This is something that may be of interest to some on my VIP list.

Many of you have indicated a bit of a decline in your bookings of late, and that some of you are trying to get into the business, corporate arena for speaking and trade shows.

I have looked into this and found what may well be a solution to putting some coin in your pocket as well as building a solid relationship with area businesses.

A few weeks ago I meet a guy by the name of Todd Gross, have bought a few things from him and have been very happy; he offered a sneak preview and said I could offer it to you as well. This is something new and I immediately, using my renegade style of outside the box thinking, thought what a wonderful way to solve two problems at once.

What is that?  It’s about standing in front of the hysteria that is just beginning to grip nearly every business in your hometown…Local businesses everywhere are discovering the Yellow Pages are dead! Suddenly EVERONE needs a website, and YOU can give them one. The really cool part is you don’t even have to do the sell.ing, design, hosting anything. You simply locate the prospects, and at the same time begin a personal relationship with them for your other services.

Here’s the sneak preview…

http://rickallen1.easyo.hop.clickbank.net

I have found it simply amazing how many businesses, I just talked to a child care center on Saturday, who do not have a web site yet. If they do have one chances are, it’s totally not effective to capture business.  Restaurant, local contractor, hardware store, plumber, electrician, or landscaper, they are all becoming aware that they are behind if they aren’t already online. You can step in and offer them just what they are looking for along with of course your other services like trade show and company party work.

And YOU can make an easy $400 and up without having to close the sell yourself.

Here’s that preview link again;

http://rickallen1.easyo.hop.clickbank.net

How does it work? Well, you’re provided with everything you need to profit from these businesses in need. When I say everything, I mean everything; I’ve had a pre-pre sneak peak and guess that’s why I’m so excited about this! Take a look at everything you get with the this:

 

* Step-By-Step Directions To Making Money In The Offline Niche

* A Cash Pumping Website That Works for You 24 Hours A Day

* Action Plans That Show You Exactly What To Do

* Thousands of Dollars Worth of High Impact Marketing Material

* A Forum Where You Can Get Help and All The Latest Information

* Toll Free Number for Easy Ordering

* No Selling Needed… We’ll Close Your Deals!

* Huge Profits of $400 Per Sale!

Want to get a free Sneak Preview of turnkey website and some of the marketing material that’s Included (Oh, did I mention you will get $400 per sale from each website? Oh yeah, I did…)

Go ahead; go get your free preview:

http://rickallen1.easyo.hop.clickbank.net

 

 

And by the way, yes, Todd is going to bring you a special very affordable offer  for this incredible deal. Keep watching your inbox in the next few days!

- Rick

PS, Keep an open mind with this and you will see the vision that I got when I first heard about this. Go now; http://rickallen1.easyo.hop.clickbank.net

Hi, I would first like to apologize, I was so busy last week with the overwhelming response the the Adventures of the Renegade Magician DVD, I just didn’t have time to do anything other then work on the project. I got word today from the duplicators that they have been shipped, so I should have them in a few days and then will send them right out. You still have time to save before they go up to full price at the end of the month.

WELCOME, I’d like to welcome the new VIP members that have joined us from the Stage Hypnosis Center, that Geoff and Wendy Ronning run. I can’t recommend Geoff training and programs enough, they are all top of the line.

Last night, afternoon or wee hours of the morning, depending on your location, Geoff grilled me on how I create instant stage hypnosis gigs. The call was a great success, judged by the response and the questions, I’m guessing there were about 50 people on the call, and Internet webinar.

Many of the questions were about the specifics of the marketing tools I use to advertise the shows, once I book them. I decided the easiest thing to do would be a short video, showing them and explain a bit about each one.

So this week, as a welcome to our new VIP members, Rick’s Rants is dedicated to members from the SHC.

Hope this helps make things clear… enjoy.

 

Well, it’s been a fast summer around here, lots have been happening and I’m trying my best to stay very motivated and very busy. There is a lot of lost ground I need to cover since my health issues last spring, but it’s all working nicely and falling in place as my goal plan intends.

 

 I’ve been having a lot of discussion lately and some questions about ‘what if’s…’   “What if I make a cold call and they start yelling at me?”; “Did I remember to bring that brochure?”; ‘What if I mess up my presentation tomorrow?’ – These are some anxieties we all experience at some time or the other. Anxiety manifests as an unpleasant state with a combination of emotions like F.E.A.R. (false evidence appearing real), apprehension, and worry. For different people there can different physical sensations ranging from sweaty palms, chest pain, nausea, headaches, heart palpitations, or shortness of breath. These are in fact very real. The cause is generally very unreal however.Anxiety, however, is a common enough reaction in response to stress in our everyday life.

 

Anxiety can be a useful state – in that it makes us more alert, careful and capable of coping with the situation at hand. Normally, the state of anxiety ends as soon as one is out of the situation that has caused it. Sometimes though, our anxious thoughts can spiral out of control, stimulating a sense of dread and fear for no apparent reason. It is when anxiety turns into an irrational, all encompassing dread of normal, everyday situations, that it is time to sit up and take stock of what could potentially be a disorder. This kind of anxiety can certainly disrupt ones life and business. This type of anxiety disorders can cause severe distress and can disrupt the lives of a person suffering from them in the future.

 

Generally in the case of say prospecting, either in person or by phone this anxiety can kick you so hard that you’ll make up any excuse to not do it, everything from just not wanting to make the calls to physically getting sick over it The accompanying physical symptoms may include fast heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness, difficulty in breathing, racing pulse, hot flashes or chills, sense of unreality, fear of losing control – to name a few.

 

F.E.A.R. at the time is very real, although in reality false and as such does not reduce the severity of the anxiety ‘real’ fear and the stress that it produces. Fight or flight starts and in most cases we take flight and flee the cause of the anxiety, in this case the act of  cold calling prospects.

 

Several things can help reduce the anxiety and stress produced by this F.E.A.R.

 

First off if you can overcome the small hurdle of actually making a few cold calls, you will generally find that the F.E.A.R. is indeed not real. That no one will assault you physically or verbally and that no blood is shed, 

 

Being well prepared (although, don’t let analysis become a paralysis) well be a huge step to eliminating F.E.A.R. Doing a little relaxation breathing exercise before you pick up the phone or before exiting your car for a face to face meeting.

 

The biggest factor is that of rejection. It can easily trigger a cycle that leads to anxiety. If you’re offering a service the rejection becomes personal. Too many rejections and thoughts of survival surface; “If I don’t make the sale I’ll not make any money, no money I can’t pay my bills. If I can’t pay my bills I’ll become homeless, if I’m homeless I’ll not have food, if I don’t have food I stave and die! F.E.A.R, False Evidence Appearing Real, rational thinking will allow you to realize that none of these things will happen. Problem is anxiety blocks rational thinking.

 

Being prepared for prospecting, making sure you have any needed documents, brochures, samples will eliminate stress that has developed out of fear of being unprepared and not having a document when asked.

 

Set reasonable goals for any activity, it’s a simple way of keeping score.

 

Finally, do mental rehearsals of the goals. Actually visualize yourself prospecting and the positive outcome of the call or meeting. Mental rehearsal goes a long way towards eliminating the F.E.A.R.

 

On a personal note, these are all things I have gone trough myself and how I have overcome many of them.

 

I would really like to hear your responses and questions about your F.E.A.R. and if these suggestions have helped and what I can do to help you further to succeed.

———————————————————-

If you want to use this article in a company or association newsletter or for your own purposes, just contact me at RickAllen@RickAllenInfo.com . I’m always happy to let you use material as long as I get credit and a link to: www.StressManagementConsulting.com  Please pass this article on to someone. If you think the content is good, please share it with someone else. They’ll appreciate it and so will I! Also, please feel free to share the following link with people to get a no cost Stress Management Kit www.StressManagementConsulting.com International Copyright 2007, Rick Allen, CH,CI, CSMC

Well the last few months have been a challege to sat the least. It all wrapped up four weeks ago with having major high risk admonal surgery. Things are slowing get back on track. Here are some interesting thoughts on using your E.S.P. to improve sells.

We’ve are heard the legionary stories of people with seemingly hypnotic persuasive powers. Sometimes, it seems like they really had powers over others’ mind with their abilities to have people see things their way. But you know what? It isn’t magic; and just about anybody can learn how to be one of the mythical people who can even sell ice cubes to Eskimos.

Although some people are born with an innate ability to persuade others, and an inordinate amount of charm, others learn and master their extra selling persuasion skills through trial and error. Effective sales people, business persons, and yes, even Casanovas of all ages, are able to persuade easily through the simple mastery of some basic persuasion techniques used by entertainers, hypnotist and yes even politicians.

Keep in mind all things being equal, people will do business and make decisions based on people they perceive as friends and family.

 Here are three basic E.S.P. techniques that anyone can use to put money in their pockets, build relationships and influence people to see the benefits of what you are selling, weather personally or professionally.   

1.      Get Into Your Prospects Heads – An effective salesperson never jumps into the selling mood with out first taking the time to survey the buyer’s situation and get into the potential customers’ head first.  Always make sure the first thing you do when preparing for a sale is to know everything about your potential customers mind set. Things to look out for are their body language, manner of speech, activities and interest in what your selling,. After considering and taking note of these things, get to know a little bit more about them by entering into a sincere conversation.  Your goal in conversing with them is to pull out what their interests are and how you can use these interests to gain support for your sale. Also, the conversation should serve to gain their trust and to show how “similar” you are to them. People tend gravitate towards people that they perceive to be like them on the other hand quickly distrust those that they perceive are trying to change their minds in a negative way. When they do so, they immediately clam up and tune out anything you have to say. You can say goodbye to any sort of sale you could have hoped for. If you gain their trust and slowly present an idea logically, they may open up to other ideas aside from the ones they hold so dear. You have to lead them along and show a logical progression to get into their heads. 

2. Present It with All Your Heart – To fully develop E.S.P. and ultimately persuade others, you will have to show that you yourself have been persuaded beyond all doubt. If you do not show confidence in what you are pitching, your sale is doomed. It also pays to take the time to become knowledgeable in the area of your sale. Your confidence in your product knowledge goes a long way to impress any potential customer into seeing the benefits of what your selling.  A concise and structured presentation helps to build the impression that you know what you are talking about. Some people can bluff their way through most any situation but it is rare and generally only a matter of time before they get tripped-up. The only way to have true product knowledge is to take the time to do the research and have a sincere interest in what you’re selling. Having product knowledge helps build your case logically from the prospects potential negative point of view to the point of view you wish for them to have. Always leave the best arguments for last, as they are the most likely to ring in the customers’ heads long after the pitch is done.  While going in circles is a big no-no for any presentation, clever and well-placed repetition of ideas is an excellent memory tool to help make important points unforgettable. Using visual, auditory and sensatory can often get your point across faster then anything else you may offer.  

The secret of a good presentation is to not come across as pressuring and being forceful. You will always want to persuade others into making a decision you want them to make by allowing them to make the correct and logical decision that they perceive to be correct. Always reinforce throughout your presentation that it is the prospect that is making a clear decision based on the correct knowledge you are providing. The thing people hate about some pitches is the way they are pressured by the persuader to come to a course of action against their will. Some people look at selling as a one sided challenge, it becomes a game of wits. While it is possible to pull off a high pressure sale, the end results are seldom worth it. For long term relationships, your goal is to make the decision maker feel it is their idea to make the positive buying decision.

 

3. Be Convincing – To be convincing, you will need to back up your assertions with data and proof that the prospect will see the benefits you offer. People love it when studies are quoted because it lends credence to the argument. If you have evidence that has been published about what you are selling show it, by all means.. Also, show that other people, just like them that are making the decision you want them to make. Nothing is more persuasive to a prospect then a “like person” testifying on your behalf that what you are selling will do what you say it will do.  People tend to do things that others, like them do. If you can persuade your potential customers that everyone else is jumping on the band wagon, they will probably realize it may be in their best interest to do the same.

 

Three simple, yet highly effective ways to increase your own personal E.S.P. for more information on and a free 7 part mini-course on developing Extra Sales Perception visit: http://www.extrasalespersuasion.com

 

Copyright 2007 Rick Allen

Seven Helpful Steps for Self-Motivation

We all have dreams, desires, goals, don’t we? I hear people almost everyday tell their dreams of what they would like to have happen in their lives, both personally and professionally.  

However, those dreams will seldom become reality without appropriate action. It’s really a shame to see so many people everyday not living their lives to the fullest, depressed because their dreams and goals seem like they will never come to be. Yet, everyday these same people do the same thing, day after day, year after year. No closer today to doing what will male them happy.

The biggest reason as I see it that this happens is that people lack self-motivation to do much of anything that makes them feel the least bit uncomfortable.

I have a friend who wants to be a success in his business. Not uncommon at all, I see it all the time, but, he is unwilling to do what needs to be done to get things going in the first place. He spends his time spinning his wheels as if he was stuck in red
Georgia mud. The sad part is that he blames the world for his lack of self-motivation.

It’s simply not true that someone else is to blame for your own inaction. I’m reminded of the affirmation: “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.

No one else can make you take action, sure they can motivate you by words or even their actions but in the end it’s up to you. That’s why it’s called self-motivation.

Actually although self-motivation is the excepted wording, it’s actually self-action that gets the job done.  

Here are seven tips to start your self-motivation: 

1 -Living healthy. Peak self-motivation is only possible when your health is at its all time high if getting sufficient sleep, have the proper vitamin balance, regular exercise and a proper and balanced food and drink intake. These will all go a long way to have a high amount of energy.  

2-Have a realistic plan of action. Having a goal is worthless, if your not going to carry it out, letting the least little thing road block you. If you don’t have a plan that you can handle, chances are you will never get to step one, let alone the end.  3- The 15-minute rule.Often, in order to not get overwhelmed with any one process, limit it to fifth-teen minutes. Actually set a timer for fifth-teen minutes, knowing that when it goes off you have complete freedom to end that task and begin another one. Make it part of your plan to accomplish at least one step that will bring you closer to your dream becoming a reality.  

4- Discover your “peak hours.”Everyone has different peak times. I find often after 10:00 PM is the peak time for me to work on more involved writing projects. First thing in the morning is best for me to get any packages ready to ship out. Ask yourself: Am I a morning, afternoon or night person? Find out the time of the day that you are most energetic. Keep in mind you may have different times for different peak performance involving totally different task, as I do.  5- Stop being a perfectionist. Being a perfectionist is a huge road block for many people. It’s always nice to strive perfection in any action, personal or business; however, it is seldom obtained or even desired in most cases. Sure do the very best, but also know when enough is enough. It’s better to work towards a end then to get hung-up and never have an end to reach. More often then not, good enough is just good enough. 

6- Break down the task into smaller components.

I mentioned this before under the 15 minute rule, but it bears repeating, because I think it is one of the biggest reasons for lack of self-motivation that man has ever placed on himself.

I’m sure you have heard the old axiom; how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! That’s exactly how you become motivated, one bite (step) at a time. Any goal can be chucked down into bite sized bits and that’s exactly how to stay self-motivated with any project and not become overwhelmed by its size.  

7- Give yourself a break.The second biggest problem I see with people, when it comes to self-motivation is that they don’t allow anytime becoming motivated in the first place. A man by the name of Joe Karbo became famous for a little book he published back in the 1970’s. He said in that book that most people are to busy working to make any money. Joe’s statement is so true. Most just don’t plan a little time (see the fifth-teen minute rule again) to actually plan their days. They wake-up and willy-nilly their way through it, with no plan of how it will end or when it will end.  

That’s it, seven sure fire ways to motivate you to self-action. If you need help with self-motivation, overcoming negative imprints, time management and goal planning  I offer various programs for all these and more, just ask rickallen@rickalleninfo.com  

DENNY CRAIN! … Boston Legal yields yet another vital marketing lesson for us.

The William Shatner character, egocentric Denny Crain, exudes confidence, although he shows signs of frailty in private moments when in public or in the court room, although a bit off the wall at times conveys why, well, why he’s, DENNY CRAIN!

Believe it or not, want to or not this is the type of confidence that is needed to get past the gatekeepers and to get the movers and shakers to listen to you.

Let me give an example. I used to say something like this when calling a prospect…

“Hello, this is Rick Allen, is Mr. Smith in?”

“What is this in regards to?”

“Well, I wanted to talk with him about an idea I had for a …”

“I’m sorry he’s in a meeting right now, can I have him call you back?”

And you know the rest of the story. There are lots of skeletons setting at desks, still waiting for that call back.

Demonstrating pure confidence or some may call it by several other body parts or functions, you can by pass a lot of road blocks and stand a much better chance of getting to the person who can really decide on things, the real head honcho.

You wouldn’t find Denny Crain or probably Bill Shatner himself approaching a prospect in such a milk toast, hey I’m selling something altitude.

Instead it would go something like this…

“Hi, Shirley? RICK ALLEN, is Bob around?”

“Yes he is.”

“Let me speak to him for a moment.”

Hi, Bob Smith? RICK ALLEN! We haven’t meet yet, but I have a way to put $10,0000 in your bank account in sixty days, interested? …

Know that several things have happened in a matter of seconds. I’ll hit the highlights.

First off you disarmed Shirley the gatekeeper, by calling her by name, everyone loves to hear their name, DENNY CRAIN! Right?

Second you have forcefully said your name with unshakable confidence, that you can move mountains and part seas.

Third you act like and sound like you know Bob Smith personally, although at no time have you said or even really implied that you know him. It’s all in the tone that you convey.

By expressing the confidence that I’m talking about, Shirley is not going to question what you’re calling about, after all it must be important, and you sound so important.

When you get Bob Smith (using the full name), his mind is indexing at a mile a second, Rick Allen? Rick Allen? Where do I know Rick Allen from, Rotary, the Chamber, that cocktail party the other night? Then you stop indexing by saying you’ve not meet “yet” and quickly give your reason for calling, in this case to meet with him for fifteen minutes to show how you can put $10,000 in his bank account in sixty days.

This brings me to the last extremely important point. You must truly have something of importance to say to him or her, and you must say it quickly. You must truly believe what you’re saying is 100% true; in this case I can put $10,000 in his pocket. To call and say I’d like to get-together and kick around a few ideas will not get you the time of day. You must be precise and crisp.

Don’t think this works? This same approach (not by me) has gotten past the gatekeepers of Bill Gates and Michael Eisner it has worked for me most recently to get past the gatekeepers regarding fund raising programs.

“Hi, Bob, I have some money for your group, can we talk a minute?”

“Sure!” are 100% of the replies I got out of about twenty calls.

Keep in mind these were to people who did not know me at that point and who I was cold calling.

A line I got from Dave Risely, a few years back, that I still use today is this, when the prospect comes on the line I’ll say…

“Is this the underpaid and overworked Chris?”

Always a pause and a … “yea” or “You sure got that right!”

I just defused Chris, made em laugh and short circuited their thought pattern, because it’s not what they expected to hear.

Boy, did I feel uncomfortable when I first started using this, then I realized the power and wisdom behind it. Remember the only difference between successful people and the rest, is that successful people are willing to do the things that unsuccessful people are not willing to do.

Keep in mind not all situations of course call for this, most do, but not all. Here’s one last tip for now, I truly have a million of them.

Join them in the middle of the conversation. Huh?

It goes something like this…

“Bob Smith, RICK ALLEN! Say I was taking a look at your business Bob and I realized I could easily add ten grand to your bottom line. How about if we get together for fifteen minutes, so I can tell you what I found?”

Sure beats the heck out of “The reason I’m calling you Mr. Smith is…” doesn’t it?

My bio I’m assembling is called “It Takes More Then Guts.” This is one of the reasons why… DENNY CRAIN! Ah, I mean, RICK ALLEN!

Philosophies of Neuro-Linguistic Performance

 

 

Due to the global aspect of most industries today, companies and organizations are forced to acknowledge the need to improve every area of their day-to-day-business. Thanks to the internet, the world is transforming itself to a global village. Companies who are unable to adjust to the need for world-class service can simply sink or die. 

One of the most popular approaches many businesses have decided to utilize is having their managers and employees undergo neuro-linguistic training. Neuro-Linguistic Programming, although created in the 1970’s, only became popular in recent times. A product by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a process that combined all the good points of three of the most effective therapies today: modern hypnotherapy of Milton Erickson, Gestalt therapy of Fritz Perl and modern-day family therapy of Virginia Satir. 

Once both managers and employees master the founding principles of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, they’ll be able to provide better customer care and achieve company goals more efficiently as a result of Neuro-Linguistic Performance. 

Neuro-Linguistic Performance focuses on the following philosophies: 

THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING GOALS

 

In this aspect, Neuro-Linguistic Performance is in accord with almost all other training techniques. It is very important for people – both managers and employees alike – to set goals for themselves. 

Having a goal would stand as your basis for your personal career plan. Having a goal would provide direction for your life; and from that point onwards, everything you do shall be for the primary purpose of taking one step closer to your goals. 

On the other hand, while other techniques simply stop after stressing the importance of having goals to achieve, Neuro-Linguistic Performance proceeds further by teaching people to vary or modify their behaviors or actions until they attain their objectives. You’ll learn more about this in the succeeding paragraphs. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF SENSORY AWARENESS

 

This principle enlightens people on how to read body language and other sensory signals effectively in order to achieve your goals in a speedier and more efficient fashion. 

While some techniques simply teach others to “read people” through vaguely explained methods such as looking at other people’s eyes or depending on your intuition, Neuro-Linguistic Performance is much more specific in its teachings. 

In this step, people would learn how to interpret certain body movements such as changes in skin tone and lower lip size. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHANGING YOUR BEHAVIOR OR ATTITUDE 

As mentioned in the first principle of Neuro-Linguistic Performance, people should be willing to change whatever needs changing, in order to effectively achieve their goals. They must be able to recognize what behaviors or actions are conducive to their objectives and continue with such behaviors. Attitudes that are detrimental to their goals, on the other hand, should be immediately eliminated. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF IMMEDIATE ACTION

 

Simply put, Neuro-Linguistic Performance makes sure that people shall not let themselves become guilty of procrastination. They are made aware of the importance of accomplishing as much as possible IMMEDIATELY. 

To reinforce the aforementioned principles, Neuro-Linguistic Performance reminds its students or trainees of the following truths: 

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

 

Whenever there’s a misunderstanding, remember not only to listen to both sides but to read between the lines as well. 

THE NEED FOR VISUALIZATION

 

Neuro-Linguistic Performance teaches people how to visualize their goals and use this to become more effective and productive in their work. 

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SELF AND BEHAVIOR

 

One of the most important lessons that Neuro-Linguistic Performance teaches people is the difference between self and behavior. Simply put, a person who’s prone to committing mistakes doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ineffective and worthless. Neuro-Linguistic Performance teaches people to look and dig deeper before drawing any conclusions.