giving us the following statistics:

The outcome was in fact highly predictable. In round numbers, only 13% believe it's "not critical" and 4% believe it's "not important". However, I was anxious to know more about the group of people who believe recognition does matter. What I wanted to test was: How many are maybe "cynically" inclined to consider recognition as merely a tool to increase performance, getting what they want from others..? as opposed to, how many actually acknowledge our deep need for recognition as humans?

Recognition is not just what you say

Recognition only comes across when it's sincere - everybody knows that - quite intuitively so. When trust is low, talk's cheap. What you say has no real power. However, what logically follows, most people tend to forget; recognition is not so much what you say, but ten times doubly more so what you behave. And what messages do we pass on through our behavior? You're right again - it's emotional - what we truly feel inside is what comes across. What does this mean?

Recognition is not how they feel, but how you feel

It means, when we feel good about someone, we automatically behave in such a way that those positive feelings are conveyed to that other person. Whatever you decide to call it - body language, atmosphere, chemistry... The question isn't "how can I help that other person feel good about him or herself". It's completely the other way around: "How can I feel good about that person, in such a way that I will communicate on the subliminal level messages that support what that person already perceives about him or herself; that he or she is a valuable person with great talents and abilities"? In short, how can I work with my own feelings to be filled with postive emotions toward that particular person?

Recognition strikes when it underscores a positive self image

To obtain such a required change (and really - it's the only way), we need to be sensitive to how the other person perceives him or herself - to see and understand their world. It's not logical, it's psychological. We need to interpret people more correctly, i.e. see their behavior and performance from their point of view.

You see, that's what recognition is. Recognition is not you telling them something they didn't know. No, recognition is finding in others what they long before recognized about themselves already. That need to be recognized by someone else for who they believe they are and what they are truly capable of is the reassurance they seek in others to prove to themselves that they were right about "the I am" all along. All people have kind of an internal struggle and conversation going on inside, saying "I'm good, I'm great, I can do this..." When their surroundings agree with what they believe about themselves, then it must be true... and behavior to prove it follows. That's when recognition hits home; when people not only pick up your positive message, but when they actually believe in it themselves.

We need to help answer the deepest questions that are most important to people: Whether they matter, whether or not they are important and give them reassurance that they are valuable, that they have purpose and that they can make a difference. If you do that, then people will love and respect you. That's when you release energy in such a way that performance outperforms what the critics thought was impossible.

My hope is that managers and leaders of businesses will not only artificially supply their employees and colleagues with insincere compliments, but that they will understand the deep needs that they can fulfill in others. Recognition is not just a compliment - recognition not only can make a big difference in performance. Recognition can make a difference for life!

Is recognition from others important?

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:40:57 GMT

...or better yet: How important is it to be recognized by someone senior to yourself? It could be your parents, your boss, someone you admire, a renowned expert, in the media, on the web or simply by a crowd of people that knows who you are and with whom you spend much of your time?

That's what this quick poll is about. Provided you're a LinkedIn user already, this will only take three clicks to respond to.

See what others have said about the importance of recognition and check if your respons is in line with the majority of people "out there".

3E

Publication of 3E 30th of Sep

Success a Bi-product of Excellence

Excellence on Three Levels

Sign up now!

Intelligent Action

80/20 Is an Excuse and Self Fulfilling Prophesy

Taking Intelligent Action

In Practical Terms

The Kind of Motivation That Works

Networking? That's why!

WHY

WHAT

WHO

HOW

The Crying Engine

Do You Remember?

Crying Remains the Same

Self Defeating Behaviors

A Return to WHY

Make a Big Difference

(1) Ask WHY / WHAT

(2) Ask WHO

(3) Ask HOW

More Business With Better Clients

Are You Free to Enterprise?

Bright Times and Dark Moments

Maintain Energy and Momentum

Getting In Control

That Little Extra

Rise and Fall of Man

(1) Passion Precedes Results

(2) Passion Triggers Feelings

Major Traits of Passion

(1) Unstoppable

(2) The Real You

(3) Spreading Effect

So what?

Back to basic

1) Am I passionate?

2) Do I connect with others?

3) What does my intuition tell me?

So what?

Win the heart

Passion

Connection

Intuition

Your track record doesn't mean a thing

The real deal

We constantly judge the energy of people around us

Follow a path to positive energy

(1) Getting up

(2) Getting breakfast

(3) Getting out the door

Your feelings about the others

THAT's what's missing

If you want to communicate effectively...

Operational dialog

Opinional dialog

Optimal dialog

Protecting client interests

Time is more than just money!

It's Thursday!

(1) Your position will either work for or against you

High Performers

OK Performers

(2) Change the position itself or you adapt to it

Stay focused on position, trust and behavior!

POSITION

TRUST

BEHAVIOR

MESSAGE

How do we leverage position, trust and behavior?

Energy in communication revisited

That third level

Practical and doable

Position + Trust + Behavior = Message

Conclusion

Three shifts to energation

Scenario # 1: LIFE