Three of South Africa’s top sales and marketing experts have joined forces for half a day to enlighten, enchant, entertain and inform sales professionals on
The Neuroscience of Persuasion – How To Close More Deals More Consistently
.

 

Seminar Date Venue Time
Neuroscience of Persuasion 4 November Sunnyside Park Hotel, Parktown, Johannesburg 09h00 – 12h00
  • Ian Rheeder – The Neuropsychology of Persuasion [Understand how your prospect's brain works during the sales process]
  • Ray Patterson – How to become a RAP sales person [Motivating sales people to be proud of their profession]
  • Jacques de Villiers – How to Sell Face-to-Face in a Digital World [Coming to grips with a more sophisticated and discerning buyer]

The Neuropsychology of Persuasion – Ian Rheeder

Ian Rheeder

Ian Rheeder

At a neuropsychological level, few salespeople have ever considered what their customer’s are going through during the sales and negotiation process. Put yourself a decade ahead of the pack and learn to do the following:

  • Understand the Big-8 primal emotions in a sales situation
  • The eight levers of persuasion
  • The neuroscience behind asking the most important trust-building question in sales
  • The neuropsychology behind why we can’t remember names (straight after being introduced to someone)
  • The neuropsychology of handling objections
  • The neuropsychology behind why mentioning ‘win-win’ is so important during negotiations

About Ian

With abundant experience in both B2B and FMCG, Ian Rheeder is a registered Chartered Marketer who differentiates himself as a master of both sales and marketing management. Ian is a full-time marketing consultant and trainer, spending much of his time facilitating strategic workshops with clients. His sales and marketing management experience includes 30 international FMCG & B2B brands.

Ray Patterson – How to become a RAP Sales Professional

Ray Patterson

Ray Patterson

Whenever Ray presents his 45-minute keynote he gets rave review. If you’re going to listen to one ‘sales motivation talk’ this year … this is the one. It will leave you inspired and ready to tackle your sales career with renewed vigor.

  • Stop being a “Rep” (Someone who represents their product or service) and start being a “RAP” Responsible, Accountable and Proud. Someone who uses skills and techniques to SELL their product or service.
  • Be proud of yourself and your profession. Nothing ever happens, until a sales person sells something!
  • Are you EEE enabled. Energy, Enthusiasm and Excitement. These are critical to sales success. Having the knowledge and skills without the right attitude is a recipe for disaster in sales. Everyone relies on your enthusiasm. Your customer, your company and your family.
  • Emotion verses logic. All people buy the same. They make a decision based on an emotion and defend the sale with logic.

About Ray

Is passionate about the sales profession and about sales people being proud of who they are and proud of what they do. He is a dynamic presenter with a lifetimes experience in sales and sales management. With more than 40 years experience in the selling profession, Ray is a ‘salesman’s salesman’.

How to Sell Face-to-Face in a Digital World – Jacques de Villiers

Many sales people are confused and hesitant to embrace the Internet and Social Media to connect with, and sell to, their prospective clients. Sales people need to connect with the buyer on the buyer’s

Jacques de Villiers, South African sales training and marketing expert

Jacques de Villiers

terms … and, if that means that the buyer wants to relate via digital media, then the sales person needs to adapt to the changing demands.

Discover …

  • How to use digital media to find prospects and connect with clients
  • The 3 ways to improve your business
  • The importance of being #1 in your niche market
  • How to position yourself as an expert

About Jacques

Jacques has been helping companies make sense of marketing and sales for real return on investment since 1998.His clients have named him The Business Generator because his marketing and sales strategies, processes and systems have brought them in additional revenue that they never bargained on. His expertise is firmly grounded in the marketing, sales and employee motivation arena. In his journey with his clients, he is laser focused on generating them more revenue through ‘lead generation’, ‘lead conversion’ and motivated staff.

Book Now

Investment: R897.00 per delegate.
If you book 5 or more people from the same company, one can attend for free [You pay for 4].

Book with Simone Scholtz:

Mobile: 071 670 2168
Email: simone@jacquesdevilliers.com

Programme

08h30 for 09h00 – Registration

09h05 – 09h55 – Ray Patterson [How to Become a RAP Sales Professional]

10h00 – 10h45 – Jacques de Villiers [How to Sell Face-to-Face in a Digital World]

10h45 – 11h05 – Tea break

11h10 – 11h55 – Ian Rheeder [The Neuropsychology of Persuasion]

12h00 – Close and Thanks

One of my colleagues from the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa (PSASA), Paul du Toit will demystify the art and science of presenting in August and September in Johannesburg.

Check out the details below.

*** Public Presentation Skills 2-day Programmes Sandton ***

Did Your Last Presentation Run As Planned?

From the Author of “YOU Can Present with Confidence” a two-day
presentation skills programme that will equip you with all the information you
need to plan, structure and deliver outstanding presentations that achieve your
objectives.

Dear Presenter,

It’s all very well to deliver a “good” presentation, but the objective of a presentation is to get the business. There’s a subtle difference. Is it the praise you seek or the business? I know which I’m after (and don’t chirp “the praise” now!).

Great, business winning presentations don’t just happen, they are planned.
But you shouldn’t only plan to get it right, you should also plan for what to do if
things go wrong. That’s why good presenters have usually been properly trained
to present. And so should you be.

In order for a presentation to go as planned, three key things need to happen.
The presenter needs to prepare him or herself to be an effective presenter. He
(or she) needs to put together an impressive presentation. Then – and this is
the third component – he/she needs to deliver it with enthusiasm. All this takes
learning, planning and implementation.

But mostly this doesn’t happen. The valuable time needed to prepare
adequately for a presentation is usually spent in near paralysis looking for
excuses not to do what you should be doing….PREPARING! As the fateful day
draws nearer, panic starts setting in. People only put off doing what they should do for one of 2 reasons. Either it’s not important or they don’t know what to do or how to do it.

But fear not. I will show you how to raise your presentations to a truly
professional level, so that you never need quake in raw fear again.

Delegates attending this programme will each receive their own copy of my
book “You Can Present with Confidence” to take home with them. Incidently, this book will be published in the USA/Canad on 1 August 2011!

Comments about the book:

“…a great read
filled with many useful tips and guidelines which I devoured twice in double
quick time”
. – Mark Davies, Managing Director, Groeneveld SA

“I read your book on
the long flight back to Seattle from New York. OUTSTANDING job! It was thorough,
complete, highly informative—and fun to read as well!”
– Bill Stainton,
Professional Speaker, Seattle WA, USA.

So, how will I help YOU help yourself to be a better, more effective
presenter?

I will demystify all those presentation “grey areas” for you. I will show you
how YOU can present persuasively and with confidence. And I will show you how
simple it is to create, structure and deliver sizzling presentations that achieve your
objective. And I’ll take you on a few practice runs too!

On course you will deliver 3 presentations that will be videoed and played
back to you. We will also make a professional looking AV CD of your
presentations for you.

The programme addresses the following key areas:

  • Believing you can
  • Overcoming the 5 great fears
  • Having a clear objective
  • Time management and planning
  • Presentation Structure
  • Practice methodology
  • Your visual impact
  • Data projection tips (Powerpoint and Keynote)
  • Voice power
  • Audience rapport
  • Handling questions
  • Dealing with logistics
  • Getting the result you want

Who should attend?

Anyone who does internal or external presentations, with our without
technology and feels that they would like to do it better. When you depart from
the seminar you will have all the tools you need in order to deliver persuasive,
professional presentations.

Public Schedule 2011 – Present with Confidence (also available in-house)

Date Day Venue Place
17-18 August 2011 Wednesday/Thursday The Conference Park, 43 Homesteead Road Rivonia (Sandton)
26-27 September 2011 Monday/Tuesday Silverwood Manor, 113 Mount Road Bryanston (Sandton)

Past delegate acclaim for this programme

“I really needed this course, I enjoyed it and am so happy that I can follow up with the two of you – it makes a world of difference. Too often the trainer feels that when he/ she completes a course, there is no need to touch base with the delegates, your business is truly going to soar if you continue in this fashion. Thanks for all the positive re-enforcement.” – Kathy Sheosanker, Sappi Management Services

Investment

R4,400 per person (excludes VAT). Lovely venue, delicious tea/coffee/lunches, manuals, book, AV CD, and expert facilitation included.

Book Now

With Simone Scholtz
simone@jacquesdevilliers.com (have your VAT number handy please!)
… or phone her on 071 670 2168. We have secure online facilities for VISA and MasterCard.

The booking deadline is one week before each event or when we sell out. We
take a maximum of 12 delegates per programme so there is genuinely limited space
at all venues!

So, take the plunge. I look forward to welcoming you there!

Paul du Toit, MD Congruence Training (Pty) Ltd

About Paul du Toit: Paul was awarded the Certified Speaking Professional
designation by the Global Speakers Federation in New York on August 2008, the
highest award of speaking excellence in the international speaking community.
Paul is a founder member and past president of the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa, and was awarded the
coveted Founders Award at the Global Speakers Summit in Cape Town in 2009. He is the MD of soft skills training consultancy Congruence Training which he founded in April 1995.

What other international professional presenters are saying about Paul du Toit, CSP

“Paul du Toit
impressed me as an exceptionally sincere, competent and clever speaker who
shared highly valuable lessons learned from years of professional speaking
experience with international audiences. Paul is a quintessential role model,
masterfully demonstrating step by step, with his own voice variation, body
gestures, eye contact, props and organization of ideas, each of his gems of
wisdom about how to become a Five Star Speaker.”

- Lothar J. Seiwert, PhD, CSP, HoF (Hall of Fame), Author of “Slow Down to Speed
Up” (Germany)

Presenter, book now for this outstanding life changing programme.

With Simone Scholtz
simone@jacquesdevilliers.com (have your VAT number handy please!)
… or phone her on 071 670 2168. We have secure online facilities for VISA and MasterCard.

 

Date: Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Time: 09h00 – 16h00
Venue: Evertsdal Guest House, Durbanville, Cape Town
This course can also be run in-company.

Jacques de Villiers has crafted a new course for sales professionals who have been in the saddle for a while but are not cutting it right now or who just want to get that extra edge over their competitors. Let’s face it, it is a different business-to-business (B2B) ‘sales’ world out there now. What worked two years ago is certainly not working now. I don’t need to tell you that the economy is tougher, nor do I need to tell you that the prospect of today is also a different animal altogether. The truth is that today’s B2B buyer is more sophisticated and needs an altogether new approach.

Prospecting is Dead

Remember the ‘good old days’ when you phoned 10 people for an appointment and you got to see three. Those days are gone. I’ll bet my last cent that the ratios run more to every 30 people you phone, you get an appointment with one. You’ve got more chance of going to your prospect’s voice mail and of headed off at the pass by her gatekeeper than you have of actually connecting face-to-face. Old school prospecting and selling is dead.

How to Sell Face-To-Face in a Digital World

Is designed to help sales professionals come to terms with the new selling playing field, adapt to it and master it so that they can make more sales.

On the Master Class you’ll discover:

  • How to master yourself and the new environment you are selling into.
  • How to create a profile on your ideal client so that you can laser focus on those prospects that really matter and discard those that don’t. This strategy alone will ensure that you don’t lose 20 hours a week.
  • Where to find your ideal client on the Internet and through social media.
  • Why it is important to position yourself and your company as #1 in your market space.
  • How to narrow your focus and niche your product or service even if you have multiple offerings and multiple markets.
  • How to craft power scripts that will get you an appointment more often than not.
  • How to write and deliver compelling voice messages to ensure that your prospect phones you back.
  • How to position yourself as an expert. Tip: The 21st Century buyer is not interested in fluffy, flabby generalists. She’s looking for laser focused experts that can solve her particular problem.
  • How to tell your company’s and your story so that you can emotionally connect with your prospect and get her to favour you over your competitors.
  • How to use Facebook, You Tube, Twitter and Linked In for prospecting and sales success. Yes, I know you don’t want to get into this space because it is an unknown and it is scary. All I know is that companies that are allowing their sales force to get into conversation with their clients and prospects are in many cases doubling and tripling their sales. The truth is that you have to embrace social media or go the way of the dinosaur.
  • How to conduct an effective sales meeting. There’s no doubt that the sale still happens belly-to-belly and eyeball-to-eyeball. The problem is that most sales people still haven’t mastered this important aspect of the sale. If you don’t believe me, consider what the Harvard Business Review claimed in 2010: “Only 9.1% of sales meetings result in a sale and just 1 out of 250 sales people exceed their targets.”

About Jacques de Villiers

Jacques is a sales and marketing strategist who specialises in developing sales professionals, sales managers and sales/marketing teams. He has more than 170 companies close more deals more consistently through his Architecture of Selling Systems since 1998.

Investment

R1997.00 per delegate
This includes:

  • The Architecture of Selling Manual
  • Template: How to Profile Your Ideal Client
  • Template: How to Write A Compelling Script to Secure Qualified Appointments
  • Template: How to Write an Effective Voice Message
  • And, of course, refreshments

Bonuses

  • Secrets to Success in the Corporate World. This book is packed full of strategies that you can use to ensure you succeed at work and in life. It has been co-created by 10 of South Africa’s leading people empowerment experts. Value: R150
  • How to Persuade Anybody to do Almost Anything. This DVD contains the six essential strategies that influence people to buy.

To Book

Contact Simone Scholtz 071 670 2168 simone@jacquesdevilliers.com

Die Spoortrapper ervaring is ‘n spontane en dinamiese belewenis waar die omgewing en die diere van die veld die agenda bepaal terwyl ons die spore en tekens ontdek vir ons eie lewensreis en die maak van goeie keuses.

Die OnTrack Advance (Spoortrapper) in die Timbavati saam met Callie Roos en Adriaan Louw vind plaas op
17 -19 Junie 2011
Arriveer Vrydag 17 Junie om 13:00 (ete om 14:00)
Vertrek Sondag 19 Junie om 12:00 (ontbyt 11:00)
Ons moet eers die tekens van die tye lees asook die tekens van die Gees as ons wil leiding gee.  Tydens die Spoortrapper ervaring kan jy leer om hierdie tekens beter te verstaan. 

Hierdie tekens kom oral rondom ons voor in die natuur asook in die alledaagse lewe.  Tekens wat ons maklik mis totdat ons begin ervaar dat die Gees ons graag wil begelei met die ‘hoe’ van die lewe.

Ons leer om spoor te trap waar nog niemand getrap het n

Verblyf vir die Spoortrapper (OnTrack Advance) is Bateleur in die Timbavati. ‘n Groot Vyf Privaat kamp in die hart van die Afrika bos.  Gaan na http://www.bateleursafaris.co.za/camp.html vir meer inligting oor die kamp.

Om jou plek te bespreek vir die Spoortrapper (OnTrack Advance) te Bateleur kontak Callie of Olga by callie@onpurpose.co.za of telefoon  +27126547983. www.onpurpose.co.za

Kostes:  R4340,00 pp per persoon uitgesluit jou vervoer na Bateleur, ingangsfooi by die Timbavati R120,00 per voertuig, en alkoholiese drinkgoed.

Ingesluit by die bedrag is verblyf, bewaringsfooi by die Timbavati hek R150,00 per persoon,  koffie, tee en beskuit vroeg oggend, drie vol etes per dag, peuselhappies, koeldrank saam met etes, fooitjies vir die gidse en staflede, twee wildsritte per dag asook fasiliteringskoste van Callie en Adriaan.

Die Spoortrapper is vir enkel persone sowel as pare.

Daar is slegs plek vir 16 persone per geleentheid of agt paartjies

The Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa (PSASA) presents two of South Africa’s foremost marketing experts (Ian Rheeder and Jacques de Villiers) to share some of their valuable insights so that you can ramp up your business and your profits.

When and Where

Date: 22 June 2011
Time: 07h30 for 08h00 – 09h30
Venue: Cafe Culture, Pineslopes Centre, Fourways (next to Monte Casino)
Investment: R150 (Includes a full buffet breakfast, an opportunity to tap into the expertise of some of South Africa’s top expert professional speakers and network with other business owners).
There’s only space for 100 guests, so book early because it will be on a first come first served basis.

7 Deadly Marketing Sins by Ian Rheeder

Some of us just keep doing the same things, and expect improved results, while others believe we just need to work much harder. Rather work smarter by discovering the most deadly marketing & sales pitfalls, and indulge yourself in the 7-deadliest solutions. Most business decision makers are committing some (if not all) of these ‘sins’ without realizing the the permanent damage they are already causing their organisation.

About Ian Rheeder

Ian Rheeder is arguably one of the top marketing brains in South Africa today. He is a qualified Chartered

Ian Rheeder, Markitects

Marketer, the highest professional marketing qualification recognised both in South Africa and Europe. Ian is also a registered training Assessor with Services SETA South Africa, who is registered to facilitate almost all their Marketing & Sales programmes. He has facilitated marketing and sales management programmes at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) since 2007, and is currently part of the official GIBS adjunct faculty. Ian is an author of two books, the most recent being Psychologies of Successful Leaders. Check out Ian’s website www.markitects.co.za

 

Lose The Mission Statement … You don’t believe it anyway by Jacques de Villiers

Many organisations pay lip service to their mission statement and water it down so much so that they become a two-dimensional version of their full potential. They’ve lost the ability to connect at a real level with their employees, suppliers, clients and potential clients. People are yearning to do business with authentic companies. Learn how to tap into your organisation’s authentic core and to tell its story in such a way that it taps the emotional reservoir within each persona involved in the organisation. And, get your employees to internalise your story and spread it in word and deed. Once your organisation truly connects with its audience, watch the alchemy begin … happier employees, more clients and more sales.

About Jacques de Villiers

Jacques has been telling his clients’ stories and helping them connect with their target markets since 1998. His copywriting skills and ability to help his clients connect emotionally with their stakeholders has earned him the moniker, The Business Generator. He is a battle-tested copywriter that intuitively knows how to write the words that touch people to the core, emotionally arouse them, open their hearts and ultimately their wallets.

Programme – 22 June 2010

07h30 – 08h00 – Registration
08h00 – 08h30 – Breakfast
08h35 – 09h05 – The 7 Deadly Marketing Sins
09h07 – 09h35 – Lose The Mission Statement … You Don’t Believe It Anyway
09h35 – 10h00 – Q&A, network and connect

Book Now (only space for 100)

Simone Scholtz
071 670 2168
simone@jacquesdevilliers.com

Basic Sales Training

The following basic sales training programme is packed with more than 40 years worth of Ray Patterson’s sales experience.

Date Time Venue Investment
June 8, 2011 09h00 – 16h30 City Lodge, Morningside R1 897.00 per delegate
July 12, 2011 09h00 – 16h30 City Lodge, Morningside R1 897.00 per delegate

Book Now

Simone Scholtz
071 670 2168
simone@jacquesdevilliers.com

All public courses can be run in-house.

Here’s what you will discover on Ray Patterson’s 1-day Basic Sales Training Programme:

  • Simple basics of selling
  • Selling is a “Simple business”. What makes it “Simple” and what makes it “Not easy”.
  • Stop being a “Rep” (Someone who represents their product or service) and start being a “RAP” Responsible, Accountable and Proud. Someone who uses skills and techniques to SELL their product or service.
  • Be proud of yourself and your profession. Nothing ever happens, until a sales person sells something!
  • Are you EEE enabled. Energy, Enthusiasm and Excitement. These are critical to sales success. Having the knowledge and skills without the right attitude is a recipe for disaster in sales. Everyone relies on your enthusiasm. Your customer, your company and your family.
  • Emotion verses logic. All people buy the same. They make a decision based on an emotion and defend the sale with logic.
  • Price. People don’t buy price, they buy value. Focus on selling the benefits of your product or service, focus on selling the “Good feelings” the customer will get form owning your product or service.
  • Start making “Professional sales calls” instead of just “Visiting”
  • Learn the 7 step process for taking control of the selling situation. (Introduction. Groundwork. Needs Analysis. Set up sale. Update 3rd party. Product presentation. Product commitment.)
  • Closing. 8 reasons why a salesperson cant or wont close. The 4 essentials of closing. The 9 second closing formula.
  • The 10 points that will ensure your become a Professional salesperson.
  • 6 things to do to improve your self confidence.

After this “Fully loaded” 1-day sales training programme you will look forward to selling again with renewed enthusiasm. You will have been reminded of the simple basic’s of selling and you will discover lots of good practical ideas that you can put into practice immediately. Your attitude will also be greatly improved! You will be a RAP and not a REP!

Date Time Venue Investment
June 8, 2011 09h00 – 16h30 City Lodge, Morningside R1 897.00 per delegate
July 12, 2011 09h00 – 16h30 City Lodge, Morningside R1 897.00 per delegate

Book Now

Simone Scholtz
simone@jacquesdevilliers.com

All public courses can be run in-house.

Picked this great article up from Douglas Kruger. There’s some good stuff here.

Douglas Kruger is a professional speaker, presentation-skills trainer, and 5 x winner of the Southern African Championships for Public Speaking. He is the author of three books, including 50 Ways to Become a Better Speaker. See him in action, or review his books and articles, at: www.douglaskruger.co.za, email him at: kruger@compute.co.za or follow him on facebook or Twitter: @DouglasKruger.

The 5 Rapid-Fire Facts Technique for Speakers

Stories are the stuff of persuasion. Experienced communicators hoard good ones like gems. Carefully crafted, they can engage interest, illustrate ideas and elevate important points. They are the nutrition that makes a presentation worth absorbing.

If you already use the unique power of stories in your speeches, here is a simple device that you can add to your storytelling technique, to make those once-upon-a-time moments even more engaging.

5 Rapid-Fire Facts:

During your preparation phase, research and memorise 5 quick facts for the opening of your story. Then, when you stand before your audience, begin the story by delivering those facts in an off-hand, rapid-fire way; as though you are simply tossing out a few, arbitrary nuggets of gold. Then proceed into the body of your story.

This technique achieves a number of things:

• It creates the illusion that you are an expert on that particular topic; a passionately gesticulating encyclopaedia; thus enhancing your perceived credibility
• It changes the rhythm of your delivery, speeding you up for a moment, in order to add contrast to your pace
• It helps from a structural perspective. Because you deliver your 5 facts in a rapid-fire fashion, you set the scene for your story incredibly quickly and avoid rambling.

Practical Example:

In one of my motivational presentations, How to Position Yourself as an Industry Expert, I use the story of the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster to illustrate a point about communication errors. The story had always worked well in delivery, but when I introduced the 5 Rapid-Fire Facts technique in the introduction, it raised the bar dramatically. …And all it took was two minutes of online research.

The facts that I used were:

• The shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight
• It disintegrated over the Atlantic ocean, off the coast of Florida
• The disaster was blamed on a faulty O-ring
• 7 people lost their lives; 5 men and two women
• While analyzing the wreckage, they discovered that certain switches had been moved from their launch position. The switches were protected with locks and had to have been unlocked by the crew. This proves they were fighting to restore power to their section of the craft, even after the break-up; struggling to save their own lives.

These quick facts (the last one highly emotive), set the scene very swiftly. They create the impression of a great depth of knowledge. Memorising them was easy and delivering all 5 of them requires less than a minute; 60 seconds invested in enhancing the perception of my expertise. Then I progressed to my central point.

It works for characters too

I use this technique when introducing characters as well. To illustrate a point about personal discipline, I refer to the average writing day of bestselling author Stephen King. To introduce him, I throw out these 5 rapid-fire facts:

• Stephen King is 65 years old
• He has written and published over 50 novels
• He lives in Bangor, Maine
• Every one of his novels has topped the New York Times bestseller list
• If you enjoyed the original movie version of It, starring Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown, you’ll be happy to learn that there are plans underway to re-make it!

…Then I proceed to make my point, describing Stephen King’s working week, in order to illustrate my idea about personal discipline. The effect is that I appear to be an expert on this particular personality.

The next time you use a story to illustrate a point, or allude to a key person, try opening that segment with the 5 Rapid-Fire Facts technique. Learn your 5 facts so well that you can rattle them off verbatim. Then, don’t be surprised when they accuse you of having an amazing body of general knowledge!

Jacques de Villiers is a lapsed motivational speaker who tries to learn something new every day. This article was my one new thing today.

Look, I know my writing is sometimes as indigestible as a 10-day old rusk. But, a bit of sympathy for me would be in order – you only have to spend 5 minutes with it once in a while. I have to spend every day with it. But, today, I just needed to clear my head of all this ‘End of Days’ stuff and make some kind of sense of it all, so bear with me.

To this end, I’ve enlisted the help of French novelist Marcel Proust. I know his writing is more palatable and refined. So, check it out and take some time out of your noisy schedule to pause because it might just be the cataclysm that ends your life as you know it today and allows you to live the life you were meant to live.

The end of the world didn’t arrive on 21 May as predicted by American TV evangelist Harold Camping.

The end of days question has been asked (and predicted) many times. So, it was with interest that I read French novelist, Marcel Proust’s letter to a paper in Paris called L’Intransigeant.

The paper posed the following question: An American scientist announces that the world will end, or at least that such a huge part of the continent will be destroyed, and in such a sudden way, that death will be the certain fate of hundreds of millions of people. If this prediction were confirmed, what do you think would e its effects on people between the time when they acquired the aforementioned certainty and the moment of cataclysm? Finally, as far as you’re concerned, what would you do in this last hour?

L’Intransigeant got some interesting responses. A Henri Bordeaux, suggested that it would drive the mass of the population directly into either the nearest church or the nearest bedroom. Writer, Henri Robert said that he would devote himself to a final game of bridge, tennis and golf. And, in South Africa, Jonannes Coetzee and 80 followers would book into the Devonshire Hotel in Braamfontein and wait for the cataclysm.

Proust’s response was more profound and considered. I’d suggest we read it and re-read it. Then, get away from the noise that fills our heads and find some calmness and reread it again. This letter has resonated with me and highlighted just how off-track I am sometimes. Paraphrasing, professional speaker, Callie Roos, “In Africa we have two choices … we either sit under a tree and wait or we move. Most Africans will wait, I choose to move.”

Maybe, just maybe Marcel Proust can help us move.

I think that life would suddenly seem wonderful to us if we were threatened to die as you say. Just think of how many projects, travels, love affairs, studies it – our life – hides from us, made invisible by our laziness which, certain of a future, delays them incessantly.

But let all this threaten to become impossible for ever, how beautiful it would become again! Ah! if only the cataclysm doesn’t happen this time, we won’t miss visiting the new galleries of the Louvre, throwing ourselves at the feet of Miss X., making a trip to India.

The cataclysm doesn’t happen, we don’t do any of it, because we find ourselves back in the heart of normal life, where negligence deadens desire. And yet we shouldn’t have needed the cataclysm to love life today. It would have been enough to think that we are humans, and that death may come this evening.

Source: How Proust Can Change Your Life – Alain de Botton

Sales trainer and digital marketing expert, Jacques de Villiers will be presenting his new keynote, How To Sell Face-to-Face in A Digital World at the next UPSA Networking and Training Event.

Date: Thursday, 9 June 2011
Time: 16h30 for 17h00 – 19h30
Venue: Sunnyside Park Hotel, Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown
UPSA Members – R250.00
Guests – R350.00

How To Sell Face-To-Face In A Digital World

Many a sales professional is battling to get to grips with the modern-day prospect. Today’s buyers are a lot more sophisticated. They know what they want and proactively go out and search for experts, products and services to solve their problems. If you are only using the telephone to prospect for appointments, you’re missing out on a massive opportunity to reach your target market via digital marketing. If you don’t have a presence online, today, you might as well be invisible.

Discover how to:

  • Build your personal brand online using Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and You Tube
  • Be perceived as the custodian of information relevant to your target market
  • Sell yourself before you get to the first meeting. Get your prospects saying “What are we going to use him/her for?” Not, “Are we going to use him/her?”
  • Position yourself as the Expert in your industry
  • Turn your company, your product, your service and you into a hero that prospects want to identify with

About Jacques de Villiers

Jacques de Villiers has been helping companies make sense of marketing and sales for real return on investment since 1998.
His clients have given him the moniker, The Business Generator because his marketing and sales strategies, processes and systems have brought them in additional revenue that they never bargained on.

His expertise is firmly grounded in the marketing, sales and employee motivation arena. In his journey with his clients, he is laser focused on generating them more revenue through ‘lead generation’, ‘lead conversion’ and motivated staff.

2 987 delegates have attended his workshop (or heard his keynote address), How To Persuade Anybody To Do Almost Anything.

Book Now

Please email your booking with company name, telephone and number of delegates to:
bookings@upsa.co.za or call 082 339 0134.

UPSA Members – R250.00
Guests – R350.00

Event Timing

Registration – 16h30
Welcome & Introductions – 17h00
Member input/training – 17h15
Networking – 17h30
Light Supper – 18h00
Keynote 18h30 – 19h15
Close (no later than) – 19h30

About UPSA

The United Professional Sales Association of Southern Africa (UPSA-SA) aims to elevate the status of the sales profession to the levels found in other professions.  We are a non-profit organisation run by sales professionals – for sales professionals.

Mediocrity has been on my mind lately. I’ve never thought about the “so-so” sirens song of mediocrity much. She lay dormant like a seed waiting for the first rain. The rain has come and the thing has sprouted into a hardy desert shrub that just won’t let go and won’t let me rest.

So-so reared her head, first as a prickle of conscience when I started asking myself if I was bringing my A-game to the party. Was my writing up to par (or should I say, above par), did my training cut the mustard and was my consulting flawless? Sadly, if I’m brutally honest, some of my work is middling at best and downright sh$& at worst.

So, I did what all mediocre people do, I compared myself with others, hoping against hope that they were doing a worse job than me so that I could at least salvage some self-respect and rationalise my inadequacies.

To my surprise, I realised I wasn’t alone in floundering around in my own mediocrity and inadequacy. Mediocrity is a disease. It’s evident everywhere. From some of the books I review – lifeless, listless and a two-dimensional version of the author’s true genius to the illegibility that has crept into newspapers (and, fully endorsed by the sub-editors). And, let’s not get started on the barely tolerable service we have to endure every day in both the public and private sector.

Who is to blame? Let me add the fuel that helps mediocrity thrive … pointing fingers.

Did Microsoft start mediocrity?

I put the blame squarely on Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Paul Allen. On November 20, 1985 Windows 1.0 was shipped. Although it was revolutionary at the time, it wasn’t a fully formed Field of Dreams … “build it an they’ll come”. It was more like “… kinda build it and they will come”. It was a “let’s just get it out there and fix it as we go along” strategy. Not a bad strategy considering that most folks will accept anything dished up to them that is dressed up by clever marketing. [If you think marketing doesn't work, consider this question: "What is the difference between a rat and a squirrel?" Go to the end of this article for the answer.] And, it appears to be the strategy that has won the day. Let’s produce so-so, get it out there and fix it as we go along. To be fair, I can hardly blame Microsoft for mediocrity. This question has probably been pondered since time immemorial. In 1899, Elbert Hubbard pondered this question in his now-famous, A Message to Garcia (sold 40-million copies, translated into 37 languages and adapted for a couple of movies).

A Message to Garcia

No man, who has endeavoured to carry out an enterprise where many hands were needed, but has been well-nigh appalled at times by the imbecility of the average man – the inability or unwillingness to concentrate on a tying and do it. Slipshod assistance, foolish inattention, dowdy indifference, and half-hearted work seem the rule; and no man succeeds, unless by hook or crook, or threat, he forces or bribes other men to assist him. I’ve no doubt that this is essential reading for anyone who is involved in a business enterprise.

Was Wedgewood too perfect?

Let’s take another view. On May 1, 1759 when the pottery firm Wedgewood was founded by Josiah Wedgewood. Credited with the industrialisation of pottery, Wedgewood was a stickler for excellence. If his factory produced anything that had even the tiniest flaw, he would have it destroyed. Only the very best was allowed to bear his distinctive signature and adorn someone’s table. He was probably one of the first to put his signature on anything and the forefather of “personal branding”.

So, what do we do? Wait for perfection before shipping anything out? If that were the case, this article would never have seen the light of day. Not much would be done. That’s probably not an option, is it? Maybe we should take a moment to pause. Even if we can’t put out the absolute best work can we not put out the very best work we can do to the maximum of our given ability? Let’s bring our A-game, as good as it is to everything we do.

Does a horror writer have the answer?

And, maybe it is as simple as following Stephen King’s advice in his book On Writing. He claims that after he has written a story, he takes out 10% of the content before he is satisfied with it. He tightens it up so it is more effective. Not a bad idea. Imagine if we spent just 10% more time on a project, book, proposal, training document, sales call, marketing message, nuclear power station, safety manual, prospecting for business and so on … just to check that it is the very best work we can deliver with the talents we have been given. Wouldn’t things just work a little better than they are now?

Amateurs help fuel mediocrity

To help rid us of the disease called mediocrity, I lean towards a book called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. You may know him better as the author of The Legend of Bagger Vance. He makes a case for being a professional as an ideal in every endeavour we undertake and he shuns the amateur.

Here’s his take:

  • The amateur plays for fun. The professional plays for keeps. • To the amateur, the game is his avocation. To the pro it’s his vocation.
  • The amateur plays part-time, the professional full-time.
  • The amateur is a weekend warrior. The professional is there seven days a week.

He says that the conventional interpretation is that the amateur pursues his calling out of love, while the pro does it for money. In his view, the amateur does not love the game enough. if he did, he would not pursue it as a sideline, distinct from his “real” vocation. The professional loves it so much he dedicates his life to it. He commits full-time. Maybe that’s all that it will take. Commit now to turning pro, turn every endeavour into a vocation and shun mediocrity.

Question: What’s the difference between a rat and a squirrel? Answer: Marketing

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