Success Comes When You Are Sold on You - the 3 Step Formula

Being a good listener makes you a strong communicator. When I was in direct sales, I became one of the top leaders on our North American team, I think because I was 100 percent committed to, and diligent in achieving my daily goal: to conduct 50 cold calls per week day. As a result of my dedication and success, I was recognized by my team leader and even the #3 income earner within this international company, specifically for having strong phone communication skills . During calls, I would do most of the listening, not most of the talking, as you may have expected me to say. This pattern naturally evolved as a result of two things:

(1) Some of my prospects had given me this valuable feedback: that some of my business partners talked too much.(2) I find listening (within reason) more energizing than talking.

Has anyone ever accused you oflistening too much? Probably not, right? When you give others the gift of listening, they are more likely to open up to you and share details about their needs and wants. For anyone who has been in sales, a service of some type or even a relationship, for that matter (and that covers just about all of us, does it not), knowing thissecretis invaluable. Listening increases understanding and helps us become better communicators, service providers and partners - in our work and private lives.

Have you ever heard yourself say, "I hate sales" or "I am not very good at sales"? Are we not all in sales? Besidesproducts, what we are selling is ourselves: our personality, our skills and our knowledge. Here is a simple 3-step formula you can apply to increase your success on the business and home fronts:

Step 1: Value your listening skills . Make the following a goal: if not immediately, I will soon be able to say, with sincerity, "I love listening". Do not forget to also includestrong listening skillson your resume.

Example: If you are open to becoming a skilled listener, count on the Universe to present you with opportunities to hone that skill. Here is another example from my professional life: When I was working as a Fitness Consultant training Nortel employees a while back, I became popular, I think, because I enjoyed meeting and listening to others. In between consultations, it was common for me to get requests from the people exercising asking me tocome and talk to them. More accurately, they wanted me tocome and listen to them, which I did. I really loved this about my job, as I got to know people on a very personal level.

In hindsight, when I further ponder this question I often get, "How did you get into your profession?", I realize that my real training in the art of listening began when I was nine years young... when I had my first job ever... delivering newspapers at the ripe young age of nine. So, never underestimate the power of listening... how instrumental this skill is for acquiring jobs and overall, getting along with others.

Step 2: Boost your language and beliefs. If improving your listening skills is important to you, start or continue buying into the belief that you love listening. Practice saying to yourself and owning statements like:

Examples

- "Since people love to talk about themselves and I love listening, I will be successful when prospecting, job searching, dating ,..."; or
- "Since successful salespeople are skilled listeners and I love listening, I have the potential to be a successful salesperson,..."

As your love for listening grows, you will draw increasingly more people to you. Understand that I am not advocating becoming the go-to person for anyone with avictim's attitude . I am speaking about powerful listening here.

Step 3: Prize your integrity. Your clients, for instance, will notice and respond positively to your integrity. Integrity could be exemplified as: your dedication to your work, your mastery of the material, your attention to detail, and your ability to genuinely hear their concerns.

Have confidence in yourself. You can be a topnotch salesperson, job interviewee, dater, socializer, or whatever it is that your heart currently desires!