July 9, 2009 - Oliver's Twist on Selling

When Your Lead Asks - What’s this all about?

When calling a lead, do you ever get asked the question, "So what’s this all about?"

Have you been trained to have an answer already made up?

Are you sure you know what it is that your lead is really asking?

The answer is almost certainly no, you don’t! And any assumption on your part will reduce any ground you may have gained so far in your communication.

What someone says and what they are really asking is many times quite different.


click here to read on...

July 2, 2009 - Oliver's Twist on Selling

Address the Cause of the Fear, Not the Fear Itself

You might have heard of the expression, “Face the fear and do it anyway.” It’s one of those conventional wisdoms or clichés that has never sat well with me.

Maybe you use the expression with your downline or have had it used on you to address the fear about calling leads or talking with people.

While the “facing the fear” approach can work (if you suck in your breath, stop your heart from rapidly beating and do it!), it tends to be only a temporary solution, because it’s addressing the wrong issue.

Fear is never the issue. Click here to read on...

June 25, 2009 - Oliver's Twist on Selling

The Truth Is – You DO Have To Sell!

OK... Let’s address a Network Marketing myth that can at best be described as a “misleading truth”.

It’s the one where you are told “You don’t have to sell”. (There are 4 versions that I will come to later).

This is of course nonsense. The moment you have the intention of talking about your business or products – you are selling! To think and to say otherwise serves no one. It’s also an example of self denial.

The consequences and sadness of misleading new distributors with this message are that most leave their businesses with less self-esteem than when they first started.

So why is this myth out there? It’s because many people have the perception that selling is a sordid profession. It’s usually based on their personal experiences, prejudices, pre-existing beliefs and what they have read.

Click here to read on...

June 18, 2009 - Oliver's Twist on Selling

Is It Network MarketING – Or The Network MarketER?


I got into one of “those” discussions about the so-called stigma that the world in general has about Network Marketing and the fact that distributors don’t like bringing it up without having to go through deep breathing, meditation or mental toughening skills training!


Personally, I don’t happen to believe the world does feel that way about Network MarketING. (And then I don’t believe many things that conventional wisdom tells me!)


What I do know though, is that there are many people who feel that way about Network MarketERS.



Click here to read on...

June 11, 2009 - Oliver's Twist on Selling

Reduce Your “No-One Is There” Call Back Rate

Do you sometimes find when you call back a potential partner or customer they have somehow mysteriously disappeared off the face of the earth? That bubbly enthusiastic person you connected with, who wanted to make a change and said they were serious, just somehow vanished into outer space?

Well, people not getting back to you or not being there when you call is the symptom of a problem, not the problem itself.

The real problem is usually because of one or more of the following...



To read on, click here

June 4, 2009 Oliver's Twist on Selling

10 Important Lessons From A Panhandler

While having a late afternoon cappuccino at an outside café on 3rd street in Santa Monica yesterday, I looked on in admiration as a panhandler approached people passing by.

As he moved around the street approaching people with his hand out and palm upwards that revealed some quarters in it... he asked each one a simple question;

Do you have a quarter so that I can get a hamburger?

I started to list the things he was doing that most network marketers and direct sales people could take a lesson from.



Click here to read the list...

May 28, 2009 Oliver's Twist on Selling

What’s Important, Is Not What It is... But What It Does!


Do you tend to answer people’s questions about your products or service with company/industry words and technical mumbo jumbo... perhaps talking about features instead of advantages or benefits?


The other day I visited a premium water retail store near where I live. (Who knew we would have water retails stores in the 21st century?).


When I asked why I should pay a premium for the water they were selling I was met with the answer;


“Because it’s better for you than bottled or city water!”


My response was: What does that mean? (I’m thinking; sounds like a gimmick to me)



To read on... click here