In order to generate income, in order to pay salaries, in order to pay rent, in order to pay for whatever it is, you need to sell.

I believe everybody can become better. However, let's use golf and me and Tiger Woods as an analogy. Let's say both of us have the same training at the age of two. Today, I will not be Tiger Woods. We can train the same amount, have the same practice, but I will not be Tiger Woods. I don't have certain genetics or a certain aptitude. It's the same with selling. Certain people just have it.

When you sell into the B2B clients, you're selling to the client and the person. What that means is they are not spending their own money - when it's B2C it is their own money - so I try to make the person look good.

I see confidence coming from clarity. I define it in terms of a Venn diagram, to have your own unique selling point, you need to understand the market, you need to understand the customers/clients, and what they're going through and then you need to understand the company that you represent. When those three circles intersect and you get to the sweet spot, then you will have confidence because you know what you're dealing with. 

We all know that. Ask questions and listen twice to what people have to say. When you look at telesales, they don't ask you a single question. They don't. Instead it’s like they try to get out as much underwriting as they can. You have to get people's attention first before you can sell them anything. They need to be interested in whatever you have to say. Once you’ve got my interest, then we can make a decision.

If you look at a story, it has a beginning, middle and end. I see that in selling, too. I need to get your attention. Then I need to get your interest. Then we can help you make a decision.

You basically summarise what's important. That's how I see it. That's what it is. That summary you give becomes what I call a microscript that someone can use and repeat over and over and over and over to the next person.

I call it the I-specialist. “We do this. We have the best quality. We are number one. Check out our awards. Come do business with us.” They make it all about them. That's where people go wrong. If you go to any pitch, or to any network event, when you go around the table, people talk about themselves. Either that or they haven't practiced.

Look for qualities that I call thinking like a doctor. Like a good doctor, a good salesperson should ask a lot of good questions. Not just ask questions, but ask good questions, and then they need to listen to what you have to say. First you ask questions. Then you diagnose. Then you prescribe. Then you get agreement. If you think about it, this is what doctors do.

Understand how you would like to be sold to as an entrepreneur, as a business owner, and then do the same thing.