Solicitation

Solicitation what does it mean? Some people don't even now what the meaning of the word is. To others it's a sign on a door to keep others away
Here is our opinion, If you're in any form of a business that presents, sells your product or services to an audience please, please take down your "No Soliciting" sign down. It really is an embarrassing sight to see. Why? because it's in this writers opinion if that you are selling something you cannot stand there and push a product and not allow someone to solicit you. It's really a matter of principle. You're really sending out a wrong message about you and your business. Your saying to your prospective client I can sell to you but there is no way in heck that you can sell to me. What if your next prospective client has a client that can be your next whale? How nice would it be for your client to know that he can pitch/present to you.
We welcome solicitors: with a few common rules.
1. Be polite
2. Have some courtesy
3. Ask if we have time to talk
4. No reason to be pushy
5. Get to know us
6. Find out if we really need your services
7. Listen
Wait a minute... These are some of the same principles that we teach. Hummm
We could go on and on about how things can and should go on but we are not here to preach, just here to point out the obvious




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Fear

Fear:
As a cold calling coach, there are to many instances where someone states how much they FEAR calling people on the phone. Is FEAR even real? Where does it come from? Its not something that's given to you nor is it something that you can purchase. So why react to it?!
In our minds we think that it's real, why? If we sense something in our gut, it will communicate with our brain that something is going on. How do we trick our brains into thinking otherwise? We don't! Take ownership of your feelings, grasp the idea that you own them, this will empower you, rather than hinder you.
Try: Do:
Next time you are out in town and you take a look at how you respond to your surrounding pay close attention on how you react to a situation that you are not familiar with. You are probably able to justify a situation in your mind because you are able to see it in front of you. We understand that when you are on the phone trying to present your service or product there is nothing to look at or anyone to talk to. Your pretty much talking to the computer screen that is in front of you. So lets take your next experience and chance the scenery, place a picture on your computer screen of a person that you either admire or a close friend. Imagine that you are talking to them. Close your eyes while you do this, you have to make your mind believe that you are actually seeing that person. When you begin to talk to the other person on the other side of the phone you are going to experience a change.... so drastic that you had wished you had done this before.
Why:
Sometimes your mind cannot distinguish reality from false reality, kinda like that time you though you saw a ghost in your bedroom. You freaked out because you thought someone was in your home. What's the difference between the two?
Athletes:
We have heard time and time again how athletes are able to achieve the impossible, and how reporters at the time of interview ask the athlete how they were able to achieve such greatness. You know that almost all the athletes will tell you that they had to start with visualization. They had to believe to achieve.
All about you:
We want you to succeed, no need to hold yourself back. Be positive and live in the moment, stay true to yourself. Be in the state of being. People will appreciate you more for being genuine.



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Rewiring

There are many things that can be rewired, circuit boards, breaker boxes, car stereo and many other material objects. How about the way we think? Or the way we process thoughts. Well there are many opinions out there, but we are going to take the path of least resistance(how about that, it relates to electricity). Yes is the answer. If you are opposed to this then maybe you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are ready to change what your really thinking about or how you are thinking about things.
Situation:
Let's say you want to get a new stereo for your car, for guys(some) you go down to your local electronics store(because it's about instant gratification) and you purchase a really nice deck with all the bells and whistles. For the women you as well. For this situation lets say you go down there and purchase a radio and instead of getting it installed professionally you decide to install yourself. Everything seems to go find and dandy(just like a regular day at the office) then you get to the wiring part. You follow your instructions(similarly to your sales training) but then as you get to the more complex parts of the wiring(say objection handling in sales, or negotiation) you cross a wire and get a short. Now your radio doesn't want to work. So know you are driving down the street with a radio that turns on and off every time you go over a bump(just like the objection handling and negotiation that happens in your sales process). You need to get the wiring done all over again. And that is ok, we are human and we make mistakes, the idea is to learn from these mistakes. If you find that you are doing the same mistake over and over. Reach out and get the training you need. If you like to work on electronics you obviously need to go to school to learn all the intricate details of how to wire tech stuff. Well we would say the same thing about sale. We simply teach and supervise the cold calling aspect of sales. Yes you need the training. But this is a good thing remember.
Torture:
OK so are you done suffering? This is why you are reading this right now thinking "I am really dreading work tomorrow". Why does it have to be work, as the narrator of this message let me ask you something " Isn't this your career that you picked?" better yet "Did you get into this to make lots of money thinking it was going to be easy" C'mon people let me take you out of this nightmare. You thought it was it going to be easy, it can be. You have to get the right ammunition to fit the right gun for you to go out and hunt the right kind of game.
Loop:
Is there that same loop running in your head? You know the one that is telling you to skip work tomorrow. The one that tells you to get another job. STOP... DROP...And ROLL-out of bed and take charge of your attitude and your thoughts. You are sitting in the very spot that you put yourself in... think about it, all the decisions that you have chosen in your life time have led you to this very moment. If you disagree then you would be sitting somewhere else reading a different blog. I know it's not easy to do or say but it can be if you make an effort. It starts with one decision, then it takes one action, then commitment, then you are in movement... soon you are on a new path.
Locomotive:
What???? well you want a new path. Lets look at a locomotive. It can more hundreds of thousands of pounds of material and equipment. The locomotive doesn't questions its own existence(even if it could) all it knows that if it starts off slow that it will eventually pick up momentum and soon enough be on its path to deliver its goods to its final destination. We know that you can do the same. If you want to return to the gym start off slow. You will get on that track soon enough. If you need a conductor(trainer) higher one. You want to be a better cold caller(great at prospecting) hire V.I.P.'s (Very Important Prospecting, Inc.)we will take you there.
Wiring:
Don't be hard on your self, please! the world is hard enough on you. The last thing you need is to bring yourself down. Keep in mind the energy that you are placing in front of you, the negative Nancy in the office or Negative George (making it up as we go) this is detrimental to your success. But here is the big test, what if you are the Negative Nancy or Negative George? Fix it. Think about what you are going to say before you say it. You might be your own worst enemy. We don't have a problem telling you if you are. We do it to make you a better person and to empower you, not to degrade you. It's about wiring your thought process to help yourself to help others.
Get going:
There is no better time that right now.
Thought+Decision+Commitment+Acti0n=Momentum=Path of least resistance= Happier you!


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Someone is always listening:

Who?:
This can be a scary thought, but we are going to empower ourselves with it. There are many variables(things that happen) to account for. Who is listening? Well... what kind of environment are you subjecting yourself to? Meaning, do you work in an office? Maybe a production plant or a factory of sorts. How about a sales environment? Maybe on the stock exchange. The point is that you are always around people.
Scenario:
Let's say that you just got off the phone or done talking with a client or fellow co-worker, and(yes there is an "and") the discussion gets a bit out of hand, meaning that there is a little bit of a disagreement between both parties (you and the other person). This is where you  are going to be in a heighten state of emotions. This is a good thing and a bad thing, Let us explain...
Good thing? Why?
Because there's passion behind what you believe in. But (darn but again) there are also others involved. They have passion too. You have to find the medium, the center. This is why in our forensics cold calling class we teach and remind sales professionals about this, you have to be aware of what is going on at all times, even though you get emotional. There needs to be a balance and you are responsible for this. You are a sales professional a professional presenter. If you present anger that is what you are pitching, get it? You pitch positive and you get positive.
Bad thing? Why?
Here we go.... You ever play domino's on the floor when you line them back to back so they all knock each other down? Domino effect. The one thing we want to prevent is self-destruction in your environment, great leaders don't lose their cool in public. They don't lose their temper at employees and if there is something wrong they look for a solution. Be aware of your surroundings if you get to that heighten state of emotion. Go outside, take a walk, go to your car and yell. The point is do not do it in front of others. People will talk and rumors will spread. The wrong words can slip out of your mouth pertaining to the details of a transaction or how you really feel about your boss. And the domino effect will start.
Wonder:
You ever wonder what would have happened if you didn't say that one thing at work that people knew about? That rumor? The kiss that happened at the Christmas party that shouldn't have happened? It's about the actions that you place, causing a reaction in the workplace. Physics?? I thought this was about sales? Everything applies.We can even call this the Law of self sabotage. Think of being proactive not reactive. I know easier said than done. If that is the case we are here to remind you. Someone has to.
Point:
Sensor-ship is key, going back to Law # 4 (always say less than necessary). Study it get to know it. If you want more on it email us at Info@VeryImportantProspectinginc.com and we will go over it in detail.



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Commit to the Moment

Observation:
There was a young man talking about “the moment”. Thinking about the actual “present moment”. How does that relate to us? He said “If you commit to one moment, the next moment instantly reveals itself to you, you really don’t have to work hard at it, if one moment is true the next moment reveals it’s self to you and the next moment again reveals itself.” and so on. Lets say you are standing in a work out position leaning over and touching your toes(try it), then as you begin to stand up straight your back(vertebra’s) are aligning one vertebra at a time until you are standing straight. Simple observation right? Lets analyze…
Analysis:
You start in the workout position standing tall and leaning over touching your toes. As you begin your journey back to the top(standing up straight) you decide to deviate from your commitment and begin to turn(not deal with the objections in sales) or get distracted(in a relationship maybe look at another man or women) then as you continue to your journey to the top you begin to feel pain(in sales it’s not paying attention to your techniques/transaction flow)(in a relationship it’s the “why did you look at her/him”) well it looks like you did not commit to each moment. As you continue your journey to the top you feel nothing but pain and discomfort. It can be felt personally or professionally, why is that?
Insight:
Pay attention, commit to the moment so as you continue your journey to the top, you’re not going to feel any pain or discomfort using the right technique. Working with a personal trainer(Sales its VIP’s) allows you to learn the right technique so you don’t get hurt. We understand pain and discomfort we know that you don’t want to feel the rejection (throughout the sales process). Don’t let your ego stand in your way of achieving great things, then you begin to take short cuts. you begin to say I can workout on my own(yes we know you hit the gym for a day and then never go back) but guess what? Every month you continue to pay for that membership to a place that you never visit. Next time talk to that personal trainer(professionally we are here too) to get the right techniques(Sales training) down and then when you are ready to go out on your own you will be ready.
Asking:
The hardest thing to do is to ask for help, we know. That is why we cold call, because it’s easier to ask if someone needs help. Next time you are out in town and you see someone who needs help(you know this because you are observant) ask them. You will feel great for helping, and they will be grateful for you asking.Step out of your comfort zone and be bold, and do it with style not arrogance. Try this, on your birthday if you go get your car washed or maybe at some random place like a yogurt shop ask them if they give away anything for a birthday, there could be a surprise with what they say.
Thought:
It takes the same amount of energy to be happy than it does to be sad. What do you want? We want you to be happy.




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Your Best Ally

Secretaries, Assistants, Gatekeepers and other key support personnel: (We will refer to them as S.A.G.)
They are intelligent, valuable and the most important variable in this equations. People misunderstand that these S.A.G.’s aren’t powerful enough to take seriously. Do not under-estimate the S.A.G. They are your most valuable resources, as to find out as much about your prospective client. You just have to be nice and respectful. There might be bitterness and misunderstanding but since you called them and interrupted their day you have to place nice.
As previously noted in our Blug(Business Blog), Our trainer had placed a call to the founder of Carl’s Jr. Corporation. If it wasn’t for the Executive Assistant to the founder our trainer would have not been placed in front of him. The point is, how the interaction took place between the gatekeeper and our trainer.
Lets analyze this scenario:
Cold call placed at 8:27 am Wednesday morning to the Carl’s Jr. Corporate office. The Executive Assistant picks up the phone. (If you want to know how to keep the gatekeeper engaged you will have to take our course) Once the initial rapport building was made we ask one of our first questions “is if this is a good time to talk?”. After getting the OK to talk(ask for permission to speak to that person, even if it’s the S.A.G.). we interrupted their day. There were some probing questions as to who is the overall person that handles all the decisions for the company(Ask who the decision maker is, if you are talking to the wrong person during your entire sales process this can lead to a lost sale). We needed to find out who was the person that specifically handles transaction with equipment.
Our Friendly S.A.G. stated that the best person to speak to talk to was Mr. Karcher himself, at that moment she did not know who would be the best person and that he would have the right contact or knowledge as to whom would help me.( That is another note, call in with the notion that you need help, you are bound to have less resistance)
When the call was patched through we were very surprised to be speaking to the man himself (Mr. Karcher) we share this because we want you to be empowered with the thoughts that a cold call does not have to be frightening and that you can contact anyone. Like our classes on Forensic cold calling, the idea is to approach with an investigative mind not a salesmen mentality. The conversation with Mr Karcher was one of the most memorable experiences to pass along to you. We realized early on in our sales career that having the right attitude (positive) and professionalism anyone can help you get to the top. After about a 7-10 minute conversation with Mr. Karcher he had stated that he would reference me to his legal staff and patch me through with him right away to ensure that the call with him would get me the outcome that I was looking for.
Point:
Be clear with your objective. Don’t sound scripted, that will put up more walls. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Even if it means asking the big boss for help. Besides he knows his organization better than you. This is where you don’t want to assume. Be polite people, to many times do we hear snotty, cocky, ego-centric people on the phone throwing their title around just to get what they want. Is that really the picture what you want to paint of yourself to your prospective client.
Imagine:
What if you met your client? The reality is that people will judge you on or off the phone. Don’t be that person that person that the S.A.G. talk about when you walk in the room and they say “ohh I remember him/her now that was that awful person I spoke with on the phone”. When you leave the room or that place of business that person is going to highly influence the owner of that company. Why does this happen? Because they work there. You don’t. We are bringing awareness to you, someone has to.

VIP's

Plugged In

On Scene:
In recent conversation there was a thought that was brought up about all the technology that is available at our fingertips. The comment was “Are you plugged in?” As the conversation launched and there was words tossed back and forth like a friendly game of tennis, both parties were fully engaged with one another. We thought WOW!! now that is being “Plugged In”. Or is it?
Awareness:
It set in like a rapid thunderstorm, with all the social media outlets and facets there are so many ways to be “Plugged In”. The question is brought up, “how are you plugging in using today’s technology”? Would you agree that it’s using the right outlet? The proper method to communicate with your audience, either of one or many.
Moment:
Use the proper channels to be in the moment. To engage with your audience. The focus of VIP’s training is to master a certain niche, a specific trait that will help you become a master of your craft. For us it’s the art of cold calling/prospecting.
Example: A professional race car driver might do what we think is simple laps on the course, but(yes there is a but) he/she has practiced day in and day out to know how the car is going to handle(the anticipation of the clients needs) how the car is going to respond to the drivers mannerisms(your clients reactions to your sales process). Feeling the way the car moves and anticipating the direction of the car(you’re intuition of the objections you’re going to get).
“Plugged In”:
It can mean a lot of different things depending on who you are talking to. What’s important to you? Once again we want to focus on you not going against the grain, if you are a powerful networker keep it going. If you are a powerful phone prospector keep that going too. If you are going to implement something new do it in MODERATION, that way you don’t get discouraged. It’s like going to the gym, if you give it all you have the first day especially if you haven’t done it in a while you won’t go back for a long time. Once again take it in moderation. Plus you will enjoy it better as time goes on.
VIP’s