Wisdom in Silence

... There's a story about a wise old man and his garden. This old man never spoke. It wasn't because he couldn't or he had nothing to say.

He believed that language deceived and that by its very nature it clouded the truth, it made the world harder. This wise old man he believed the truth lived only in silence. He communicated by other means, like the food he prepared from his garden that conveyed his affections and gratitude although it was indifferent, far better than any words could convey. And it was said that this Wise Old man, he could change minds in that way. He could persuade in the most profound ways. And could soften the hardest of hearts without ever saying one word.

The old man was an exceptional listener, while he was cooking he was doing much more than prepping or chopping, he was observing. Observing closely, very closely to the people who he was about to serve. Using all of his human sensory perceptions in concert. He listened and watched how they looked at, smelled, ate and chewed the food he prepared. He observed their table manners or etiquette. He watched how they reacted or didn't. He persuaded in ways completely unexpected.

As I've always maintained... do what people don't expect. Especially if you want to be essential instead of optional. As I've also said many times, being optional is a very bad strategy. Being different to the point of slightly eccentric, is a huge advantage and keeps you at the top of your prospects mind and the stack on their desk. Your carefully selected choice of words, come from your vocabulary garden. (Make sure you have a large variety of vegetables / words to choose from) Your product or service is the food you serve. Your presentation is the preparation of the food, as exampled above.

Your ability to remain silent as much as possible is your dynamic advantage that so many sales and marketing people miss out on. They just become part of the clutter of noise, and / or over presented ingredients in a word salad with too much dressing. Let your silence do the talking. Let your ingredients be tasted as nature intended...don't over season. The more time people spend trying to figure you out, the more you're on their mind..and that's a good thing! Be wise like the old man.

Ben Franklin once said "well done is better than well said, some things you control some you don't, the key is to never give up."

PS, Either you're at the table or you're on the menu, this is similar to ham and eggs, the chicken was involved but the pig is fully committed!

Essential verses optional one hour talk now available, customized for you and your guest clients specific needs...

​​​Brent's wardrobe is made by

If that's what you want to project, then keep dressing casually.  I don't think its very wise, once that mind set is projected out, its very hard to send the other professional or concerned mindset.  You can always dress down only AFTER you have established intellectual boundaries and expectations of other people while building professional relationships with clients and so on.  But if you maintain a professional business appearance, it's better over time for both you and your clients opinion of you. Certainly for your climb to the top.  

Zig Ziglar used to say.." before you walk out the door in the morning give yourself a check up from the neck up".  He wasn't only talking about your thought and mental preparation. Nor was he talking about checking for a bat in the cave or food in the tooth!  General professional appearance was also the meaning of that statement.
Today, I think we all need to do a check up from the deck up, feet to neck, head to toe.  The things I see while out and about doing business is sometimes mind blowing.  I see people with shoes that don't hold a shine and are even made of cloth, or fabric that look very similar to house slippers!... (Women can get away with this)  If you're one of the clowns wearing converse sneakers with a suit and tie...please stop, the circus is for people who want to be amused by clowns!

Of course I understand why you might want to mirror your clients or prospective ones!   However, some people, smart ones, have learned how to test your self image or mindset by dressing down and watching how you react, looking for personal appearance slip ups such as casual unconcerned business attire!  There are many ways to get others to show their true self to you. If certain people are unconcerned, they really shouldn't be selling their self or any product / service to anyone!

Ask yourself...would you want to hire or do business with someone who looked unconcerned? I wouldn't and I certainly don't hire people who project that sort of appearance. Casual business attire is only acceptable regarding business professionals who have already aspired up and arrived at the top, or made it to their desired leadership position!  Even then, remember you're setting an example to your team / employees! There's an old rule or saying, dress for the job you want.  There's a very good reason for that, Think about it!   If you up your game, you have a better chance of winning!  That includes thinking up and aspiring up. Be careful of the trash you allow to be put into your mind.

Yes sometimes we intentionally put a scuff on a shoe or a mustard stain on a tie, in order to appear as one of the common people.  Image consultants who consult politicians are well versed and practiced with this tactic.  Use it wisely, if at all. 
Slight or subtle body language behaviors or persona (facial expressions) also have a huge impact with others.  That ties in to all of this in the 1 hour talk. 

The take away from this is....Don't be a CASUALTY of thinking, acting or appearing unconcerned.  This applies to your speaking as well!  Their is no such thing as "business casual" in a professional environment!  The old cliche statement ... 'there's never a second chance for a first impression', is still true to this day and more important than ever. Being dressed for success ensures the impression you give to others is a professional one!

Too much electronic communication attempts also project casual.  Texting is VERY crass.  Surely you think more of your clients / customers or prospective ones, than just casually texting them?...

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From previous talks

Safeguard Your Own Forward Progress
...When you watch or read something over and over again, it actually gets less clear.  It starts to slither through your mind like some symptomatic brain eating centipede.

* Careful not to obsess when strategizing.  That's when you start trying to figure every possible move until no other move is possible.  Then you try to figure it out more, until your cause or goal owns you, instead of you owning it.  Do you want to be owned like that?  That's why companies like mine exist, I work the challenge, then work you and your people through it.  Figuring in all the work-around's, countermeasures, etc.

* Safeguard your own forward progress... Some people are too busy distracting themselves, worrying about all the externals, all the things outside of yourself that are impacting your life.  Wake up and realize, the only thing you can control in life is YOU.  Which does include what you do and say regarding every business meeting, presentation, conversation (through clever questioning and content planning), venture, or passion project you're engrossed in. 

* There's a psychological term when thinking that once you see or hear someone do something, that you can repeat the action unaided.   That term is called the "Dunning - Kruger Effect"  which stems from inflated self assessment.  It seems the less you know how to do something the more you're willing to believe you can accomplish it. 

* The flip side is that... Optimist live longer than pessimist and aren't as easily dissuaded from learning things in the early stages of learning something new.  But when things get hard, that's when pessimist put shoulder into sled, and push.  Because to them everything is difficult and exertion is the only reasonable choice.

*  Like most things, what you want to be able to control is your emotional range.  Control it enough to trigger whatever is useful in the micro moment.  Can YOU do that consciously?  That's one of the many things I can help you achieve.

*  How good of a listener are you?  People hardly listen to each other at all anymore, much thanks to social media / the technocratic agenda.  I'll lead your people back to the human race and the human factor again.  Just make sure your people are ready for some major change! 

Some of you have received this talk from me about 4? years ago.  Its been updated since.  As you know, things have drastically changed in our society and so should your mind set regarding the above samplings...

Professionally Succeeding or Casually Failing
...Have you completely decided whether you're a Business professional or a Business casual?
Technically, if you're a business casual minded person, you're setting your mindset the wrong direction.  Programming your mind with your physical appearance is more important than a lot of people realize in today's downward aspiring world!
Casual appearances create downward aspiration and is directly connected to your self image, which is connected to your business image which gets projected to your clients, prospective customers and the world. 

Careful not to condition your mindset the wrong direction.  If you dress UP, you go UP!   Expectations from yourself and others, get raised when your appearance is raised!   If you look like you have little concern for yourself, you send a message that you have little concern for clients.
The very definition of Casual is... Relaxed and UNCONCERNED! 

Stop Talking Yourself Out of Deals
...."Learning that its OK being quiet and sometimes even having that deer in the headlights look on your face, is more critical than that blabber mouth sales person may realize, (every company has one... or a dozen.) For decades trainers and consultants have been speaking about the critical importance of asking questions, which is the key to getting prospects and clients to open up to you!  Back in the day we explained... "selling is not telling, it's a series of well thought out questions, that lead your prospects to the buying decision" etc.  So here is what needs to happen. Prepare a few provocative involvement questions and then be prepared to extend their answers into meaningful reveals. You can ask historical questions (“Tell me about a time when _____” or “How did ______ come to be?”) or creativity questions (“What is your vision for_____?” or “What would you build if budget was no object?”) that's just to get the ball rolling. 

You will probably get pretty precise responses, so you’ll need to be on the ready to leverage what Frank Senso author of "Ask More" refers to as “questions without question marks.” Here’s how it works: Someone tells you about a situation they had in broad strokes and you lean in and say “go on!” This almost always provokes more detail and colorful answers from them. Another way to do this is to remark, “fascinating, tell me more” or “I’m following with you, continue.”

You can also simply grunt affirmatively as you nod your head and resist the urge to interject. If you will use these statements and show patience and restrain yourself from interrupting, your conversational partners will open up to you. If you butt in, saying, “hey, that happened to me,” that kills their storytelling process. If you cut them off to transition to your company, product or service, you’ll never get them back to story sharing. 

In many situations, your technique and patience will enable your conversational partners to learn something about themselves, their unstated beliefs and attitudes and what really drives them. Up until the meaningful and enriched conversation with you, he or she may never have had a chance to really talk-it-out fully.  Research shows that the fewer words you use and the more words your prospects use, your closing ratio goes up!  Many years ago we referenced this by explaining, "he who speaks first loses", especially when asking a closing question. You ask the thought provoking question, and shut up, I literally mean don't say a word, until your prospect first answers. If your prospect or client gives you an objection, or a stalled statement, you simply ask another question, like.."why do you feel that way?"  Or, why do you think that happened?" Or, am I hearing some hesitation in your voice regarding that question?, etc.

Research has proven and many authors have stated “People forget what they heard, but they remember almost everything they say.” We also know that the average person forgets about 70% of what they just heard, usually within a few minutes or an hour. (that info is a great closing tool for the prospects that want to "think it over”) I cover more on that in closing classes and workshops.  Practice shutting up, limiting your talking to asking questions. Too much blabbing about yourself, your product or your company can sometimes have the reverse effect. Arrange your presentation so the prospect ask you about your products / service details.  Remember, when your prospect and or clients, are asking questions, they're saying, "I'm interested!"  That, is a major part of your job, stimulating interest!  Of course that comes after, you've attracted attention.  After you have executed those two steps of the presentation or marketing plan, next you must create desire!  Then comes the all important, incite action! Close! That's right, good old AIDA... Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.But you will never get to know Aida, UNTIL you learn how to get your prospects to truly open up to you. That's done by asking the right questions and learning to stop blabbing!  Aida is a fickle and peculiar beast.  She may be a burden, If you are not properly engaged with her!  Engage in the conversation properly!  Stop talking yourself out of deals and start asking and listening into more!"

Reminders like the above are good for you and me!  If we're serious about success!  Remember, it's a journey not a destination!  Read everyday BEFORE your first encounter with people.  Cultivation to the mind, is as important as food is to the body!!!

The above reminder should not suggest you dismiss the importance of closing, until you become a skilled closer on your way to a master, you're nothing more than a conversationalist!!  You don't want that, it doesn't pay much! ;-)

How ever, always remember what I've maintained through out my talks and workshops over the last decade or so, regarding the old cliche statement ..." the ABC's of selling " is no longer about Always Be Closing.  The culture has morphed, and its now the ABV's of selling, which stands for Always Build Value!  This new approach and mindset allows you to close at a higher rate with more concrete effect.  All of your words need to project value...

You must also embrace and employ what are known as "bio luminous people." These are people who can ignite a brilliant, radiant light that sparks and lights up everyone in your business, spreading premium customer service principles like a wildfire! You must devote yourself to becoming a living light (Bio luminescence). Bio Luminous people don't just light up every room as they walk into it , they light up everyone else within it! Which activates people! When people are activated properly, they incite action, spreading it to others on your team and subsequently to customers like a blazing wildfire! All it takes is a spark, that SPARK is you and your people! It incites action, which creates the desire among your customers to buy more of what you are selling. Combine that with first-class high-value VIP treatment and you have BUILT CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE! Creating UNFORGETTABLE experiences is a direct result of bio luminous people who know how to let the sparks fly from the fire that burns in their belly!

So that being said, what you do after we have delivered the data and made the introduction between you and new consumers, is crucial! That's the value of our consultation and training. We don't just put new people through your door, we also show you how to keep them coming back for a lifetime, EARNING CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE! You must employ people who understand and have the mindset that they are ladies and gentlemen who are dealing with other ladies and gentlemen! As a mindset coach it's imperative that I coach myself as much if not more, than I coach my clients and their teams. For those of you who know me personally, you know my fire burns white hot! By the time I'm through with your people so will theirs, or they will be gone!

You must also embrace and incorporate imperative departmental collaboration practices into your company. Then utilize the steps and strategies found in the content of this text and what will be shared with you via the training / consultation. This is a process, and when executed correctly it will become company policy by default. Then it starts to make a real impact forward with your brand! You must also focus on consumer / customer relationships, ensuring they are being established and cultivated properly, step by step! This creates a total win for the entire company. Business genius is a team sport! You must know your ENTIRE team, in order to discover capabilities many of your people may possess, some of which are now hidden in plain-sight. When all of this happens, in concert, you're now learning to be essential, and not optional! Again, you ALSO need to be that living light! Don't be confused with the bio-luminescence, better known as the Lampyridae, or more commonly, a "lightning bug." They have the life span of about a day, a true flash in the pan. That's not you! Humans can also be biological living lights, via personality, passion and the fire that burns in their belly. That fire in your belly will kindle everything that drives and inspires you to change what you want to see in yourself, your company, the buying behaviors of your current and future customers and the world!

Our next level consulting services share all of this knowledge with you, and with all of your key people in every department! When all departments large or small, are collaborating efficiently, your engine is firing on all cylinders! Your target market and existing customer base won't be able to ignore it. The experience is just too powerful! Then they will feel the need to repeat the experience that your company provided, no matter what business you're in. Human Strategies correlated with intuitive technologies - the offspring of Strategically Intuitive people is better known as Stratuitive people who shine bright! Are you ready to go to the next level? We're ready to take you there! We can send you thousands of new customers via our data, but if your people are not properly prepared or trained on how to greet and cultivate the relationship, it won't matter in the long run!

In today's competitive marketplace, there's no room for lackadaisical low-performing, half-brilliant, 40 watt dim-lit people. Rather, you must have high wattage, brilliantly lit and passionate people who shine bright all of the time! Shine brilliantly against a society of overused technology, automation, and algorithms. They must realize they weren't hired to just perform a job. They are here to serve the purpose of surpassing all of your customers' expectations while creating memorable experiences and moments that delight and surprise your customers. These moments will morph into momentum; unstoppable momentum that your competitors simply won't have because they didn't let the sparks fly! Ready to watch your revenues grow? Let the sparks fly and start becoming essential and not optional! The take-away, being the spark or the the living light, is how you become essential! ...

​How to be Essential and Not Optional

...Being Optional in today's very competitive world is a very bad strategy. Being essential is the key to market dominating success!

WHEN YOU BECOME ESSENTIAL and NOT Optional, YOU'RE EARNING YOUR COMPANY CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE.

First and foremost, each and every customer that walks through your door or you make contact with, in any way whatsoever, must be made to feel very special and highly valued! They must be treated as VIP's at all times, even if you're not dealing with them face to face! Treat the customers as if your company is the highest class five-star hotel, that practices the highest customer service standards known to exist! Your customers must experience personalized service at all times. They must feel like the number one, single most important person in your life while you have their attention and they're focused on you! Keep this mindset even after they're not focused on you! Remember this .... broadcasting your passion and emotions reaches a destination, somewhere by someone. You must understand .... emotion transmitted, emotion received! Occasional transmissions tests are wise and will help you understand what works best in your business culture. Also, remember this age-old rule ... use peoples' names early and often!

Inevitable Human Achievement
... Some people believe that the sum of your life is measured by the ones you left behind.  Some believe it can be measured in faith. Some say by love.  Other folks say life has no meaning at all.  As for me, I believe that you measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you.

1. Have you found joy in your life?
2. Has your life brought joy to others?
3. Has your work improved the work of others?
4. Has your creativity inspired creativity in others?
5. Has your loyalty to your Country inspired others to up their loyalty?

The measure of a man or woman is not measured by the size of his or her IQ, but how he or she uses it! 

When you have to reach down a little deeper to pull out a big win, it reminds you of why you're in the business you're in.  The win is not what defines us as business professionals and good decent people. Instead, we are defined by the challenges we face, the sacrifices we make, not for ourselves, but for each other. In the end, you reap what you sow. 

Remember If death wasn't inevitable, then human achievement might cease to exist.  Inevitable human achievement is a direct result of inevitable death. If we humans didn't know that one day we were going to die, why would we bother with achieving or striving toward achievement?  Fact is, humans probably wouldn't be motivated to race against the clock of death, and human achievements would be far less of a priority if we all weren't on the clock.  Evolution might cease to exist.  Thank the limited time we have here and your realization of it, when you reflect back on your achievements...

Did this provoke thought?  The above snippets are taken from a one hour talk I offer and is now available!  'Inevitable Human Achievement' ...

Sales-chology 101
... Psychology and mind manipulation go hand in hand...emotionally learned responses and reactions from consumers nationwide based on presentations that trigger emotions.  Here are two quick lessons you can take with you on your journey:
 
Lesson number one:  All 'trade-craft' is waged for wielding two weapons in concert.  In your left hand is your empathy, your ability to read people, what they want, what they need and what they fear. What may give them hope, cause them shame.etc. And then in your other hand is your ruthlessness, the willingness to use all that insight to persuade them. If you're persuading an adversary you could say... use against them. And when those two knives are Sharp you'll be amazed what they can cut through. This is not something you're taught, at least for the most part, this is something you learn by doing. Experience is and always will be, the best teacher there is. Basically, and a long story made VERY short, its about disassembling and then reassembling people, that's how it works.

EVERYTHING in the persuasion industry is based on the psychology of sales and marketing. Or what I have molded or coined into "Sales-chology" If this psychological method seems familiar, that's because your Government uses it everyday in concert with the News media, Hollywood, ad agencies and so on. I know this first hand because I've done a lot of training /consulting /contract work with Government agencies. Not to mention many, many of the largest private sector companies in the US.

Lesson number two:  When communications are compromised always have a reserve. Then have another reserve. In case it hasn't hit you yet. Your comms were first compromised when they triggered or tricked consumers to believe getting rid of real land lines and calling V.O.I.P. ...( Voice Over Internet Protocol ) lines... "land lines" which they technically and most definitely are NOT! They're digital intrusive easily manipulated and infiltrated phone lines. Just as easy as your so called "smart phone" There was only ONE true reason to remove analogue from society and replace it with Digital...Government Control. There is no such thing as a burner phone, as the TV / Hollywood - three letter agency partnered machine would have the average dummy believe.

You see, since the advent of voice recognition technology got subtly folded into the psyche and acceptance of society. Not one of your conversations has been private. If you think you can get a "burner phone" and still use it only for texting without letting it recognize your voice, which is most definitely recorded in the world databases, that is only a fractional possibility if you make sure it's always turned off. And when you power it up to do your texting, you need to make sure you DO NOT speak around it...EVER. Because once you do, that device and number is assigned to your voice in the database. Let's not forget, if you think you have a burner phone that is still digital, you really shouldn't operate a vehicle or heavy machinery. If it's NOT analogue, it's still going to communicate with all the other digital devices in your world, home car etc. There is no escape, and YOU got manipulated into paying for it every month!

Are your knives any sharper after reading this? I hope so, because one person's mistake, dull blade becomes everybody's problem. That's one of the reasons I'm not a big fan of the now very over used phrase..."to each their own" That's a farce, a pacifier put in place by the bodies that govern. Corporate terrorism is alive and well in this world, and technology is the weapon in full current use. Much of the above is taken from previous material / talks I've given regarding leadership topics, leading with instincts series, etc.

And please, for gods sake (our sake) PLEASE stop starring into that pin hole camera they have you convinced is for taking selfies.  This technology was 100% designed with YOUR mind in mind.  

By now I hope you realize that thing you call a brain is a wet computer, which is married up to your hand held computer you call a phone. When your brain goes into sleep mode its interacting just as all the other devices in you home does, updating and so on.

Suddenly?.. the whole world is mush easier to persuade, as long as it's in compliance with an over-governing government.  I wonder....is the teleprompter actually the POTUS?  ...

Reflections

... New perspectives are very important to your forward progress, different points of view are critical and can be used in your daily persuasive world of selling, here's an example I use in training sessions and often in direct presentations with clients.

A man was adding a second story addition to his house, and his neighbors became concerned about their view becoming obstructed after he was finished.  They protested his project, which was already set in motion. The man reflected back and thought deeply about what he'd learned about people throughout the course of his life.
He then presented an interesting idea for the second level addition, to his apposing neighbors.  He told them, "he was planing on having the second level sided with mirrored glass".  His neighbors asked, "what will we see if we let you do that"?  He quickly replied,  "you will see your beautiful house and landscaping from my point of view".  "If you don't like what you see, I'll remove it".  The neighbors agreed to let him go ahead and build his second story addition, sided with mirrored glass.

When it was finished the neighbors were very, very pleased with the outcome, they had never seen their home and property from that point of view before.  They enjoy their new view better than the one they had before.  Both parties were very pleased.  The man thought to himself...how did I solve this problem that I thought was going to be impossible, he thought for a while and finally realized...all it took was a little reflection! 

Remember this "second level story" when you're attempting to solve your prospects problems each and every day.  Sometimes solutions are simple, especially when they're starring you right back in the face, you just have to change your, or someone else's perspective or point of view, sometimes both.  I trust you will reflect upon it often!  Every time you look in the mirror, you will see deeper into yourself and recall this "second level story".  You will realize, your prospects, people in general can be easy to please, and become very happy when they see what they have accomplished from a new perspective or point of view!   Sometimes all it takes is a little reflection, don't be afraid to think or look back, in order to think and move forward! ...

Social Intelligence 5 Key Elements

5 Key elements of social intelligence
* Self awareness
* Self regulation
* Motivation
* Empathy
* Social Skills

One hour talk now available on The Digital Detox USA series of talks / mission.  If you're a business leader in a REAL leadership role, you know exactly why this service, talk and training is necessary.  Please Contact me for further details and share your employees, industry /  Company specific  needs.
As always, All talks are customized to your specific disciplines, goals etc.

If you're a new reader, welcome to insight.  Input and questions are always welcome.

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