The Context Machine

The success of your next sale may be riding on more than the
product or service you’re offering. Your presentation will play
a major role in the sale — the words, your style, and the tone
of your delivery. Here are five phrases to avoid during your
next presentation. By avoiding these common phrases you will
have a better chance at making a favorable impression.

Hey “y’all,” “you guys” or “yous.” As endearing as these words
are, they are best left out of your presentation. These and
other informal words can drain the professionalism out of your
presentation and may send the message you want to win them over
with your charm. Instead, work to draw attention to your
product, the customer service after the sale, and the
professionalism of your organization. Remember to use formal
words delivered with a friendly tone.

“The competitor’s product is not as good as ours.” Instead of
saying, “Theirs is very low-performing,” say “Ours meets all
industry standards and recently won awards for best performance
in all three major categories.” It is acceptable to make
objective comparisons to help the audience in the
decision-making process (”Ours has three xyz’s and theirs has
one”). Remember that the decision-makers in the audience may
have purchased the product you’re disparaging! What happens when
that competitor you mentioned merges with your company and you
have to come back and meet with this same group? Or if you take
a job with that competitor? Instead of drawing attention to the
competitor, keep them focused on your product or service.

“I don’t know.” OK then, who does? It’s a natural response to
say, “I don’t know,” but that doesn’t help your audience. What
they want to hear is that you are pleased they asked that
question up and that you will be on the telephone to get an
answer within minutes of the close of the meeting. They don’t
want to hear you say, “I’ll get back with you,” they want to
know when and how you will get their answer.

“We never make a mistake.” You might not say it that bluntly but
you might imply it with your praises, your promises, and your
passion. On the other hand, you don’t want to dwell on the
mistakes you and your company have made. If they ask you about
reliability of your product, tell the truth. Focus on what you
do to make things right when things go wrong, your clients’
comments about your recovery strategies, and your commitment to
excellence. Every organization has challenges. It is how you
respond to those challenges and your customers’ concerns that
can help you stand apart in your industry.

“We’ve just always done it that way.” So they’re asking for
something you’ve never tried before. Just because you haven’t
tried it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Isn’t it true that many of
the best ideas come from customers and clients? Probe for more
of their ideas. Tell them about something else you currently do
that was first done to meet another client’s needs. Most of all,
thank them for their creative ideas and suggestions. When your
organization decides that this really is a good idea, send them
something special. If their idea is something you can’t
implement, then still help them find a reasonable solution.
After all, you are there to listen, learn, and help them find
solutions.

John Di Lemme on “Miracles are your responsibility”

Miracles are your responsibility! What does that mean?
Simple…You have a responsibility to create miracles in
your own life. The responsibility lies on your shoulders.
You cannot blame anyone else, and you can’t look outside
of yourself for someone else to create the miracles for
you. In this article, I’m going to break down the word
“Miracle”, because each of you have a responsibility. As
you know, my Why is to impact others and change the world
one heart at a time. As you read this today, my goal is
for you to take responsibility and realize that you have
the innate ability to create miracles. So let’s get started!

The letter “M” means Momentum, which is created by you.
You must create Momentum in your life for yourself, for
your Why, for your family, for your success, for your
finances, for your health…YOU create Momentum! No one
else will do it for you. You aren’t a surfer waiting for
the next wave to come in. You and only you must create
your own Momentum to drive you toward creating your Miracle!

The letter “I” stands for Incentive. You must have something
inciting you to action…your ultimate “Why”. Why are you
doing what you are doing? Why do you want to begin that
business? An Incentive builds the foundation that keeps
you focused on your Miracle. No doubt about it! But again,
it is your responsibility to determine what your incentive
is and how it will drive you toward your Miracle.

The letter “R” stands for Revelation. As you read this
today, get a Revelation! It’s your responsibility…no
one else’s. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you
came from, how much money you have…get a Revelation.
YOU can and will create Miracles!

The letter “A” stands for Action. I know you’ve heard
this before, but read this today, print it out and
decide that you are going to take Action to create
Miracles. Once again, no one will do it for you!
Take the Action that you know that you need to take
to create your Miracle.

The letter “C” stands for Commitment. Finally…once
and for all…dive right into it…get Committed to your
Miracle! It’s your responsibility. Inside you is a
reason for why you are here…your Miracle…so Commit to
it. Go for it!

The letter “L” stands for Love. You must Love what
you do. You must Love the Miracle that you are focused
on creating. If your Miracle is all about money…you
will fail! Your Miracle cannot be based on money.
Your Miracle must be based on what you can do to impact
the world, which will produce everlasting results.
You will produce true Miracles! Don’t let anyone else
tell you what you must do for money. Love what you
do and create your own Miracles.

The letter “E” stands for Energy. Your gonna need
Energy to create your Miracle. There’s no such thing
as it “falling in your lap”, “luck” or “winning the
lotto” in a success mindset. It takes hard work!
You need the Energy to take those daily action steps
to create your Miracle. Again, it is your responsibility
to maintain your Energy to create your Miracle.
Miracle…It’s your responsibility.

As I say,

You must be absolutely clear about your goal and be relentless
in your pursuit of Your “WHY!”

Changing Lives!

John Di Lemme
http://www.FindYourWhy.com
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