SALES 2.0 -The game has changed

The game in question is - Sales
For decades the strategy to win at this game has been a simple one:


1- Stimulate Interest 
(Marketing & Promotion)
2- CONvince the potential customer to buy 
(Say and do whatever was necessary)
3- Close the Deal 
(YOU win!)

But what happens when that potential customer doesn't want to play that game anymore?  Nobody wins... and the game changes.


The new game is called - Relationship Building (or Sales 2.0)


It's a lot more difficult to master than the previous game, but the rewards are endless... and EVERYBODY wins!!!

Which option will you choose?

What will you do when the road between where you are and where you want to go is blocked by an obstacle?  Will you...

1- Find a way to go over it?
2- Find a way to move it aside?
3- Find an alternative route?
                        or
4- Will you turn around and go home?

Giving & Receiving

When you GIVE yourself permission to be happy
You RECEIVE the gift of inner peace

When you GIVE to others the worth of your uniqueness
You RECEIVE the gift of a fulfilled life

When you GIVE the Universe your complete trust
You RECEIVE the gift of good fortune

When you GIVE… You RECEIVE
When you TAKE… You DECEIVE

Give it enough time

How many times do you allow yourself to fail before you decide that this new thing simply isn't for you... or that you don't have enough money for it... or that you simply don't have the necessary skills?

After 20 failed attempts... 10... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... do you even give it a shot in the first place?

Now let me ask you a different question (and you may want to verify the answer with your parents if you need proof)... but how many times do you think you failed before you could successfully Walk... Talk... Write... or Ride a Bicycle?

So before you quit whatever it is you're thinking of quitting... why not get back on that bicycle and give it another shot?

Asking the wrong questions

Instead of asking…

What could I say that would encourage people to work here?

Ask yourself…

What makes my organization attractive for potential employees?

Instead of asking…

What could I say about this product or service that would make people want to buy it?

Ask yourself…

What is unique about this product or service that people can benefit from?

Instead of asking…

What do I need to say in order to get this job?

Ask yourself…

What unique skills do I have that makes me a great employee?

Instead of asking…

What can I say or do to make this person want to be with me?

Ask yourself…

Do I love myself… and do I believe that someone else can love me exactly the way I am?

Because most of us feel a need to please the masses; we try to fill the gap between where (we believe) we are and where (we believe) others expects us to be by "Selling Ourselves Up"... therefore, reducing our Self-Esteem... Self-Acceptance... and Self-Worth.

Distracting Voices

The desire to achieve, break the mold or challenge the status quo always attracts Distracting Voices.  Sometimes spoken... sometimes written... sometimes at you... sometimes about you.  And in the end, there are only 2 reasons why...

1- They're afraid you might FAIL... and what that would mean for YOU.
"Those people" don't want to see you hurt, suffer or be disappointed.

2- They're afraid you might SUCCEED... and what that would mean for THEM.  "Those people" don't want to see the walls of their comfort zone crumble.

And while the Distracting Voice of  "Those People" could come from your friends, your spouse, your family, your boss or a complete stranger... more often than not, that Voice comes from within...  (Me, Myself & I)

Food, Sex & Money

Without Food... WE would cease to exist in time.  But does that make "Eating" our reason for being alive?

Without Sex... our ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP would cease to exist in time (at best a friendship would remain).  But does that make "Having Sex" our reason for engaging in such relationships?

Without Money... our CAREER or BUSINESS would cease to exist in time.  But does that make "Earning Money" our reason for building this career or business?

While Food, Sex & Money is the fuel that keeps it running, don't be fooled into believing that this "FUEL" is its purpose. 

The car was not invented so it could consume gasoline...

The Perfect Relationship

Imagine two single drops of water sitting on a window sill.  Picture them only a few millimeters apart.  Now keep your eyes on them as they slowly start moving towards each other and then touch…  What happens? 

The 2 single drops of water come together and transform themselves into a single…bigger… drop of water.

Now at first glance you may think that this is a worthless observation.  But let’s think about this for a second.  Both know exactly what they are made of (who they are) 2 Hydrogen and 1 Oxygen – H2O

And as they come together to form this new relationship neither one leaves any of it behind.  This new relationship now contains 4 Hydrogen and 2 Oxygen.  H2O+H2O=4H2O

The Impossible Relationship

Now let’s leave those 2 aside for a second and look at another attempt to form a relationship.

Let’s imagine for a second another single drop of water and a drop of oil.  As they get closer and try to merge together what do you think happens to them?  Well we all know that water and oil don’t mix…  so wouldn’t it be true to imagine that the best that they could do is simply stay side by side to one another?   H2O+OIL= H2O/OIL

• Isn’t there something for us to learn here? 
• Do we sometimes feel the need to sacrifice parts of who we are just so we can try to make a relationship work?
• Do we even know who we are or what’s important to us?
• And what about the other person… do we even know who they are and what’s important for them?

On one end you have this Perfect Relationship where both understand each other and accept the other for who they are and together they create something bigger and better that their individual selves. 

On the other end you have an Impossible Relationship where the best that they could possibly come up with to try to fake some kind of relationship is to hold on to each other while they both remain exactly who they were before… only now they have someone latched on to them.

The reality is that we live in an imperfect world.  This means that we are never going to have a Perfect Relationship.  But maybe we can use this Analogy as a way to measure the quality of each one of those Relationships.  Improve or change the ones that displease us… and grow the ones that fulfill us.