Ask Me Anything

You would have loved my father, lots of people did, he was just so interested in them, and they told him their stories. It was always beautiful to behold.

Everyone needs to be able to tell their stories, at least once in a while, not only on a YouTube channel or an Instagram post, but to someone who wants to listen, who asks questions.

In a life spent talking to salespeople around the world, I saw how the ones who did well were curious about their customers, curious enough to ask them questions, interested enough to listen. The ones who didn’t do so well paid lip service to the customer, just wanted to tell their own sales story.

I had a gig with a hundred or so failing salespeople, I called it ‘One Secret, Two Skills’, and I’ll keep the secret to myself, it’s a sure fire thing that always gets salespeople selling more and it’s a secret known by few, but I’ll share the two skills, asking questions and closing. These are social skills really, but still rare to see.

So, at the beginning of the gig, after I was introduced, I walked on with a small package, about the size of a box of chocolates, beautifully gift wrapped, tied with gold ribbon, and silently, carefully, and with exaggerated reverence, I placed it on a small table, with a spotlight on it.

If anyone had asked me about the gift, I would have told them anything they wanted to know, and if they had asked if they could have it, I would have given it to them. There was not one question about it, so I got to keep it, the gift-wrapped box with £5000 cash in it.

I mention all this because I can’t remember the last time someone asked me a question, how about you? I talk and write for a living, so I'm not complaining, I get plenty of chances to tell my story, but some do not. 

So, Dear Reader, this week be curious, be social, ask questions, keep your story for another day, hear someone else’s, treat it like a gift.

And, if you want to ask me a question, fire away.

Ask me anything. Xx