The Ten Laws of Competitive Persuasion

December 23rd, 2011

Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity – Edwin Hubbell Chapin.

You flick the light switch on because you assume that the light will turn on. You strictly follow a particular dietary regime because you trust it will aid in your physical health and shape. You follow the tenets of your religion because you have faith that it will secure your place in God’s good grace. We are our beliefs, they define who we are – they characterize the self. Some convictions are rooted deep in our childhood, taught to us by parents and teachers, and accepted as dogma. Others are learned from peers, books or television and warped or reinvented to suit our psyches. And some beliefs we come by late in life after having lived, made mistakes, realized accomplishments and formed steadfast opinions. Once shaped or solidified, beliefs act as a filter for the way we see the world, they affect the way our brain interprets the endless information we are bombarded with and stands as the backdrop against which we justify action.

It is a profound and complex process the business of forming ideas and beliefs that we both become anchored to and readily act upon. Or is it? Moving forward based on certain notions, taking action on propositions that we feel are the natural consequence of our summations (usually formed over great lengths of time and supported by everything from conjecture and hearsay to hard-core empirical evidence and experience) is not always the natural consequence of belief. And conviction is not always a necessary prerequisite to action. Sometimes, under the right circumstances, a mere suggestion will do.

Consider cold calling sales, an endeavor or process by which an individual is asked to assume and act over the span of a single telephone call or visit. In many instances, the prospect has never heard of the company, product or service they are being introduced to or informed of, yet are eagerly asked to have faith in and commit to a person they have never met or know next to nothing about, all over the course of a lone conversation. No time to collate data or study propositions, no time to “think about it,” just a brash expectation on the part of the closer that the prospect should presume and act. And they do, every hour of every day prospects become buyers, agnostics become apostles.

What causes a man to believe, or to at least become interested enough to act on an impulse? What must you do to convince another human being to take action on an idea that is not their own? How can a state of being that usually evolves over a period of months, years or even decades be distilled and induced in the space of a single sales pitch? To short circuit a process that usually involves teaching, programming and indoctrination over the course of one’s life is no small feat, but it is doable. It is well within the capabilities of any determined individual to stoke the fires of another man’s fascination and cause him to take action on nothing more than a moment’s notice. More so than being doable, it is a workable process that can be modeled, adapted and repeated. However, before this can be done, before you can develop into a proficient closer, you must first understand a bit about human nature, and you must learn the fundamental laws that govern this process, of which there are ten.

Although these ten laws are grounded on fundamental behavioral science and cognitive psychological principles, no deep understanding of human psychology is required to understand the essence of their power over the thoughts and actions of men or the effectiveness of their implementation. Far from being complex formulas or theorems, the laws, as I present them, are as effortless to appreciate as they are incontrovertible; they are common sense, practical and manifest. Your challenge will not be in comprehending the laws, it will be in remaining consistent, in following through and conducting your business according to the full protocol. Although it would be of immense value to merely embrace one, or even just a few of these ideals, as each imparts an extremely powerful advantage in the pursuit of deal-making, in order to ensure that you do not end up a one hit wonder or a part-time champion, in order to yield the greatest possible windfall, the full ten laws should be adopted as creed and code.

The ten laws will ensure your success. If you apply them you cannot fail. It is why I call these principles laws as opposed to rules. Rules are merely customary practices; rules are boring and restrictive. People dislike following rules. Many rules are often defied and avoided. Hell, rules were meant to be broken! Laws however, in the scientific sense (which I firmly believe is the ground on which we tread) are principles based on the predictable consequences of specific actions. Laws guarantee results. Adhering to them means that you are not just working to the custom, tradition or whimsy of another (as is the case with a rule) but, rather, operating under a set of circumstances that ensure a pre-determined outcome. It is cause and effect. You cannot flout the laws of the universe; scientific or physical laws cannot be violated. These ten principles are the science behind selling anything successfully and as such, consistent, large and undeniable success can be the only product of dedication to these ten maxims. Much like two plus two equals four, the forecasted outcome must occur, and the results are obliged to be bountiful.

The Ten Laws of Competitive Persuasion:

The First Law:
Compete to Win (Chase The Championship)

The Second Law:
Know thy Prospect

The Third Law:
Believe

The Fourth Law:
Pitch the Decision-Maker

The Fifth Law:
Stack the Deck

The Sixth Law:
Be Urgent

The Seventh Law:
Close

The Eighth Law:
Be Bold

The Ninth Law:
Gain Obligation

The Tenth Law:
Always Negotiate From a Position of Strength

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One Call Can Change Your Life

June 30th, 2011

What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it - Alexander Graham Bell.

The telephone changed everything. Although near instantaneous communication over long distances had been possible since the early 1860s with the proliferation of the telegraph, Samuel Morse’s code proved no match for the power and instant appeal of the human voice, and the will to transmit it. Just as Western Union’s construction of the first transcontinental telegraph from California to New York rendered the Pony Express obsolete within two days of its operation, so too did Alexander Graham Bell’s seminal invention ultimately undo Western Union (the world’s largest communications company at the time). The ability to communicate via the human voice, live, from any point in the world, ushered in an industry and technology-driven culture that continues to evolve, amaze and enrich humanity to this day, over a century later.

The telephone progressed from a luxury to a necessity seemingly overnight, and it has been an important part of our daily lives for as long as anyone now alive can remember, but advancements in miniaturization, speed and the way in which data travel, along with a seismic shift in how and when it is appropriate to communicate, has jolted the medium from an essentiality to sheer compulsion (and quite ironically back to its telegraph-like messaging roots). From e-mail and texting to the Internet, as the flow of information, its transmission and our access to it, has become chronic and non-stop, so have we. As the “Me generation” gorged on 80s excess and was characterized by what it wanted (MTV apparently), Generation Next will forever be defined as the age when instant gratification came to mean instant access. Our patience currently measured in nanoseconds, we want to know, hear and watch everything now, and now never, ever turns off. We have become an on-demand, always on society.

Some see this hyper connectivity as technology gone too far, its repercussions on our culture a magnetic headache of data, a tsunami of radio waves drowning us in chatter, destroying our privacy, crashing the serenity of what must have been, at one time, priceless solitude a period when time to reflect, to contemplate, to recharge, meant we went undisturbed. The ever so short lived work-life-balance movement, upended by social media’s Trojan horse. The last step and final frontier: the direct feed, the hardwiring of our brains, such that we are always truly on, even when we are asleep.

Good, bad, blessing, ruination the fiber optics octopus, a billion miles of glass and switches linking every aspect of our lives means different things to different people. Waxing philosophical about the implications of technology and connected communication, from the loss of tranquility to the extinction of modesty, invites the prognostications of everyone from soothsayers to doomsayers, however, all Luddism aside, what this brave new world means for the nimble and quick, the astute and ambitious, is that if everyone is plugged in and switched on, then everyone is within reach anyone can be contacted, anytime, anywhere.

Whether you know who it is you seek to engage or have only read about them, the penetration and omnipresence of our communications technology allows a man from any walk of life to reach out and touch anyone, no matter how high up on the pedestal that someone may sit. The wealthiest tycoons, the most famous celebrities, from those at the height of political office to the titans of industry, all are reachable. No matter the phalanx of guards or rows of gates that prevent you from shaking hands with the richest of plutocrats or the busiest of Fortune 500 chief executives, the telephone, in all of its manifestations, gains you instant access to anyone you wish. If you research long and hard enough, if you are clever and you persist, you can obtain anyone’s number, you can unlock any door. I have personally pitched the heads of multi-billion dollar corporations, movie stars and Forbes 400 billionaires, and if there is one thing my experiences have proven to me, it is that you can reach out and talk to any person you set your mind to contacting there are no limits. It might take you days, months or even years, but you can choose to interact with movers, shakers and power players at the push of a button.

The right conversation with the right person at the right time can change everything. Your bold action and gutsy call can spark a prosperous new relationship or launch a ground-breaking idea; you can negotiate a fortune altering business deal or close your biggest sale. Whether you are broke and one big commission away from a brand new start or one conversation away from securing funding and becoming the entrepreneur you always dreamed about, one cold call can change your life.

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AIDA: The Components of Persuasion

February 7th, 2011

Attention Interest Desire Action

The Components of Persuasion:

Attention

Seize the prospect’s attention open with an attention grabber, something powerfully relevant or meaningful to the prospect’s business or person:

A piece of news that will wake them up
An event that will inspire them to sit up and take notice
An announcement that will cause their ears to “prick up”
A fact that will drive or arouse their curiosity
A result that will surprise them

Interest

People are more interested in what they have to say than what you have to say. They are more interested in their needs than yours. If you can help them meet their unique needs or solve their problems, then they want to hear about it:

As a rule, prospects are interested in anything which will make their lives easier or their efforts / business more effective and productive.
Prospects are interested in anything that gives them an edge or helps them earn more money / generate additional revenue.
Ask questions that elicit their needs, that uncover their interests or reveal what they are focused on achieving or solving.
Remember your needs analysis questions or develop new ones.

Desire

Be sure to let your prospects know that your solution will get them what they want, that it will:

Meet their needs
Solve their problems
Resolve their issues
Strengthen their position
Assist them in being more effective
Help them compete with other organizations within their industry
Let your prospects know who else owns your solution (from trendsetters and leaders, to up-and-comers and innovators).
Express the scarce nature of what you have to offer and the urgent need to acquire it before it is gone.

Action

Close the deal! Ask your prospects to move forward, to take action again and again if necessary.
In lieu of being able to motivate the prospect to take action on the first call, attempt to secure some form of obligation or commitment to green light a follow up conversation.

Lawrence Rosenberg

 

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OODA – Observe, Orient, Decide, Act

September 26th, 2010

Colonel John Boyd (1927-1997) was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, combat instructor and co creator of the Energy Maneuverability theory of aerial combat. Boyd, who actively studied Sun Tzu and his Art of War, was a legendary strategist whose ideas and methodology have had great influence and lasting impact on everything from military to corporate strategy. While an instructor pilot, Boyd was so confident in his theories on air warfare, that he had a standing bet that he could defeat any pilot in air combat maneuvering in less than forty seconds from a starting position of disadvantage. Boyd’s foremost strategic concept was the OODA Loop. A conceptual cycle for understanding the decision loop one goes through when reacting to an event. Boyd reasoned correctly that he who can decide and act effectively first, will win in any combat situation (or any type of confrontation/challenge for that matter).

The inevitability of an adversaries defeat when cycling through the decision loop at a slower rate is that one is caught responding to situations that have already changed, thereby catching one unaware, confused and vulnerable to destruction. Boyd also summised that if one was aware of the key principles of the “decision cycle” or OODA Loop and truly understood its implications, then one would not only focus on taking productive action faster, one would also infiltrate the decision making cycle of his opponent and attempt to misguide or disrupt it, causing his adversary to choose incorrectly and act in error, thereby leading to his defeat.

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Supercharged With Sales Training

July 18th, 2010

Is the company you represent, whether you own it or sell for it, sales driven? Just because you are part of a sales team does not mean the company (of which the sales team, in many cases, is but one of many divisions) is sales driven. Does your firm have a “sales culture,” flexible strategies, and a competitive sales philosophy? And, is that philosophy inculcated into the team on a frequent basis and buttressed with external sales materials and training? Hopefully you do not work for a firm that merely dumps you into a vast, high turnover bullpen to sink or swim, your only training provided through “sales floor osmosis,” relying only upon your ability to cannily pick out which sales reps to mimic. This approach does not lend itself to the development of a high performance sales career, and if this is where you currently find yourself pounding the phones, then your tenure at this short sighted organization will most likely be short-lived.

span style=”font-family: arial; font-size: medium; color: #ffd700;”>Best in class sales teams are always part of a sales driven company that invests in the team and put the needs of their closers front and center. The most competitive companies often ensure that all its divisions focus on supporting and empowering the sales team, guaranteeing the reps have all the tools and back-up necessary to generate revenue. And, of the many things a sales team needs in order to compete effectively, one of the imperatives is a sales process which is flexible and always evolving. The fundamentals might remain the same, but as prospect organizations evolve, economies become more complex and technologies change, so must the nuances of your approach, presentation and closing methodologies. The best firms don’t just stand on ceremony and count on one way of getting the job done, they invest in materials, literature, technology and sales training tools that allow the skill-sets of there reps to remain fresh and sharp. In fact, according to an Aberdeen Group study, start-ups, early adapters, and innovative companies were 52% more likely than traditional organizations (the type that cling to the “old ways”) to make use of external forms of sales training. Consequently, these fresh-thinking, supercharged firms outperformed laggard companies in many key areas, from achievement of quota, to year over year revenue increases.

Read the full article here

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A Graduate Degree in the Art of War – Professor: Sun Tzu

July 2nd, 2010

Professor Foo Check Teck has launched the Sun Tzu Art of War Institute in Singapore. The institute is a non-governmental think tank designed to promote leadership and strategic decision making using Sun Tzu’s timeless principles on war and conflict management. The institute will offer courses such as “The Art of War CEO” and “The Art of War – Leadership Development” as well as a graduate diploma programs in management studies and strategic thinking.

Visit the institute online at http://suntzuartofwar.org/

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Business Means War For James Sun

June 18th, 2010

Self-made millionaire and “Apprentice” finalist James Sun believes that you must approach business as if it were war and that your competitors are no less vicious than battlefield enemies willing to eat you alive. Sun, a 33-year old Korean-American success story, has a new television show called “Sun Tzu – War on Business” in which he delves deep into the hearts and minds of entrepreneurs the world over and helps them up their game and redesign their business strategy using the principles found in Sun Tzu’s “Art of War.”

Read the article here

Sun Tzu Say:

The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat: let such a one be dismissed!

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Seven Minutes

June 12th, 2010

Are you all about the one call close, or are you more inclined to allow your prospects to put off today what they will never do tomorrow? Do you spend more time sending reams of information and creating pipelines than you do pitching and closing decision-makers?

If you feel that you may be more messenger than closer, then you may want to take a dose of medicine from those who chase the championship and pitch for venture funding (and the leviathans of capitalism they pitch to) the next time you decide to let a big fish slip out of your hands.

Entrepreneurs in search of funding are not pitching for commissions, they pitch for life, limb and future. And, when odds are that the company you are incubating will most likely go stillborn unless you close the deal, every wasted pitch is one more nail in your coffin. Such is the world of the innovator seeking start-up capital; a no holds barred, pit fight with Venture Capitalists and Angel investors (sharp, savvy, opportunity hungry sharks that have little patience for wasted time and useless information). Those with the power to write checks suffer through thousands upon thousands of pitches from all manner of pie in the sky dreamers, all with the next “best thing since sliced bread” idea, and all in a mad scramble for seed money.

When it comes to winning venture funding, bare knuckled entrepreneurs and the tough-as-nails VC’s who hold the purse strings say, when pitching, if you can’t get it done in 7 minutes, then you can’t get it done! That’s a balls-to-the-walls sales training truism that any contender who wants a shot at doing big deals should take to heart. The fact is, you have a miniscule amount of time with which to present your idea (and make it stick) to an impatient heard it all before VC. Under these circumstances you have no choice but to come out swinging and make a big first impression. It’s a lesson that all cold calling hunters should take to heart. Whether pitching for start-up capital or advertising space, chiefs and decision makers (if you have the gumption to call them) can make your month or make your life. And, if you intend to make a real impact and draw first blood, then you’d better steel yourself for the stone cold fact that there are no tomorrows, “tomorrow,” a real closer cashes your check and lives your dream!

In order to put yourself in the right frame of mind to go big game hunting, consider the Elevator Pitch as the only sure fire way to take down an elephant. In VC speak, the elevator pitch has you construct your presentation around the following concept:

Imagine that you are the only one in an elevator at the top floor of one of the best hotels in the city and, before the doors close, in walks a world famous billionaire who you’ve recently read is looking to invest heavily in exciting new ideas and bright, enthusiastic people. As the doors close you realize that you have a private, one-on-one audience with one of the most motivated money-men on the planet, and you have until the elevator gets to the lobby to give that man the pitch of a lifetime. What would you say and how would you say it? How fired up would you be?

Every pitch you deliver should be an Elevator Pitch. Getting face or phone time with a Chief Executive is a battle all into itself. The sheer determination and mind bending perseverance necessary to gain an opportunity just to go head-to-head with a real decision-maker breaks most sales careers. Why bother going through all the hassle and frustration of trying to get a chief executive on the phone if you’re not going to pitch as if your life depended on it. Make no mistake, the elevator pitch is the single most powerful and effective method ever conceived for presenting to those who have the power to decide, so sharpen your blade and be ready to pitch the dream at a moment’s notice. And, when the doors inevitably open on what should be the elevator ride of your life, just remember one thing: don’t forget to close!

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CEO Aims to Turn Bank Into Global Financial Powerhouse Using Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”

June 12th, 2010

“Moving swiftly like the wind, staying calm like a forest, attacking ferociously like a fire and standing strong like a mountain”, Woori Bank ‘s CEO Lee Chong-hwi’s success and strategy is fueled by Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”

Read the article here

Sun Tzu Say:

In raiding and plundering be like fire, in immovability like a mountain.

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Larry Ellison’s War

June 4th, 2010

“We’re after their people, their customers and we’re after money.” So says Oracle’s hyper-competitive Chief Executive, Larry Ellison. One of the world’s richest men, Ellison is infamous for his ultra-aggressive approach, legendary killer instinct and his decade’s long devotion to Sun Tzu’s Art of War.”

Ellison’s insatiable desire to win has led to the surrender and acquisition of some of the software industries biggest and boldest names. Hyperion Solutions, Siebel, PeopleSoft, Sun Microsystems, all have fallen to Ellison and his never ending drive to topple his rivals.

Now Ellison is up against a different type of enemy, basketball Hall-of-Famer Magic Johnson and Mark Mastrov, the founder of 24-Hour Fitness, amongst others, in a competition to finally acquire a prize that has eluded him for years: the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

Will Ellison win this battle as well? Many seem to think he has already won, certainly Ellison must believe this, otherwise, as Sun Tzu demands, he would not have waged this war in the first place.

Read the article here

Sun Tzu Say:

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.


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