It is in Giving that we Receive

By Patrick Mahan

This is when businesses start brainstorming how they can EXTRACT more value from their customers in the new year.

But the businesses brainstorming how to create and GIVE more value to their customers are the ones that really get it.

Strategist vs. Chemist

Sports and business are a lot alike. Some of the best coaches in history were not the best strategist, but rather the best chemist. They knew team chemistry was more important to success than individual talent or even X's and O's. They knew how to get everyone pulling in the same direction toward a common goal.

Unfortunately, most business strategy often neglects team building and focuses more on profits. But profits are like wins, a by-product of great chemistry.

"Synergy comes before strategy." - John Calipari, head coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats, 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball National Champions

Steve Jobs Best Marketing Advice

Some of the best marketing advice you'll ever hear in this 7 minute speech by Steve Jobs to Apple employees in 1997.

As he explains, it's not about features and benefits. And it's not about comparing yourself to the competition. It's about discovering your core value—who you are and what you stand for—then communicating that clearly and passionately to your target audience.

Example: Nike sells a commodity. Shoes are boring. But when we think of Nike, we feel something different than a shoe company. Why? Watch the video and find out...

Video link: http://youtu.be/vmG9jzCHtSQ

Who Else Hates Fine Print?

By Patrick Mahan

"Read the fine print."

Have you ever been told that? It's a line used by businesses that don't love their customers.

Everyone hates fine print. Your customers hate it. And you hate it—when the tables are turned and YOU are the customer. So get rid of it!

Consider reviewing your policies, contracts, procedures, hand books, terms of service, conditions of sale, etc. at least once every year and put yourself in your customers' shoes. Is there is anything that would irritate you if YOU were on the other side of the table? If so, weed it out. Is all that legal jargon really necessary? And (big question) would you actually enforce it? If not, toss it.

The key to earning and retaining customers is making their experience enjoyable and hassle-free.

I got a coupon in the mail recently from a retail store offering 20% off. But the fine print pretty much excluded everything in the store. What's the point? Why bait people with a misleading headline? Sure, you might hook a few fish. But fish don't like to be hooked. And neither do people.

Airlines are notorious for their fine print. You work hard to build up frequent flyer miles, but when you're finally ready to cash them in what happens... black out dates! You should have read the fine print.

The used car salesman promises you the world, but when your car breaks down, the service department says the warranty doesn't cover it. You should have read the fine print.

The opportunity here is for you to remove your fine print and set yourself apart from the competition. If your competitor is notorious for their long list of restrictions, then you should turn their weakness into your biggest strength.

Example: Airline A charges a $25 baggage fee for the first bag, $30 for the second bag (as long as the bag is under 45 pounds. Anything over 45 pounds constitutes a $20 surcharge and a dirty look). Oh... and there will also be a $5 convenience fee. Why? Because we can.

Now, Airline B has an opportunity. They could advertise no hidden fees and—as long as they stand behind their promise—they come out looking like a hero.

And if you're going to offer a money back guarantee... then do it. And don't attach three pages of stipulations and asterisks.

I also got a free movie ticket recently. But when I got to the box office window they said, "Sorry, you can't use this for new releases". So I picked an older movie. Then they said, "Sorry, you can't use this on weekends." I guess I should have read the fine print typed in 3 point font, upside down on the back of the coupon.

I like the slogan of Outback Steakhouse... No Rules, Just right. Too bad more businesses don't follow their lead. But then again... no one every goes to Outback Steakhouse because it's always too crowded.

So when it comes to setting and enforcing your rules, consider acting more like Mayberry's Sheriff Andy Taylor and less like the Gestapo.

I appreciate it when businesses make things simple with no strings attached. Don't you?

When is the last time you reviewed your fine print? Do it today. And make sure you are looking at it from the customers' perspective. And you might want to review the Golden Rule while you're at it.

6 Steps to Turn a Wish into Reality

By Patrick Mahan
In order to turn your wishes into reality, it's important to understand the evolution of a wish.
Step 1 = WISH 
Everything begins with a wish. A thought enters your head such as, “I wish I had a new house.” A wish is an important first step, but a wish is weak.
Step 2 = DESIRE
A wish must evolve into a desire. The stronger the desire, the more likely you are to achieve it. Look at the word desire, de- (meaning from), sire (meaning father). So, in a spiritual sense, a desire comes "from the Father". When a wish pops into your head, believe that it wouldn't have popped into your head unless you had the power to achieve it. To give your wish strength, you must emotionalize it. Emotions provide the fuel to mobilize your wish. Charge it with emotions until it becomes a burning desire, something you crave.
Step 3 = INTENTION
The next stage is Intention. Once you have a burning desire, you must set a clear intention. “I intend to purchase a new house.” An intention is an anticipated outcome. It is a strong declaration. At this stage, you have fully internalized and visualized the accomplishment coming to pass.
Step 4 = CONVICTION 
In the courtroom, you need EVIDENCE to get a conviction. It's the same in life. In order to achieve your dreams, you must turn your "weak wishes" into "strong convictions". At this stage, you are firm in your belief. So firm that you carry forward despite what others may say to dissuade you. You'll need strong supporting evidence (past successes, examples from your own life and the lives of others, that this goal is possible to achieve). In 1954, Roger Bannister become the first person EVER to run a mile in under 4 minutes. But then, within a year, 20 more people broke the 4-minute mile barrier. The barrier wasn't physical. Like most things, it was mental. Once Bannister presented "evidence" that it could be done, others were then filled with a conviction that they could do it too. And they did.
Step 5 = INSPIRATION
The final stage in the evolution of a wish—leading to fulfillment—is inspiration. When you reach this stage, your wish has fully matured. Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “Motivation is when you grab hold of an idea and carry it through to the end. But inspiration is when an idea grabs hold of you and carries YOU through to the end.”  You must be fully inspired to make your dreams a reality.
Step 6 = FULFILLMENT
This is where you take ownership of your “gift” and most importantly… show gratitude. You'll find the more gratitude you show, the more wishes will be fulfilled.

5 Step Business Plan

Things don't have to be complicated to be effective.

I've been thinking a lot lately, trying to pinpoint the basic ingredients that make some businesses great. Here's what I came up with—a very basic five step business plan...

1. Employees come first. You can't pull the cart all by yourself. So treat your team members like gold and they'll pull harder for you.

2. Create something (a product or service or idea) that is truly remarkable and wrap it in a story that people can relate to and want to share.

3. Get it into as many hands as possible (give it away at first if you have to).

4. Reward the people who are telling your story. Treat them like royalty and they'll reward you with loyalty.

5. Profits start flowing when loyal customers begin evangelizing for you. Take a big chunk of those profits and re-invest it into improving the Customer Experience.

What do you think? What would you add (or change)?

How to Grow Your Business the Seth Godin Way

By Patrick Mahan

Seth Godin is a marketing genius. Pick up any one of his best-selling books and it will change the way you think about marketing forever.

I found a video on YouTube, an interview in which Seth talks about how to make your small business indispensable. It is packed full of game-changing tips that will help you take your company to the next level. It's also a great primer if you've never read any of Seth's books, as it gives a brief overview of some of his most important philosophies.

I've included the video at the end of this post so you can watch it for yourself. But first, I'd like to share with you some of the key take-aways from the video.

As Seth explains, the old way of marketing is broken. The old way, "Interruption Marketing", was all about standing on the mountain top and broadcasting your message to the masses and hoping to capture their attention while they were busy doing other things. The theory was: If you yelled at people loud enough and often enough, then you would make enough money to pay for all that yelling.

"[Marketers were] yelling at people who didn't want to hear from them about stuff they didn't want to hear about." - Seth Godin

But today, technology has changed everything. People can screen their phone calls with Caller ID. They can skip television commercials with tools like TIVO. They can block internet pop-up ads. And SPAM filters help keep annoying marketers out of your email inbox.

Yet it seems that the harder consumers try to lock marketers out, the harder marketers try to pick the lock!

Think about how misguided that strategy is... If someone slams the front door in your face, then they're going to be really annoyed when you start knocking on the back door! And that's what a lot of marketers are essentially doing. Trying to beat the system. Trying to invent clever ways to "slip past the doorman".

Well, guess what? People don't like it! They've made that clear. So quit marketing to people in ways they don't like to be marketed to!

Personal, Timely and Relevant

As Seth says, your message must be "personal, timely and relevant." When you craft your message in a way that speaks directly to your prospect (like a one-to-one conversation vs. a public broadcast) and you deliver that message at a relevant time (like a plumber offering a coupon to a new home owner) people will appreciate that. And by giving them something of value, they are much more likely to grant you permission to continue marketing to them—as long as you don't violate their trust (by sending impersonal, poorly timed, irrelevant messages).

So earning permission is crucial. It's the equivalent of being invited into someone's home. And it's the polar opposite of the old, broken down "Interruption Marketing" strategy. You can learn more about this important distinction in Seth's landmark book, Permission Marketing. It will change your entire approach.

So how do you grow your business?

The key, based on Seth Godin's principles, seems to be a three-pronged approach:

1. Create a remarkable product or service that people like, trust and believe in
2. Wrap it in a story that is worth telling
3. Attract a tribe of like-minded individuals that will tell your story, spread the message, and attract more people into the tribe.

Read that list again. (I believe there was a carpenter who used a similar strategy about 2000 years ago with incredible success.)

"If you can lead a tribe, then the marketing will take care of itself." - Seth Godin

The tribe will spread your message for you (as long as you have a message worth spreading ... a story worth telling). It's word-of-mouth marketing at it's best.

"Turn strangers into friends, friends into customers, customers into salespeople." - Seth Godin

Make a Connection

Large businesses can afford to spend millions on mass marketing. Small business don't have that luxury. But they do have a distinct advantage. They're more human. And people like to connect with other people, not a faceless corporation.

Apple has been so successful thanks to the leadership of Steve Jobs. He gave Apple a human face. He created a brand image—a story—that Apple is created "by people, for people." As a result, people can connect with Apple in a way they can't connect with a corporation like IBM.

What about your company? Does it have a human face? Or is it just another impersonal, faceless corporation? Have you ever noticed that at the center of most great companies is a charismatic, highly-visible leader? A face people can connect with?

Tribes Don't Have to be Big to be Effective

"If you have 1000 true fans and those 1000 people are willing to drive across the country to watch you perform and those 1000 people tell their friends, then that's enough to make a big impact." - Seth Godin

How to Create a Tribe

Rule #1 is to be a person. Be authentic. Show off your personality. Tell the truth. Create remarkable products / services that people want. Things they genuinely want because they want them... not because you pushed it on them.

Rule #2 is ... Don't try to be all things to all people. A tribe is a group of like-minded individuals. And tribe members want to feel like they are members of a club. They want to be "insiders". And as Seth says, in order to have insiders, you must have outsiders. That means, you must be willing to say that your product or service isn't for everyone. If you play it safe and try to be all things to all people—and if you don't want to risk alienating anyone—then you'll find yourself standing in the middle of the road. And the middle of the road is where you get run over.

You must go to the edge. Be extreme. Don't be just another bland, vanilla brand that caters to the masses. It's okay if some people HATE your product, as long as a tribe of people LOVE it. And as long as you remain true to that tribe and continue weaving a story that your tribe members will evangelize (not just on your behalf, but on their behalf as well).

Social Media's Role

In the following video, Seth says there is good news and bad news regarding the rise of social media. The bad news is too many marketers are using social media as another way to SPAM people—don't do that! Social Media is not another channel to yell at people. Instead, use the power of social media to build a social network—a gathering place for your tribe.

The Interview

Now feel free to watch this video featuring Seth Godin. This is an interview I found on YouTube posted by BusinessZone.co.uk editor, Dan Martin.

Video link http://youtu.be/3vzuLbaMAF8

Clearly, I'm a big fan of Seth Godin. I've read most of his best-selling books and plan on reading the rest. I hope I've done justice to interpreting his marketing philosophies in this blog post! And I hope you'll find some of this useful.

Are you a fan of Seth Godin? Have you been able to implement any of his strategies into your business plan? I'd love to hear your comments.

Why Nobody Reads The Scarlet Letter

By Patrick Mahan

I recently read that the CliffsNotes version of the classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, outsells the real version three to one. What does that mean? It means people like shortcuts. The easy way out. The path of least resistance.

Here are a couple of take-aways...

1. If you own a company... make it super easy for customers to do business with you. Eliminate all barriers and friction. Remove the hurdles. Spoon feed them. That might mean filling out the paperwork for them. Removing the old appliances when delivering new ones. Having a real person answering your phones. Coming to them instead of them coming to you. Offering a finance plan. Eliminating the fine print. Offering a money back guarantee. Maybe a free trial period. How about no blackout dates? Do whatever it takes to create a path of least resistance and your customers will gladly follow that path.

2. If you work for a company... become a "shortcut" for your boss. Offer to do the things he does not want to do. Make his life easier. Rather than giving him a 20 page report, distill it down to something that is quick and easy to digest. A CliffsNotes version. When the boss needs something done, he turns to Cliff. Because Cliff gets things done. And he's willing to do things that make his boss's life easier. Be like Cliff.

Now... take a look at your company's processes, policies and procedures. Is there any way you could simplify things for your customers? Are there any rough edges that could be smoothed out?

If you step into your customers' shoes and walk through the entire buying process, chances are you will find a particular area where the road gets bumpy. It may be your check-out line. Or maybe your customer service department. Or maybe a hard to navigate website. Or poorly designed directional signage in your store making it hard for customers to find what they're looking for.

Remember, people don't like to jump through hoops. If any part of the buying process causes your customers frustration—or slows them down in anyway—they will start to look elsewhere. So don't waste their time. Your product may be superior (like the real version of The Scarlet Letter) but in today's world, if a customer can get a similar product or service faster and with less effort, they will choose the easier alternative. Probably three to one.

Dump trucks, Diamonds and Customer Service

By Patrick Mahan

Once upon a time, I worked for the largest furniture store in Texas. I was young—fresh out of college—and it was the beginning of my career in Sales and Marketing. Selling and delivering furniture wasn't much fun and I realized quickly that it was not something I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing.

But the lessons I learned in that furniture store will last a lifetime. And I owe a big heap of gratitude to the owner of that store, an eccentric businessman known throughout Houston as "Mattress Mack".

I've never met anyone with a mind like Mack. A marketing genius with a flair for wild promotions and an obsession with customer service. His commercials run every two minutes in the Houston area. If Disney built a furniture store, they would model it after this place. He greets customers at the front door. All day. Every day. And he signs autographs!

Inside the store—which is about the size of a Super Walmart—you'll find live monkeys, parrots, Elvis Presley's Cadillac, Jeff Gordon's NASCAR, Princess Diana's diamond neckless ... and of course, lots of furniture.

I could fill an entire blog with the lessons I learned at Gallery Furniture, but I'll just share a few here. Starting with Mack's "Dump Truck Story". I may not tell it exactly as I heard it years ago, but you'll get the idea...

Save Your Customers from Voice Mail Hell

By Patrick Mahan

Quick rant... 

If you own a business and like having customers, then STOP subjecting them to an automated answering machine. Especially one with a million menu options.

Remember the golden rule? Do Unto Others... I'm sure you hate it when YOU call a business and a machine makes you jump through a hundred hoops before you can talk to a real person. So why would you ever put your customers through this?

EVERYONE hates it. And EVERYONE wants to speak to a real person.

I guess the rationalization is... it saves money. Maybe? Maybe not? Staying in business and GROWING your business is all about creating a remarkable, amazing EXPERIENCE for each and every customer.

"Voice Mail Hell" is NOT a remarkable, amazing experience. It is hell. Especially when you select the wrong menu option and have to start over.

If you think this type of system saves money, then think about this... Your customers (aka the key to your survival) are getting restless. In today's world, competition is more fierce than ever before. And you are one of a million options. Customers can and will leave you if you do ANYTHING to frustrate them or make them feel anything less than the most important person in the world.

You may think you're saving money, but how much is it costing you? Because as soon as your competitor wakes up and pays a little extra to have a real person answer the phone, then your customers will gladly jump ship. And pay a little extra themselves to get real customer service.

If you want to be remarkable and if you want to distinguish yourself from your competitors, then answer your phone.

If you agree with this, then Press 1 for English. Press 2 for Spanish. If you do NOT agree and enjoy automated menus, Press 3. Now enter your account number, followed by the pound key. And then—after wasting 20 minutes of your life—when a real person FINALLY answers the phone... you get to repeat all of this again!

Does your company use an automated answering machine with menus? Please tell me why. I'm genuinely interested.

A Priceless Marketing Lesson From My 18-month-old Niece

By Patrick Mahan

Marketing gimmicks don't have to be expensive to work. Take this for example...

Yesterday, we took our 18-month-old niece to Firehouse Subs for lunch. She ordered a kids' meal, which was served inside a plastic firefighter hat. Pretty simple. Pretty obvious. But pretty smart.

Why? Because that plastic hat—which only costs about 25 cents to produce—is still hanging out in my garage. And even after we throw the hat away, the picture we took of my niece wearing the hat will last forever.

What's the marketing lesson here? Two things...

1. Give your guests/customers/clients a "takeaway"—something that will trigger them to think about you later when you're not around.
   
   
2. You don't have to spend a fortune. While so many companies are ineffectively spending millions of dollars on mass media (television, radio, print ads), Firehouse hit a home run with a 25-cent plastic hat.

Now it's your turn ... What "takeaway" can you give your customers? A souvenir, a token, a gift, a prize—something that they will stumble across a week from now, or a year from now, and cause them to think about you.

BONUS TIP: If you want to get even more mileage out of this idea, make your takeaway "photogenic". That is, something that people are likely to take a picture of and share with their social networks. In this case, we took a picture of our niece wearing the Firehouse Subs hat and posted it on Facebook. And now, lots of people have seen that little red hat... not a bad return on a 25-cent investment!

A Quick Business Lesson from Einstein and Henry Ford

By Patrick Mahan

Einstein said, "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." He wasn't advocating stealing other people's ideas, he was just saying that there's no reason to reinvent the wheel.

Ideas are everywhere. And creativity is about observing the world around you, building upon the ideas of others and then making them your own.

In business, we can implement this idea by studying "parallel industries".

One of the best examples of borrowing an idea from a parallel industry is Henry Ford and the assembly line. Contrary to popular belief, Ford did not invent the assembly line. He borrowed the idea from the slaughterhouses in Chicago's meatpacking district. He saw how a line of butchers disassembled various parts of the product as it moved along a conveyor belt, took that idea and then revolutionized automobile manufacturing.

Did he steal the idea? Of course not. He just observed what others were already doing and adapted the concept to fit his own business.

Another example: In 1981, American Airlines launched the first wide-scale frequent flyer program. Since then, restaurants, credit card providers, retailers, and many other businesses, have followed suit by implementing their own versions of loyalty rewards programs with much success.

What do radio stations, movie theaters and airlines have in common? They all sell a time-sensitive commodity. Unsold seats remain unsold forever once the movie starts or once the plane takes off. And once a radio program starts, any unsold commercial slots remain unsold forever. These are different industries with similar problems. What can they learn from each other? How can they borrow ideas from each other and use similar strategies to sell unsold slots at the last minute? Or find other creative ways to recover lost profits after the fact?

If you're a realtor who sells homes, what could you learn from Hollywood movie directors about staging and lighting and setting a mood and crafting a powerful emotional experience?

Can you think of any ideas you and your business could borrow from parallel industries?

Stop Glorifying Mass Murderers!

By Patrick Mahan

There is a fine line between Freedom of the Press and irresponsible journalism. Dubbing the most recent shooting tragedy "The Batman Massacre" and glorifying the incident only encourages other deranged people in what has become a psychotic game of "top that" among pathetic losers.

I wish they would pass a law banning the media from publishing their names and photos because these shooters seem to be motivated by one thing ... headlines. The "breaking news" story is what fulfills their sick fantasy. And I'm afraid these incidents will only get worse as long as the media is allowed to continue fulfilling their fantasies.

These shooters seem to fit a profile... intellectual introverts with a superiority complex. A shy, self-centered and often paranoid person who thinks he's smarter and better than everyone else. He is someone who has set high (maybe unrealistic) expectations for himself and he wants the world to see how smart and powerful he is.

As the famous psychologists William James said, "The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." But these murderers don't feel appreciated. They feel ignored. They want attention. But their introverted disposition holds them back and creates abnormal frustrations.

Eventually, life inside their "shell" becomes like a pressure cooker. Their frustration reaches a boiling point and they explode from their shell in a violent rage. They demonstrate their "intelligence" by planning a coordinated attack. And they demonstrate their superiority by destroying others. If they can't have the biggest house on the block, then they'll tear down everyone else's.

Another common theme among these perpetrators seems to be a history of rejection by the opposite sex. They are unable to establish fulfilling relationships (both emotionally and sexually) which challenges their masculinity. So, as a result of all these factors, they lash out against the society that has supposedly ignored them and held them back. And the media attention they know they'll receive is their way of saying, "How do you like me now?"

I believe a lot of these criminals have delusions of grandeur and actually start out wanting to be the hero. But society doesn't give them the recognition they crave. So, sensing that they will never be able to live up to the high expectations they have set for themselves—and feeling rejected—they take an alternative path... if they can't be the hero, then they'll be the villain.

ABC News consultant Dr. Michael Welner, a forensic psychiatrist who, as chairman of the Forensic Panel of New York City has studied and testified about mass shootings, said: "An angry and destructive fantasy graduates into a righteous cause that gives a killer the notion of greatness through destruction. The attention and notoriety he knows he will get further validate his choice to become an antihero." (source)

Dr. Welner has also suggested, "Mass shooting cases have the common motive of an attacker seeking immortality. They’re people who are unfailingly unable to form satisfying sexual attachments and their masculinity essentially gets replaced with their fascination for destruction." (source)

Ultimately, it seems these perpetrators are looking for a platform... and the media keeps giving them exactly what they want.

What are your thoughts? Would a "gag order" banning the media from publishing the names and photos of mass murder suspects help deter future tragedies... or would such a law violate constitutional freedoms?

Tip the Scales! Increase Sales by Positioning Yourself as the Low Risk Solution

By Patrick Mahan

"Most people won't change until the pain of where they are exceeds the pain of change." - Dave Ramsey

I love this quote from finance guru, Dave Ramsey. And it applies to selling just as much as it applies to personal finance strategies and ... life in general.

For customers, every significant buying decision is like a balancing act. Imagine two scales. On one side is THE PAIN OF WHERE THEY ARE NOW. On the other side is THE PAIN OF CHANGE.

As a salesperson, you have to tip the scales. You must show the prospect that THE PAIN OF WHERE THEY ARE NOW is worse (more painful) than the hassle, burden or PAIN that may potentially come along with the process of changing.

When you're selling a product or service, one of the biggest hurdles you have to overcome is inertia. That is, getting people to MOVE... take action... make a decision.

Often times, their hesitation may have nothing to do with you or the quality of your product or service. It may simply be that either they are reluctant to the idea of change (I've always used Brand X), or maybe they just don't want to put forth the effort (switching insurance agencies to get a lower rate makes sense, but is it worth the hassle?).

Here's a good way to look at it... Imagine every customer asking the question, "Do the benefits received outweigh the burdens endured?" Most customers are thinking this, but never actually ask. So engineer your sales approach around answering that unspoken question.

As you know, most people don't like change. They delay making a decision because doing nothing and sticking with what they've always done is easier. It's the path of least resistance. It allows them to stay inside their comfort zone.

As a salesperson, your job is to overcome that inertia and get them to move. And that involves helping them get out of their own way! Deep down they want to buy, but pulling the trigger is often the hardest part. It's like a person standing on the edge of a diving board... sometimes all they need to take the plunge is a little reassurance and encouragement!

To do this, you have to create discomfort / dissatisfaction. Create an uncomfortable itch for the customer (associate that discomfort with their current situation), then offer them a low-risk, hassle-free solution. The more you can associate low-risk, low-hassle with your product/service, the more likely they are to buy.

In sales, it's really not about having a slick sales pitch packed full of features and benefits... it's more about positioning yourself as the low risk, low hassle, easy, and convenient solution to their current "problem".

Imagine selling a washing machine... most salespeople will jump right into features and benefits...

"This machine comes with a patented NO-SHAKE SYSTEM, which means it vibrates 50% less than conventional washing machines. And it has a built-in Power Steamer, which gently steams your clothes, giving you whiter whites and less wrinkles!"

By this time, the customer's defenses are up. She feels like she's being sold. And if she's like most people these days, she already did her research on the Internet (and probably knows more about this particular product than the salesman). But the salesman was so anxious to jump into his "pitch" that he failed to get to the heart of the matter. That is, "What's wrong with your old machine?"

Once the lady lists all the things wrong with her "old" machine, she is well on the way to selling herself. The PAIN OF WHERE SHE IS NOW has been reinforced. And the salesman didn't pitch anything! He just asked one simple question. A question that uncovered the PAIN that brought her into the store.

Next, the salesman (who has two ears and one mouth which means he LISTENS twice as much as he talks) now simply re-plays what the lady told him...

"You mentioned that your clothes were coming out of your old machine with stains? [continue to reinforce the concept of her "old machine". Psychologically, you want to distance her from it and put it in the past.]

Once you've answered her questions, begin removing the natural fears, worries, and hesitations that come with making significant purchase decisions. Reduce the PAIN OF CHANGE. Make owning this new machine easy. In this case, that may be offering to remove her old machine. Or it may be offering to install the new machine. Or it may be 12 months no interest financing. Or it may be an extended warranty. Do whatever you can to lessen THE PAIN OF CHANGE (the pain of making a decision). Remove the hurdles. Ease her mind. Solve her problem. Make the sale.

Again, it's all about positioning yourself as the low risk, low hassle, easy solution. So many sales people pile on the features and benefits when all they really need to do is ask the customer "Where does it hurt?" Then show them how to ease the pain.

Risks and Rewards

By Patrick Mahan

Next time you're presented with an opportunity, weigh the risks and rewards and ask yourself if the juice is worth the squeeze. But don't over-analyze. And don't get caught in the "analysis paralysis" trap where the decision churns inside your head until the opportunity evaporates.

Think back to your most glorious moments in life... Chances are they came as the result of you taking a risk. Rather than saying "no" or "I'll pass" or doing nothing and playing it safe, you said "Yes!" and took a leap of faith.

There's an old saying: If you want to pick the fruit, then you've got to go out on a limb. So don't stand there with the bat on your shoulder. Swing away! Just be disciplined enough not to swing at bad pitches.

Do you find this to be true? If you think about the best things that have happened to you, can those things be traced back to a moment when you took some sort of risk?

If you're facing a decision today - and are worried about the risks involved - remember those moments from your past when you said "Yes!", followed your passion, trusted your intuition, and stepped out in faith. It seems often times the greater the risk, the greater the reward.