The Pyramid Principle

To capture people's attention, it's a good idea to use what's known as 'the pyramid principle.' It basically means get to your most prominent point first. They (prospects) haven't got time to hear about how many gigahertz your Pc has got. Tell them the benefits of it e.g. It's going to be really, really, literally fast, never break down on you ever. Get to the benefits.

Benefits. Benefits. Benefits. That's all that matters.

The Food Pyramid

Ask yourself:

What have I got to do to get this man to say 'yes'? How can I perform that so they literally want to do business with me? How can I persuade them (ethically) to comprehend that this product is going to be a benefit for them?

You see, the questions you ask dictate the outcomes you get.

If somebody says to you: "Why don't you get a job?" well, you could list them 100 reasons why. I want time. It doesn't pay well. I have to do something I don't want to do. They won't give me one. That's why I don't. If they were to ask: "How can I help you get a job?" well, the emphasis switches entirely from being a negative to a certain question, doesn't it?

A lot of people ask questions like that because they don't literally think. Know what I mean? Most people don't think. They're just on autopilot, churning out questions and answers and not thinking. Absolute autopilot. Not even leaving a second before replying to questions.

Note: if you have an discussion with someone, it's probably the words that have been used that caused the argument. They probably said something to you or you said something to them. Think about a certain time when you had an discussion with someone. It was probably over a choice of words.

Words are so powerful, folks. They can make you laugh. They can make you cry, march for peace or go to war. Be very, very faithful with your words.

When I consult with some people, they say to me: "Sam, I've got so much to do in this business. I've got to do this, and then I've got to do that. My to-do list is five pages long. I don't know which one to do first." You know what you've got to do? You've got to do the one that makes the most money first.

A business owner once said to me: "We've got so many people that haven't paid us. I should literally be chasing that. We haven't got much money coming in. Maybe I should get some more customers." I said: "No, chase the money. They owe you the cash. That's going to bring it in quickly. Chase your debtors, get them down."

You've got to do the one which makes the most money first. Always do the one which makes the most money first because it's best for cash-flow as well as increasing your morale. It goes up; you see that you're getting results. You can reinvest that cash. You can save a minuscule bit. Do the one which makes the most money first.

In business, inevitably there are going to be times when you don't know what to do. Obviously, if you've got man that is going to help you grow alongside you i.e. A mentor, a coach, a trainer- well, you can Always go to them.

So, say, for whatever reason, you don't have any of those. Say, for example, you wanted to look for a supplier of a product. You know what you have to do. You just call up people that already sell your product and say: "I run a business down in Xyz area. I'm looking to buy this product but I want to buy it from the manufacturer. Do you know who that is and do you have their amount to hand?

Some people will laugh at you and put down the phone. Some people may shout at you. Some people may do worse. You may get ten nos. But if keep going, I certify you man out there will say yes. There are good people in the world. You may get no, no, no, no, no. Trust me: man will say yes. I've done it myself on many occasions. You've just got to persist and keep going. Don't lose focus.

Don't be put off by having difficult conversations with people. I read somewhere that the more difficult conversations you have in life, the further you go. I agree with that. Most people aren't prepared to have a difficult conversation. They don't want to hurt your feelings. They, frankly, would rather lie to you than have a difficult conversation. They'll avoid it at all costs.

You may have to have, at some time in your business career, a difficult conversation with your suppliers e.g. "We ordered this product. It hasn't turned up on time. That has affected our business. We've lost customers because of that. Normally, I know that people may not raise this issue with you, but I want you to know that I do like working with you."

Then you ask the question, a good certain question e.g. "How can we best work together? How can I help you get the product to us on time? How can I make sure that you pay on time? What is it that I've got to do?" You may call the supplier and say: "We need a good price on this." They say that you're getting a very contentious price at the moment. You say: "What's your best price?" They say: "Well, you'd have to take a large quantity." "Well, how many do I have to buy to get your best price?"

Then you can find out from that what the best prices ready are. Don't be afraid to discuss your price. interpret the game. interpret you can't stay in business unless you can get it at the right price (the product or aid you need). But, obviously, you know: don't take the biscuit - if you hammer them down too low they can't make any margin, they won't have a business.

The Pyramid Principle