The Mayonnaise Jar



When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family,
children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions ?
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued,
there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented...

The professor smiled.
'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Please share this with other "Golf Balls"
I just did......

Phineas T Cowell sorry Barnum used to say 'there's a sucker born every minute' and will ever be remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes.

Well Mr Cowell you are right up there with the other bunkum artists promoting one entertainment whilst insisting it is another. The X Factor has ceased to be a singing contest it is now a competition for ratings and the chasing of audience numbers.

Beware Simon for that is the road to instant gain but long term loss. You have devalued both yourself and the programme.

Have you sold out to the cash strapped ITV bosses, because you are certainly not acting in the best interests of your own contestants?

You protest too much when casting aside the observation that your comments are the only ones the poor misguided participants really find relevant. Who are you kidding? Certainly not us, nor your fellow judges and I venture to suggest not even yourself.

You tell us that the public must have the final vote but this is a cop out and further degrades our faith in you to be, as you have always seemed to be, honest fair and to tell it like it is.

You have let us down.

Be warned Mr Cowell you are turning The X Factor into 'Britain's Got the X Factor Talent'. This is a confused message that will bounce back on you.

If we have one why do we need the other?

It is not a proving ground for the next Ant and Dec.

If you have done a deal with Mr Andrew Lloyd Webber to provide the next star for The London Theatre, I consider this to be a noble and worthy venture but BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR AGENDA.

Louis Walsh's complaint that you are constantly changing the rules is ringing ever truer in our ears.

On many occasions previously you have told us that the X factor is a singing contest and that the final 'sing off' is to be judged exactly by that criterion. But in the last two shows you have shirked that responsibility and have judged it on the 'pulling power' of the performer.

The clue is in the words 'sing off'. This however on two occasions has not been the criteria of choice.
Lloyd's voice failed him yet you still chose Rachel. Jedward can't sing yet you cast Lucie into the abyss. Mr Lloyd Webber I hope you were watching.



Ignore the public outcry at your peril Mr Cowell. You have made the same error as another high profile person of his day, Gerald Ratner.

In his infamous faux pas he told us that the reason he could sell his jewellery so cheaply was because it was crap. His credibility crumbled overnight because he was guilty of a cardinal sin. He let his customers know exactly what he thought of them, ignorant and gullible.

My growing belief is that you are showing us exactly what you really think of us.

We have always been emotionally manipulated by the back stories of the contestants, now we are being duped into believing that it is our decision that is final. It is not.

I will not boycott the show nor suggest that others do so because the finalist should be given a platform for their talent. I will however, not be voting and hopefully that will damage the revenue received from the telephone calls.

My only hope is that the financial implications of your lack of judgment restore your sense of fair play and bring back the true ethos of The X Factor - That it is a singing competition.

In this time of great concern about our jobs, skills sets, business acumen and ability to withstand the rigours of the credit crunch I thought a message of encouragment would not go amiss.

What is the reason or reasons some people succeed against all odds whilst others fail (whatever that may mean).

Well it appears there are 8 key reasons.

One day a girl on a plane asked Richard St. John, “What really leads to success?” But even though he achieved success, he couldn’t tell her how he did it. To answer her question he spent 10 years interviewing over 500 successful people, including Martha Stewart, Richard Branson, Russell Crowe, and the Google founders. After analyzing all the data, Richard discovered the 8-Traits that lead to great success.

This video explains it all and stands as a lesson for us all to learn.

Richard St. John: Secrets of success in 8 words, 3 minutes

Here's to great success for 2009

In these challenging times your clients and customers are becoming exceptionally sophisticated in their ‘buying’ process.

You therefore need to differentiate yourselves from your competition and offer a compelling, engaging ‘selling’ message so that your potential ‘buyers’ choose you rather than anybody else.

The key to your personal, financial and companies success is in your ability to positively impact, influence and emotionally connect with your ‘audience’.

You also need to monitor the effectiveness of your marketing.

During the last 12 years I have sold millions of £’s worth of product for QVC The Shopping Channel, coached others to do the same and work with companies to ‘sell’ in a filmed environment.

To this end I have brought together a team of TV and presentation professionals to create TV style presentations that can sit on your own website to ‘sell whilst you’re asleep’. Sounds expensive? You would be amazed how cost effective it can be.

Have a look at the following links for a flavour of what we can do.

http://www.virtualpictures.tv/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQr3misdwrE

Technology has moved forward to such a degree that we can now film and incorporate very sophisticated tracking into the videos to enhance and monitor sales.

What’s included in the package.

We prepare you for the ‘TV’ presentation and coach you on how to make a powerful, engaging, natural sell with strong personal impact that creates an emotional connection. This is the secret to effective selling.

We develop a powerful selling strategy and ‘scripted’ interview using ‘The 4 Cornerstone of Presentation’ process.

We define encapsulated, key selling messages that are memorable and get’s people to buy.

We develop the story board.

We shoot the presentation/demos.

We edit and load the presentation to your website.

A duplication facility is available should you wish to use the DVD presentation as a direct mail campaign.

We can also if needed, host the site for you and develop an e’marketing strategy.

Interested? Blog us.

As a public speaking coach in the corporate arena and working both as a guest presenter and as the leading trainer for QVC The Shopping Channel I would like to offer my opinion as to why so may people hate talking in public.

As with most fears, they stem from our childhood and evolve from situations where we have been ridiculed or made to feel small by our parents or teachers.

Speaking up in public or at work brings back those deep rooted memories and those negative voices start stripping away our confidence and prevents us from offering opinions or promoting ourselves.

Indeed the word FEAR is said to mean: -

False Expectation Appearing Real

Actors often say that without a script or a role that they can step into they feel that at anytime they will be found out and exposed for the fraud they feel that are.

Indeed, exposed is how we feel. How often do our nightmares contain images of us being partly naked?

With my clients I have found that the strongest means to dispel these fears is visualisation. Not the hackneyed vision of our audience appearing naked but rather more visualising ourselves being applauded, successful, receiving accolades for our performance and running in our minds the video of our successful presentation form beginning to the end.

This has both the realistic advantage of rehearsing the presentation but also silencing those destructive voices in our heads.

I also use a process called E.F.T Emotional Freedom Techniques that uses 'tapping' as a means to desensitise our emotional blocks.

The key to dispelling a stultifying fear of speaking in public is having a clear understanding of how we are to start our presentation, what is the content of our talk and how we are going to close with a strong 'selling' message.

Over the last 12 years, I have sold millions of £'s worth of product for QVC and have developed 'selling' presentations that engage and motivate viewers to pick up the phone and order. I also train others how to communicate with power and impact to sell their wares on the Channel.

From this experience of selling to an invisible audience I have developed a process called The 7 Magic keys to P.E.R.F.E.C.T. communication, an acronym that stands for: -

Personal Impact

Emotional Connection

Right to Talk

Facts

Encapsulate

Credibility

The Company.

Using this as a template for numerous presentations situations, from Business Pitches through to Wedding speeches I have enabled individuals to present without fear and with confidence in themselves and the message they want to convey.



It's not about getting rid of the butterflies in our stomach but rather more getting them to fly in formation.

Have a look at the video presentation of one of my seminars. No sex, porn or nakedness just business relevant fun using the 7 Keys framework and actual MAGIC - yes magic to enable the individual to recall the process.

The 7 Magic keys to P.E.R.F.E.C.T. communication

NOTHING!!!!
But what can we learn from their disparate method of getting the best from the people they come into contact with?

Steve Jobs as we know is the founder and until recently was the CEO of Apple but what do we know about his management style?

As early as 1981, Macintosh project founder Jef Raskin wrote a note to Apple president Mike Scott complaining about the chairman of the board-enfant terrible that seemed to grow an interest in his pet project. It said:

Jobs regularly misses appointments

He acts without thinking and with bad judgement

He does not give credit where due

Jobs often reacts ad hominem (attack of a person's character or circumstances)

He makes absurd and wasteful decisions by trying to be paternal

He interrupts and doesn’t listen

He does not keep promises or meet commitments

He makes decisions ex cathedra (As if he was infallible)

Optimistic estimates

Jobs is often irresponsible and inconsiderate

In short he is a bully, who intimidates others, has a short temper and for me is completely at odds with perceived modern management styles.

So why did this work for him, and why did so many of his team stay and take it.

The answer is simple but not easy to replicate, so don’t try this at home

He has amazing charisma, self-belief, is visionary and has an unswerving focus on the end result.

If something doesn’t work change it.

On the other hand Gary Barlow is noted for his amazing creative talent and charitable work.
Gary's charity efforts in 2009, including his organising of the BT Comic Relief Kilimanjaro Climb and his organising of 'Children In Need Rocks', raised in excess £6 million.

In addition to the charity events organised by Gary, the pop star has also shown support for fellow artists' charity efforts including that of Ronan Keating. The pair belted out Take That's Back for Good written by Barlow at Ronan's Emerald and Ivy Ball in Battersea, South London, on Saturday. The starry bash raised £650,000 for Cancer Research UK.

His organisation of a very special event at the Royal Albert Hall went ahead in November 2009 and was broadcast the following week. This saw a meeting of Take That with Robbie Williams on stage and a number of unusual. Gary dedicated the band's song "Rule the World" to "everyone whose lost someone – Dad, this is for you". It was a very special night raising £2M and ending with Gary seeming to promise it could be an annual event.

It was announced in December 2009 that Barlow had been awarded the prestigious Blue Peter Gold Badge, awarded for outstanding achievements and inspiring children to realise their talents and achieve.

At the beginning of May 2010, it was announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had asked Gary Barlow to organise her 85th birthday and her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012. A source said: "Her Majesty has been made well aware of his charity work and the events he has put together. She knows that Gary has got the power to pull in the big names across the music industry and to ensure it's a party to match the occasion" Taken from Wikipedia.

All very impressive and selfless stuff, for me though the true measure of the man and the lesson that we can lean from him was illustrated on Saturday’s X Factor.



A second time around auditionee and in truth one with no talent other than the ability to embarrass himself refused to leave the stage when he was given 4 no’s by the judging panel.

Indeed he laid down on the stage refusing to leave protesting that this was his (home), he was born to be here and ‘owned it’.



Mr Cowell, I suspect would have immediately called for security and have had the man bodily removed.

Not Mr Barlow. With the situation becoming increasingly awkward and possibly aggressive and the show being held up, Gary calmly raised himself from his chair, much to the surprise of his fellow judges, and walked slowly to the stage.

He stopped, picked up the performer’s coat, that had been theatrically discarded, walked resolutely to the man, placed his hand under his arm and lifted him gently to his feet. He thanked him for coming to see them and for the time taken during the audition and calmly walked him off the stage.

The situation was thus diffused with no further escalation of tension and Mr Barlow covered himself with glory and showed himself to be an excellent mediator with an innate sense of how to handle people.

One of the greatest challenges today to a company’s success is the retention of top talent.

So whose example therefore should we follow? Jobs or Barlow, Barlow every time.

Not only are our emotions mauled by The X Factor we now have to contend with a no skill, no talent non educational game of chance that taps in to the lowest common denominator and basest feelings of avarice and envy.

I wanted to look away but I could not. It was like watching Arnold Schwarzenegger in the futuristic film Running Man where alleged convicts were pitted against ‘in house’ gladiators. If the convicts out ran the gladiators they were set free. The baying crowds bet on the outcome and the studio audience were whipped into frenzy by the shows host. (Ant and Dec what have you got involved in)???

However in the film there was a devious conspiracy going on behind the scenes and all that the television company was interested in was the ratings. Nothing new there then>

In no way to I condone the action of those cretins who looted the business of honest people but what kind of message do these programmes send out to kids when a £million can be won purely by chance rather than being won through effort or brain power. At lease with the X Factor talent is recognised and ultimately applauded.

What really concerned me was the fact that the losers went into paroxysms of grief, tears and loss as they made the wrong decisions and went out.

To paraphrase a line from Monty Python’s film The Life of Brian. “They went into the ‘game’ with nothing and ended up with nothing, so what have they lost NOTHING.

Thank goodness for the Olympic Games. At least then we will see dedication and hard work rewarded.

Were you like me incensed at the protest by a Pro-Palestinian group who attempted unsuccessfully to disrupt a performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at a recent BBC’s promenade concert?

With all that is going on throughout the Middle East where despotic rulers specifically in Libya, Syria and until recently Egypt are killing their own people, my contention is the protesters have chosen the wrong cause. Once again individuals with a personal prejudice have chosen to vilify Israel.

Israel has the only true democracy in the region where Jews and Palestinians alike can take their grievances to the courts.

In an excellent lead comment in the Times on Saturday the protesters were likened to the Nazi’s burning books. This was not a legitimate protest it was unashamed bigotry the article continued. For me it was also cultural anarchy and ignorance.

Music is a unifying force with enlightened individuals like Daniel Barenboim, the pianist and conductor, uniting Jews and Palestinian musicians in the West Easter Divan orchestra. Where have the Palestinian leadership sought to develop such cultural connections?

To this day they still do not acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, whereas many in Israel support the concept of Palestinian Statehood.

Minister for Culture, Ed Vaizey, who was in the audience, tweeted, “Demonstrators seem to have turned the entire audience pro-Israel.”

He has missed the point. This is not about being pro Israeli, it’s about understanding where protesters energies should be spent.

I once read a comment by a reporter writing for a National Newspaper stating

” I have never learnt anything of value in a seminar”.

David Sandler an American sales training Guru who wrote the definitive sale training book “You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar” would have agreed with that statement.

The title of this book is predicated on two major propositions.

1. That we need to get out there and gain some scar tissue rather than just rely on book or classroom learning. To use the principles proposed in the book and gain some experience in the real word, learn the lessons of those experiences both negative and positive and develop some muscle memory.

2. There has to be an incentive to get us off our bums and take action.

In principle I agree with these contentions indeed most of my coaching and training life is based on the belief that you can only learn by doing.

This is borne out by my experience as a user of the Sandler processes gained through my close association with Marcus Cauchi of the Sandler Sales Institute and from my training background with the Dale Carnegie organisation.

“How to win friends and Influence people” The grandfather of all self-leadership/sales-skills books voted the best business book of the Millennium.

In both cases and also in mine, processes are based on a “spaced learning” concept”, that is the method of attending an ‘in class’ session and then reporting back on a set assignment relating the experiences and war stories.

The key here is interactivity and a high level of accountability.

If you don’t do the assignments you feel ‘less than’ in the eyes of your class mates.

There is a famous Chinese quote that states.
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”
This works if those attending the course have identified a compelling reason to do the work.

What happens though when the attendee is a hostage? Sent on the course because the Head of Department or Learning insists they attend.

Let me proffer an extension to this proposition to resolve the issue of not doing the assignments.

Excite me I will listen, engage with me I will learn, motivate me I will take action.


So what is this missing ingredient that turns a hostage into a participative delegate, a passive attendee to a motivated individual?

Simply put it’s MAGIC. Yes magic, not the Harry Potter type, real magic.

Since birth many of us have been mesmerised, hypnotised, fascinated by magicians and their ability to confuse, enthuse and capture out attention.

In my day it was David Burglass, David Nixon, Robert Harbin and Paul Daniels, the latter we all liked (not a lot). The greatest of all was Ali Bongo – Never heard of him? He was the man behind the scenes creating magic tricks for the others.

Today we have David Copperfield, David Blaine, Derren Brown and Penn & Teller not so much Magicians more Illusionists.

We also have Marc Paul - Who is Marc Paul?

He is a Magician and Mind Reader that I am delighted to say is my colleague and works with me injecting fun, mystery and a learning experience for major organisation in seminars, at corporate events, symposiums and conferences.

Marc and I have developed a seminar entitled the: -
The 7 Magic Keys to P.E.R.F.E.C.T. communication an acronym for a tried and tested process that we have used to sell £millions of products on QVC The Shopping Channel and taught others in many organisations to do the same.

Marks and Spencer, Davis & Hunter, Venturefest, Ernst and Young, Pinsent Mason, British Land

It identifies the following: -

Personal Impact

Emotional Connection

Right to Talk

Facts

Encapsulate

Congruency

The Company.



These elements when effectively utilised enables the ‘presenter’ to create an engaging, persuasive and influential ‘selling’ proposition ensuring others are happy to take the action they desire them to take.

Working in the corporate arena I help Executive, sales teams and individuals who are seeking to be more effective and achieve clarity and advancement or to be more impactful in boardroom meetings, business pitches, interviews, sales situations and in all circumstances where they need to persuade others with power and authority.

‘Selling’ is a Broadway play performed by psychiatrists. Another David Sandler quote.

We all need to be more theatrical in our approach to ensure that we are more persuasive
with others.

If you are missing out on business opportunities, if you are fed up losing out to the competitors, if you are being passed over in the promotion stakes. Gain the upper hand and email me now for your copy of The 7 Magic keys to P.E.R.F.E.C.T. Communication and presentation.

dexter@audiencedynamics.co.uk or log on to www.audiencedynamics.co.uk

A good presentation entertains us - A great presentation moves others to take action

Today there is a new business reality. It is not enough to be technically brilliant at what you do, you have to engage others, positively influence them and offer a compelling reason why they should do business with you.

To stay one step ahead of the competition you need something extra.

A ‘unique selling point’?

In reality there is no such thing.

How can I tell you something that might upset you?

Whatever your product, service or proposition, it is very much like everybody else’s.

So what is the only true differentiation?

YOU!!!!



In this digital age the primary means of communication to connect with customers and prospects is distant and impersonal.

You have a website; you send emails or communicate via Skype or telephone.

In essence you are selling to and invisible audience and there is little opportunity to really connect on an emotional level.

Yes I said an emotional level.

To truly influence others to do business with you it is not about what your offering is but what the pain you can resolve for them is.

People buy emotionally they decide logically.

Identify your prospects needs and target your message to that deeper understanding.

Use video to develop a personal connection, send emails that show how you have helped others, develop a 30 second commercial that creates a positive first impression that supports and connects with their deep concerns.


Seek first to understand - Then to clarify your findings - Agree terms and only then offer a solution.

Sunil Bali, Peak Performance Coach recently sent me this. It tickled me and hope is does the same for you

Sometimes it can be hard being a teacher (Part 2) !

Teacher: George, go to the map and find North America.
George: Here it is!
Teacher: Correct. Now, class, who discovered America?
Class: George!

----------------------------------------

Teacher: Tommy, why do you always get so dirty?
Tommy: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.

----------------------------------

Teacher: Ellen, give me a sentence starting with "I".
Ellen: I is...
Teacher: No, Ellen. Always say, "I am."
Ellen: All right... "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."

----------------------------------

Teacher: Why are you late?
Pupil: Because of the sign.
Teacher: What sign?
Pupil: The one that says, "School Ahead, Go Slow."

----------------------------------

Teacher: Cindy, why are you doing your maths sums on the floor?
Cindy: You told me to do it without using tables!

---------------------------------

Teacher: John, how do you spell "crocodile"?
John: "K-R-O-K-O-D-A-I-L"
Teacher: No, that's wrong
John: Maybe it's wrong, but you ask me how I spell it!

----------------------------------

Teacher: What is the chemical formula for water?
Sarah: "HIJKLMNO"!!
Teacher: What are you talking about?
Sarah: Yesterday you said it's H to O!

----------------------------------

Teacher: Willy, name one important thing we have today that
we didn't have ten years ago.
Willy: Me!

----------------------------------

Have a great week.

Dexter

DEXTER MOSCOW - SPEAKER, MOTIVATOR, INFLUENCER, TV PRESENTER

I was recently sent the following by Sunil Balil Speaker, Author, Peak Performance Coach.

If you are a professional speaker and have problems agreeing a realistic fee for your talks the following is worth reading

"This week I was asked by a company to present at their mid year conference, as one of their senior managers had seen me present at a leadership conference earlier in the year.

Once we agreed the content of my talk, the subject of fees came up. The HR Directors response upon being told what my fee rate was:

"I understand that you're an excellent speaker, but you'll only be speaking for 45 minutes."

My response was to tell the HR Director the following story,

One day a woman spotted Pablo Picasso in the market and pulled out a piece of paper. "Mr. Picasso," she said excitedly, "I'm a big fan. Please, could you do a little drawing for me?"

Picasso happily complied and quickly drew a sketch for her on the paper. As he handed it back, he smiled and told her to "take care of it. That will be worth millions one day."

The woman looked flustered and said, "But it only took you thirty seconds to do it."

Picasso laughed, "But it has taken me thirty years to be able to do it in thirty seconds."

...and the deal was done".

IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING VALUABLE TO SAY - VALUE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.

For the last 14 years I have sold £millions worth of products on The Premier Shopping Channel and coached 100’s of others to do the same and sell effectively in that environment, in essence ‘selling to an invisible audience’.

Working with celebrities such as Lulu, Nigella Lawson, Tess Sanderson and various East Enders cast members plus guest presenters who are brand mangers, designers, and inventors, although many know how to present in their own field of activity realised that selling to an invisible audience is entirely different.

Did you answer no to my question?

THEN HOW CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT MIGHT DISTURB YOU?

If you have a website, have video on your website, send emails or communicate via Skype or telephone. You are also selling to and invisible audience.

Here’s another observation for you: -

“IF YOUR ONLINE VIDEO DOESN’T HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF PRODUCTION VALUES YOU’RE WASTING YOUR TIME??????”

My unshakable contention was that a high level of production values, professional lighting, carefully considered backdrops and superior sound quality were the keys to ensuring that the message came across.

Only then can ‘sales’ be maximised, brand values supported and public perceptions maintained.

I WAS WRONG –

THE KEY TO PERSUASION AND INFLUENCE, IS ALWAYS FIRSTLY, THE MESSAGE

Did you know that the second most used search engine after Google is YouTube? Have look at the quality of video on that site, My Space or Vimeo and you will see that professional quality is not the most important factor.

What is most important is the message. It can be quirky, it can be controversial but it must be relevant, compelling, well crafted and delivered with authenticity, passion and conviction.

My Grandfather always used to say “If you can’t smile don’t open a shop”. What I now understand him to mean is that, if you are not passionate about what you are saying or selling how can you expect anybody else to be passionate, engaged, enrolled or be persuaded by you.

It is certainly true that the more professional the offering the more hits it will receive but it must resonate with the public mood, offer a compelling message and resonate in their world.

HAVE YOU MASTERED THE TECHNOLOGY OR HAS THE TECHNOLOGY MASTERED YOU?

With the growth of video on websites, the technological ability to shoot your own short videos and video blogs with a FLIP Camera, record podcasts via a webcam and connect with your customers/clients in a virtual face to face medium using Skype you need to understand the basis rules.

I have seen so many videos that in my opinion are abject failures, where they destroy a company’s reputation rather than enhance it.

There are some basic facts that must be understood and adhered to ensure the maximum influence and persuasion are achieved

1. People buy for two reasons – to move from a position of PAIN to a position of PLEASURE.

2. People buy EMOTIONALLY they decide LOGICALLY.

Do you know what your clients, customers and prospects real pains and emotional needs are?

Have you ever tuned into the Radio Station W.I.F.M?

What’s In it For Me? (Your audience)

If you can’t answer that question with absolute conviction you need to get your clients and customers to answer it for you. Don’t commit yourself verbally, in writing and certainly on video until you can.

In terms of presentation style is it better to ‘sell’ your message down the barrel of the camera or should it be a shopping channel style conversation which is almost like an overheard discourse between friends.

We hate being sold to. We love being engaged and motivated.

When The Premier Shopping Channel first appeared on our screens in the UK the company thought that their customer motivation was the belief that the brand values were Quality, Value, and Convenience. Through extensive customer and focus group research they discovered very different brand values. Trust, Information and Easy.

They trusted the presenters to tell the truth about the products they were selling, they sought the information to make help them make their buying decisions and knew that it was easy to buy and easy to send back with a 30 day no quibble money back guarantee should the product not meet their expectations. In short a circle of trust.

There is now a new realisation. Their customers needs to be Enthused, Engaged and Entertained.

DOES THAT RESONATE WITH YOUR OFFERING?

When you present your product, service or personality are you enthusing them to ‘buy’ based on your clear and deep understanding of their needs? Do you engage them in a dialogue that speaks in their language, experience and perceptions? Do you entertain them so that they feel part of the process or just offer an online brochure and outmoded concept of what you think they want?

I have personal Mantra:-

Today it is not enough to be technically brilliant at what you do you need to enrol, engage and enthuse.

DON’T JUST SELL - INFLUENCE WITH STYLE

SO, PLEASE SHOOT SOME VIDEO but do it well with style, make your message compelling that resonates in their world and offers true value to them emotionally.

A good presentation entertains; a great presentation moves us to ACTION.

This was recently sent to me and though the animation is excellent and the company producing it innovative. The message is debatable

Youtube Animation

The Mantra for most presentation skills coaches - As a percentage of importance - Words 7%, Tonality 38%, Body Language 55%

It purports to show that most communication is non verbal. This animation debunks the theory.

However, arguably the reality is somewhat different, words are important, but congruency, authenticity and credibility are essential.

What we say, how we say it and how we look whilst we're saying makes the difference between just giving a speech and influencing, exciting and motivating others to take action.

Today we need to more than good talkers we need to be Master Influencers

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:

1) No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats.

2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair
.
3) If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person.

4) Never ask your 3 year old brother to hold a tomato.

5) You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.

6) Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.

7) Never hold a Dust Buster and a cat at the same time.

You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

9) Don’t wear polka dot underwear under white shorts.

10) The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandpa’s lap.


GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.

2) Wrinkles don’t hurt.

3) Families are like fudge..mostly sweet, with a few nuts.

4) Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground.

5) Laughing is good exercise. It’s like jogging on the inside.

6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.


GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD

1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.

2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you’re
down there.

4) You’re getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking
chair that you once got from a roller coaster.

5) It’s frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

6) Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.

7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone