Friday's BOLD LAW from KW MAPS NLP Coach George Gillas...." How you participate here is how you are participate everywhere "

How you participate here is how you participate everywhere.

Years ago, I attended a workshop that was run by a gentleman who portrayed himself as genuine, caring, approachable, open-minded, professional, etc. I was impressed with his presentation and, during a break I introduced myself and had a couple questions. The man I met off stage was an entirely different person. He was arrogant, dismissive, a know-it-all type person; 180 degree opposite from the guy I saw on stage.

As a result, everything he was teaching I now doubted. Every point he made, I found myself countering in my head. His credibility with me was shot. And, when I raised my hand to ask a question, he dismissed it, had no answer, and did not offer to get one; even though my question was germane to the subject he purported to be expert in. I concluded, as others did too, that he really didn’t know what he was talking about and spent most of his time regurgitating information he didn’t fully understand.

Who was the real guy? He showed up on stage as one person – off stage as totally different. That seems like a lot of mental and emotional energy to use just to impress, doesn’t it?

In my early selling career, I was told to act enthusiastic – be strong – outgoing – excited – because these emotions are contagious, and the prospect will buy in faster!

Wrong. That’s not who I am. And pretending to be one type of sales person when you are a different type of person, does not work long term. You can’t build a career, or stay sane, attempting to have different personalities for different areas of your life! Don’t be like the speaker who lost all credibility because of inconsistency. It gets to be somewhat neurotic at best… and you don’t want to be neurotic!

How you participate here is how you participate everywhere. If you want to develop to be a persuasive, influential, expert sales person; study influence and persuasion. Study the art and science of sales and language. Incorporate those new skills (because they are learnable skills) into who you are as a person not just who you are when you are in front of a prospect. Be genuine. Grow yourself because the prospects and clients you serve deserve to get the real you. They deserve the truth…

And when you go home, as this new exceptional listener who is persuasive and influential because you care about others; your family will feel it too. Where is the downside?

The world needs more genuine, authentic, professional sales people. And the world needs more people who are in tune with their own values and strengths… and aren’t afraid to share them with the rest of us.

Contributed by KCN leader Don Aldrich & KW MAPS NLP Coach George Gilla