Andrew Horton Inspirational Speakers: Do you suffer from Competence Delusion?

Andrew Horton Inspirational Speakers: Do you suffer from Competence Delusion?: It is truly astounding to see how many people leave school or university, never to touch a book to attempt to learn anything new, ever ...

Do you suffer from Competence Delusion?

It is truly astounding to see how many people leave school or university, never to touch a book to attempt to learn anything new, ever again. It is time to rid yourself of competence delusion and to become aware of the challenges, which are potentially affecting your knowledge, skill and abilities. The first challenge you face, once you commit to life-long learning and growth, is to not become overwhelmed by the endless data and the variety of training courses available. To get started, you need to take a look at your vision for the future and decide what skills, knowledge and new abilities will support you to achieve it.

Action Idea: Invest some time today, to identify the skills, knowledge and abilities you need to acquire in the next 12 months, 3 years, 5 years and then create a plan around how you intend to acquire those skills, within those time frames.

There is just not enough time Available

The second challenge you face is that nagging feeling that you are just too busy to make the time necessary to allocate any time to your personal growth. My experience has shown me that it is never a shortage of time most people experience. It is simply a lack of commitment. All the people I have met, who have continued to expand their competencies, seem to have plenty of time available. They are the ones, who despite a seemingly huge workloads, just seem to get so much more done.

These achievers have an abundant mindset and they have developed a supporting mindset around how to use their available time more efficiently and effectively. The effective person does the right things and the efficient does those things right. As you invest more time into your personal development, you too will become more efficient, efficient and successful. Have you noticed how successful people seem to have time to do more? They seem to live in an uncluttered world, where they appear to make fewer mistakes. Well that successful person could be you. They seem more effective and efficient, because their competence makes them so. Their competence comes from their commitment towards their personal growth. What is your commitment to your personal growth?

Action Idea: Invest time today to schedule time to invest into your personal development every day. I recommend a minimum of one hour a day, more if possible. This investment will deliver greater returns than any other investment you will ever make.

Making time to grow

So you push the snooze button every day and get that extra ten minutes of sleep. Imagine that instead of pushing the snooze button, you woke up and read an educational book instead. That means that you could read about five pages a day, 1825 pages a year, which equates to about 8 – 9 educational books a year.

How about driving around in your car, do you waste all that time listening to the radio? Well it is estimated that the average person spends about 500 hours a year commuting in their car. That equates to two semesters at university. Imagine, if you used that time to listen to educational audio books. Do you think two semesters at university every year could change the trajectory of your life? Do you still think you do not have enough time to invest into your personal growth?

It is now your time to start drinking from the fountain of wisdom. Stop stumbling through life, only occasionally gargling at the fountain, learning little and continuing to remain trapped in average. Now is your time to shine. All it requires is a new success habit. One focused on you and your personal growth and the way your future will turn out is very bright indeed.

SalesTraining

Winning the Hearts and Minds of others

If you want to win the hearts and minds of the people around you, you can try to bludgeon, promote or sell them into submission or you can choose a better option, where you enchant them by working to create a voluntary, long lasting and mutually beneficial relationship of support and loyalty. So I hear you ask, “How do I become enchanting”?

Become Enchanting 

As you know it is seldom the most complicated solutions, which work best in life. So here is one that although simplistic, works really well. The best way to not come across as grumpy, cold or annoying requires you to make a good first impression. This is done by projecting a genuine, authentic “George Clooneyesque” smile, when you first meet someone, followed by a firm meaningful handshake, which projects your genuine interest in the meeting the person. 

Dress Appropriately

Always ensure that you dress appropriately. Ensure that you are not too formal or too casual; ensure that you are dressed at the same level as the person you are meeting. When you speak, ensure that you use simple unambiguous words and speak in an active voice. Try to speak in shorter sentences and stay on point. 

Don’t Judge Others

Ensure that you do not judge people. As you know everyone has strengths and weaknesses as well as issues they may be dealing with in their lives. Keep an open mind and do not allow your impression of who or what they are cloud your approach to them in any way. Remain friendly, authentic and be real. Everyone has different values, so do not try to impose your values on others. Great enchanters have the ability to savour the difference between people’s values and include everyone

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Uncover Passions 

Find ways to uncover shared passions, as this is the easiest way to break down barriers and build bridges with people. Remember that the best way to enchant people is to ensure there is always a modality of fair exchange, in all dealings with them. As long as there is a win-win feeling and all parties feel like they are better off after the encounter, you will succeed to be enchanting. 

Adopt a “Yes” attitude

Try to always respond in the affirmative, when building any relationship. This buys you time and allows you to build rapport with the other person. By contrast a “No” stops everything. In other words, there is no place for the conversation to go, nothing to build on. A no attitude, stops things and removes any further options you may have had available to you. You can never build any long term sustainable relationship, unless you invest the time to allow it to begin.

Getting People to accept you

Dress appropriately. Yes I know people should not judge you by what you wear, but as you know they do. So to be successful at getting people to know, like and trust you. It is crucial that you create the right first impression, by wearing the appropriate clothing. Dress the equal to the person you intend to meet. The second crucial factor is your smile. Don’t project a false smile, where you only smile with your jaw. Smile with your eyes. The more crow’s feet you can project into every smile the better. Finally deliver a genuine, firm handshake, which projects your confidence and genuineness. Once you have got through this initial phase, where you have made the most incredible impression. 

Building that long term sustainable relationship is all about remaining authentic and genuine, always ensuring that there is a modality of fair exchange, where everyone feels like a winner. Sustaining that relationship, comes from ensuring that there is on-going mutual benefit for all parties and that everyone feels they are getting something from the relationship.

motivational speakers

Do you believe you are in Sales?

When you examine your world today you will discover how many times you are involved in some kind of negotiation, where you are selling someone on accepting your idea at work, selling your son on the importance of taking a shower after sports practice, selling the airhostess on changing your seat on the plane, etc. You will be astounded at how much time you actually spend, every day, involved in some kind of negotiation, where you are attempting to persuade someone to see your point of view or where you are attempting to influence someone.

I looked at my own life where I am involved in selling or influencing people, to accept my point of view, throughout my day and realised that selling or the ability to positively influence the people around you to see things from your perspective, is not limited to people who have Sales Professional on their business cards. It is a crucial life skill needed by everyone.

My Current Research

Seeing just how often I am involved in selling throughout my day, I thought well if I am involved in selling on such a regular basis. Other people must be in a similar position. I then conducted some exhaustive research into how much time the average person spends involved in selling or attempting to positively influence the people around them in the workplace. My research showed that people on average, irrespective of their job title, spend around 40 % of their day persuading, influencing or attempting to convince other people. So in reality, whether you like it or not, everyone is involved in sales every day.

How to Win at Sales

I know the by using the word win in the heading of this paragraph, must seem very odd. For you to win at selling or in other words to get someone to understand and accept your point of view, does not require competition at all. It requires co-operation, understanding, fair exchange and for the person doing the selling to be in a place where they are constantly looking for ways to “HELP” or support the other party.

Why should your prospect listen to you?

When attempting to persuade, influence or convince someone to do something or in other words, sell them on an idea you have or to accept your point of view, it is always far easier to be successful, when you do not try to manipulate them.  Instead, you focus your negotiating skills on showing them what they stand to gain, when they see your point of view, act in accordance with your wishes or buy what you have to sell.

Authenticity is key

People can sense sincerity, authenticity and honesty. People you are attempting to convince or persuade are no different. They will sense, when you are being authentic, focused on their needs and wishing to help them or when you are selfishly focused on your own needs, where you want to try to manipulate them.

So to succeed at selling someone on your idea, convincing your wife to watch the movie you have chosen or selling a product or service to a prospect, requires you to remove your need to manipulate and win and instead replace that with your need to help, support and ensure that the other party gets something of equal value in return. Always approach any negotiation, squarely focused on the other party and their needs, instead of your own and you will become far more successful.

Andrew is one of the most sought after Motivational Speakers and Sales Training experts in South Africa. You can trust him to deliver a motivational message that will re-energise your team and help them to ignite the fire of inspiration in their bellies once again. Should you want to improve your sales visit my website for details on my <a target="_new" href="http://www.andrewhorton.co.za/sales-training/">Sales Training</a> courses.