You’ve probably heard of or read some of Robert Louis Stevenson’s books. Books such as Treasure Island, or The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or A Child’s Garden of Verses.
But chances are you’re not familiar with his incredible insight when he wrote, “Everyone lives by selling something.” He learned early on that everyone is a salesperson and that includes YOU.
Everybody is in the business of selling something. You may be a full-time salesperson selling a product or service. You may be a manager selling her team members on the need for a change in procedures. You may be an employee selling your boss or company on giving you a promotion. Or you may be a father selling his kids on going to bed or doing their homework.
Whether you like it or not, you are a salesperson. The only difference between people is that a few people are very good at selling, but most people suck at it.
So the challenge is to get better at selling yourself and your ideas. Because that always leads to greater success and happiness. So let me give you a few tips to get you started that come from my program on 4C Leadership: Communication, Cooperation, Change and Commitment. And don’t forget to pick up the 10 most powerful words in the English language at the end of today’s Tuesday Tip.
►1. Pay attention to the image you are projecting.
One of the more powerful things you can do to be a more effective salesperson is to pay attention to the image you are projecting. Do people see you as a pushover, for example, that they can ignore at will? Or do people see you as someone they should take seriously? It makes a huge difference in your effectiveness.
And this isn’t some foreign concept. When you were dating, for example, you tried to present yourself in a way that would be favorably perceived by your love interest. And when you first became a supervisor, you tried to project an image of confidence that said you expected performance from others.
You need to help other people see you in such a way that they are more likely to cooperate with you. And their perception comes directly from your behavior.
So remember this because it’s a key point: What you permit, you promote.
For example, if you permit someone to speak rudely to you, you have just promoted more of the same behavior in the future. If you permit a colleague to get by with work that is poor in quality, you’ve just ensured more of the same. If you permit your kids to keep on going to bed past their appointed bed time, you’ve just promoted a lot more bedtime hassles in the future.
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