CONVERSATION - to express yourself knowing that thare is no wrong except not having that conversation.
MUSIC - making sense of the lyrics and beat in a way that satisfies you.
DANCE - connecting with others by responding to them as they respond to you.
ART - interpreting what you see from your own perspective so you can decide if you like it or not.
LOVE - finding that special person who likes what you are offering and is excited to collaborate.
JUST like 'good' telephone sales - Happy New Year with love from Simon Bell.
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Friday, 3 December 2010
Matthew Vallance alerts us to an emotional crunch
It was a very early interview (6.35 am) and perhaps he wasn't feeling on top form what with the snow and the cold but Matthew Vallance, Managing Director and CEO of First Source Solutions has drawn our attention to an emotional crisis in telemarketing.
I have never heard anyone completely unable to answer a question during an interview on Radio 4 and the few seconds of silence were excruciating. What Adam Shaw, interviewing wanted to know was, is outsourcing telemarketing jobs away from the UK damaging our economy.
No wonder he was stumped. Of course offering our telemarketing jobs to other countries is damaging our economy but in more ways than financial.
A good telephone sales call has to sound right. It is all very well providing a solution to a customer enquiry but these days we know how to allow the customer to enjoy the process too.
If an enquiry is handled by a telemarketer who speaks English as second language, they will not be proficient with the pace, tone, timing and attonation which amounts to not understanding our culture.
Bring customer services back to the UK, have our enquiries handled by telemarketers who will make you feel good about a call and for goodness sake, recognise that Emotional Engagement is what we like about interacting with other human beings.
I have never heard anyone completely unable to answer a question during an interview on Radio 4 and the few seconds of silence were excruciating. What Adam Shaw, interviewing wanted to know was, is outsourcing telemarketing jobs away from the UK damaging our economy.
No wonder he was stumped. Of course offering our telemarketing jobs to other countries is damaging our economy but in more ways than financial.
A good telephone sales call has to sound right. It is all very well providing a solution to a customer enquiry but these days we know how to allow the customer to enjoy the process too.
If an enquiry is handled by a telemarketer who speaks English as second language, they will not be proficient with the pace, tone, timing and attonation which amounts to not understanding our culture.
Bring customer services back to the UK, have our enquiries handled by telemarketers who will make you feel good about a call and for goodness sake, recognise that Emotional Engagement is what we like about interacting with other human beings.
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Sheila Dillon (Radio 4) makes me feel embarrassed
I have invented a new word and it is... attonation. This is like intonation which refers to the rise and fall of our voice during conversation but attonation specifically refers to the end of our sentences.
If we are in a directive mood our attonation goes down. If we are feeling logical, our attonation stays level and if we are passionate about the subject, our attonation goes up, like a child or Austrailian.
Attonation is one of four measures of the sound we make with our voice but in a way it is the most powerful measure because it is the sound that metaphorically hands over the baton to our listeners.
Sheila Dillon has a very regular extreme attonation that leaves me with a distinct feeling of embarrassment. Even though her sentences are well managed by pace, tone and timing and balanced with passion, logic and direction, she nearly always curls them into a sound that says "I am sad" to be saying this and that makes me feel embarrassed.
If you would like to know more about how the sound of our voice affects the behaviour of others, especially in sales, then please contact me.
If we are in a directive mood our attonation goes down. If we are feeling logical, our attonation stays level and if we are passionate about the subject, our attonation goes up, like a child or Austrailian.
Attonation is one of four measures of the sound we make with our voice but in a way it is the most powerful measure because it is the sound that metaphorically hands over the baton to our listeners.
Sheila Dillon has a very regular extreme attonation that leaves me with a distinct feeling of embarrassment. Even though her sentences are well managed by pace, tone and timing and balanced with passion, logic and direction, she nearly always curls them into a sound that says "I am sad" to be saying this and that makes me feel embarrassed.
If you would like to know more about how the sound of our voice affects the behaviour of others, especially in sales, then please contact me.
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Bruce Springsteen makes me feel sad
Bruce Springsteen makes me feels sad!
No, I'm not trying to generate hate mail so please read on before you start planning to burn my house down.
I have recognised that there are 18 core sounds we make, like "Raghhh" for anger and "uuum" for sensual pleasure. These sounds can be measured by pace, tone, timing and something I call attonation.
If you make a sound and I listen to it, I will feel the same emotion if I am open to sharing that is. By the way, this is how humans have survived and dominated the planet.
So when I listened to Bruce Springsteen last night I felt sad but I, being me, genrally only listen to the singer and his pace was slow, tone, low, timing irregular and attonation down. That made me feel sad.
The tune behind his singing was, however, upbeat and exciting and I enjoyed it but it is this dichotomy of sounds that elicit a wide range of emotion in the listener and I guess is the secret to his phenominal success.
You see, I wasn't saying anything bad about him.
No, I'm not trying to generate hate mail so please read on before you start planning to burn my house down.
I have recognised that there are 18 core sounds we make, like "Raghhh" for anger and "uuum" for sensual pleasure. These sounds can be measured by pace, tone, timing and something I call attonation.
If you make a sound and I listen to it, I will feel the same emotion if I am open to sharing that is. By the way, this is how humans have survived and dominated the planet.
So when I listened to Bruce Springsteen last night I felt sad but I, being me, genrally only listen to the singer and his pace was slow, tone, low, timing irregular and attonation down. That made me feel sad.
The tune behind his singing was, however, upbeat and exciting and I enjoyed it but it is this dichotomy of sounds that elicit a wide range of emotion in the listener and I guess is the secret to his phenominal success.
You see, I wasn't saying anything bad about him.
Friday, 12 November 2010
Poor David Willetts - university fees climbdown
Poor David Willetts, university minister, he sounded so sad on Thursday morning.
No, I didn't really expect any politician to stick by their promise or even "pledge" to vote against university fee rises, did you?
Obviously someone did because a smoke bomb caused immense chaos in Millbank Tower on Wednesday.
When interviewed, David Willetts, wanted to voice is outrage at the violence but he struggled to let it out because the issue is so closely linked with the fact that he and his fellow liberal democrat's have made a humiliating climbdown on the issue of increased university fees.
So what came out of his mouth was a slow, low, croaky sound that made us feel sad (1 of 18 human emotions) and it was hard not to think "poor David Willetts".
Do you think he planned it or do we just adapt the sound of our voice naturally?
If you want to know more about the sound of success then please contact me.
No, I didn't really expect any politician to stick by their promise or even "pledge" to vote against university fee rises, did you?
Obviously someone did because a smoke bomb caused immense chaos in Millbank Tower on Wednesday.
When interviewed, David Willetts, wanted to voice is outrage at the violence but he struggled to let it out because the issue is so closely linked with the fact that he and his fellow liberal democrat's have made a humiliating climbdown on the issue of increased university fees.
So what came out of his mouth was a slow, low, croaky sound that made us feel sad (1 of 18 human emotions) and it was hard not to think "poor David Willetts".
Do you think he planned it or do we just adapt the sound of our voice naturally?
If you want to know more about the sound of success then please contact me.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Back to the gold standard - it's about time
Oh, so apparently we are going back to the gold standard but I suppose if certain European countries are about to go bust then it is a good time to panic.
The financial guru's have studied us in an anthropological study and decided that it is time to go back to basics.
George Soro's has invested in "inet" to consider the alternatives to fuelling our ever improving lifestyle.
But if you want gold, I will give it to you...
It can be taken readily from every human being you truly connect with. Allow them to access their wonderful unconscious thoughts with regard to what you are saying and what comes out of their mouth is gold dust.
Stop selling them what you think they want and let them buy what they really want.
That is your true Gold Standard.
We may not have to take such drastic financial measures if we recognise the immense value that is right in front of us.
If you want to know more about my Theory of Emotioonal Engagement then please contact me.
The financial guru's have studied us in an anthropological study and decided that it is time to go back to basics.
George Soro's has invested in "inet" to consider the alternatives to fuelling our ever improving lifestyle.
But if you want gold, I will give it to you...
It can be taken readily from every human being you truly connect with. Allow them to access their wonderful unconscious thoughts with regard to what you are saying and what comes out of their mouth is gold dust.
Stop selling them what you think they want and let them buy what they really want.
That is your true Gold Standard.
We may not have to take such drastic financial measures if we recognise the immense value that is right in front of us.
If you want to know more about my Theory of Emotioonal Engagement then please contact me.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
How would you like News Corp to tell you what to think?
Hooray, Vince Cable is stepping in to prevent/investigate News Corp becoming the sole owner of British Sky Broadcasting.
We can relax, we have a little longer to think what we want to think!
Can you imagine a world where all the press, papers, radio and tv have a combined approach to influencing our behaviour?
You shouldn't have to think too hard because this is the world we work in. A world where what we say and hear is influenced by our masters whether they be the government, company, or family.
The one freedom that will remain is the world of good telephone sales because when done properly, you can deliver a message in Audience Specific Language that requires your potential customer to dig deep into their unconscious mind and enjoy the emotions that have a relationship with what you are selling.
If you want to know more abour great telephone sales then please contact me.
We can relax, we have a little longer to think what we want to think!
Can you imagine a world where all the press, papers, radio and tv have a combined approach to influencing our behaviour?
You shouldn't have to think too hard because this is the world we work in. A world where what we say and hear is influenced by our masters whether they be the government, company, or family.
The one freedom that will remain is the world of good telephone sales because when done properly, you can deliver a message in Audience Specific Language that requires your potential customer to dig deep into their unconscious mind and enjoy the emotions that have a relationship with what you are selling.
If you want to know more abour great telephone sales then please contact me.
Monday, 1 November 2010
The English speaking human voice is the most powerful weapon we have
I heard on the radio this morning that the Foreign Office is more powerful than the armed forces and all the aid agencies put together.
They work with the carrot instead of the stick and this policy of diplomacy and building rapport is growing in strength these days, even in war torn and fairly lawless parts of the world.
Unfortunately the Foreign Office is cutting the World Service budget and the BBC has reacted by announcing 650 (out of 2,000) job cuts.
What could be more valuable than an English speaking platform that is known, respected and trusted by 6 billion people? How many listeners will we lose when they withdraw five specific languages and the short wave broadcasting? How will our relationship with the world change?
The BBC World Service is the most powerful tool of influence that Britain has and it is probably the only reason we retain any real influence in the world today.
The sound of the English speaking human voice is our ticket to the future, we need to keep exporting it and if we play our cards right, we may be able to tax everyone else for speaking "our language" ;-)
They work with the carrot instead of the stick and this policy of diplomacy and building rapport is growing in strength these days, even in war torn and fairly lawless parts of the world.
Unfortunately the Foreign Office is cutting the World Service budget and the BBC has reacted by announcing 650 (out of 2,000) job cuts.
What could be more valuable than an English speaking platform that is known, respected and trusted by 6 billion people? How many listeners will we lose when they withdraw five specific languages and the short wave broadcasting? How will our relationship with the world change?
The BBC World Service is the most powerful tool of influence that Britain has and it is probably the only reason we retain any real influence in the world today.
The sound of the English speaking human voice is our ticket to the future, we need to keep exporting it and if we play our cards right, we may be able to tax everyone else for speaking "our language" ;-)
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Easy to translate Lost in Translation
I have only read some of chapter one but it seems clear that the way Eva Hoffman talks is a clear indicator of the life she has experienced.
"Sad" was the word I applied to her during an interview on Radio 4. Her pace was slow, tone low, timing irregular and attonantion downwards which all amounts to a negative nurturing parent in the world of Transactional Analysis.
So far, her book is painting a picture of a war suppressed child ripped from her family and home. I would be sad too.
Isn't it odd how our voice represents our experience?
If you would like to know more about how the Formula for Emotional Engagement helps you to present yourself most effectively, please contact me.
"Sad" was the word I applied to her during an interview on Radio 4. Her pace was slow, tone low, timing irregular and attonantion downwards which all amounts to a negative nurturing parent in the world of Transactional Analysis.
So far, her book is painting a picture of a war suppressed child ripped from her family and home. I would be sad too.
Isn't it odd how our voice represents our experience?
If you would like to know more about how the Formula for Emotional Engagement helps you to present yourself most effectively, please contact me.
Thursday, 21 October 2010
They make us eat and drink too much.
Professor Steve Field, Chairman at the Royal College of General Practitioners, is adamant that we all stop eating, drinking and smoking too much.
But why do we do it?
Why are we so hell bent on killing oureselves?
Are we unhappy?
Assuming that we live in a society where a job is essential and a job is a process that has been whittled down from an activity that was once helpful, profitable and interesting. Isn't it a shame that most jobs are about processing an order for something like an ipod, your botox treatment or fast food?
We act like machines because our jobs demand it so when we are set free at 5pm, the human inside us is desperate to express it's individuality and the easiest way to break our bonds is to drink, smoke and eat too much.
When we realise, however, that a job does offer many opportunities to e human and connect with other human beings, we start to reduce our intake but to connect with others at work requires you to adopt the Formula for Emotional Engagement.
If you want to know how to satisfy your need to be human at work, then please contact me.
But why do we do it?
Why are we so hell bent on killing oureselves?
Are we unhappy?
Assuming that we live in a society where a job is essential and a job is a process that has been whittled down from an activity that was once helpful, profitable and interesting. Isn't it a shame that most jobs are about processing an order for something like an ipod, your botox treatment or fast food?
We act like machines because our jobs demand it so when we are set free at 5pm, the human inside us is desperate to express it's individuality and the easiest way to break our bonds is to drink, smoke and eat too much.
When we realise, however, that a job does offer many opportunities to e human and connect with other human beings, we start to reduce our intake but to connect with others at work requires you to adopt the Formula for Emotional Engagement.
If you want to know how to satisfy your need to be human at work, then please contact me.
Monday, 18 October 2010
Vineet Nayer puts employees first and customers second
I suppose it is really difficult when your company is huge, to see beyond "the process". It is all up and running and downtime costs money, so you do what you have to by feeding in new customers. Wise companies see that the machine will not last long as the customers become odd shaped, requiring different things and odd timescales so they try to put the customer first. This has problems too.
If someone asks me, as a customer, what do I want to spend, I always say "nothing", why would I? If I can have it for free then that will be ideal. If it costs then I want it just right and that meeans that a company may not stay profitable for long.
The solution to this dilemma is "employee first", a philosophy that has recently made the news via Vineet Nayar of HCL Technologies.
This really works and if you want to know how to introduce it to your staff then please contact me.
If someone asks me, as a customer, what do I want to spend, I always say "nothing", why would I? If I can have it for free then that will be ideal. If it costs then I want it just right and that meeans that a company may not stay profitable for long.
The solution to this dilemma is "employee first", a philosophy that has recently made the news via Vineet Nayar of HCL Technologies.
This really works and if you want to know how to introduce it to your staff then please contact me.
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
First episode of Phone Shop is a great lesson
If you, like me, watched the first episode of phone shop, you will have been horrified to think that selling by macho domination still goes on but it can't really, can it?
I know we all hunger for good social placement but surely street culture hasn't reached the world of corporate commerce yet :-s
At least the new graduate, Christopher tried to put them straight, giving his lecture about being yourself and accepting that your are part of the system but then, oh no...
...it transpoired that his sale was to his mum so how true was he being?
The answer is simple. Show respect for and interest in your customers world, as a sales professional, you are irrelevant to the decision making process. All you have to do is "sell through" the customer and get inviolved with the solutions they need to life's tricky problems.
I know we all hunger for good social placement but surely street culture hasn't reached the world of corporate commerce yet :-s
At least the new graduate, Christopher tried to put them straight, giving his lecture about being yourself and accepting that your are part of the system but then, oh no...
...it transpoired that his sale was to his mum so how true was he being?
The answer is simple. Show respect for and interest in your customers world, as a sales professional, you are irrelevant to the decision making process. All you have to do is "sell through" the customer and get inviolved with the solutions they need to life's tricky problems.
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Ed Milliband may be the right man for the job BUT...
David Milliband made the wrong decision by not applying for a seat in his brother Ed's shadow cabinet.
You can hear Ed trying everso hard to sound authoritative, too hard, so hard that you know he know's he is not the man for the job and that doubt will cost him and the Labour Party dearly.
By sitting on the backbenches, David is saying that he does not approve. He is clearly not willing to play Ed's game and that means that Ed will try too hard and make mistakes.
At least David Cameron will approve.
You can hear Ed trying everso hard to sound authoritative, too hard, so hard that you know he know's he is not the man for the job and that doubt will cost him and the Labour Party dearly.
By sitting on the backbenches, David is saying that he does not approve. He is clearly not willing to play Ed's game and that means that Ed will try too hard and make mistakes.
At least David Cameron will approve.
Monday, 20 September 2010
Selina Scott really "tells us" how the news is
Ha ha ha, I have never felt so sepearted from the news. I feel like a naughty child who is partly responsible for the British troops handing over responsibility in Sangin.
Selina Scott, standing in for Moira Stewart, lierally shouted the news at us today and by doing so she took a directive position, naturally putting the listener into a passionate position. She was the parent and we were the child.
As children, I expect you, like me, do not remember the news issues so well today. In fact, you may not even care so much because we have "been told".
At least it makes a change from the pure (boring) logic of Moira but why can't we have a news reader who mixes the passionate, logical and directive sounds? More people would enjoy listening then and we might start to take ownership of important matters.
If you want to know how to get your message "heard" by a wider audience, please contact me.
Selina Scott, standing in for Moira Stewart, lierally shouted the news at us today and by doing so she took a directive position, naturally putting the listener into a passionate position. She was the parent and we were the child.
As children, I expect you, like me, do not remember the news issues so well today. In fact, you may not even care so much because we have "been told".
At least it makes a change from the pure (boring) logic of Moira but why can't we have a news reader who mixes the passionate, logical and directive sounds? More people would enjoy listening then and we might start to take ownership of important matters.
If you want to know how to get your message "heard" by a wider audience, please contact me.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
the Chris Evans, Moira Stewart and Johnny Saunders Show
Is Chris Evans getting old, lazy and/or tired? I love his passion and enthusiasm but whenever I tune in to the (and I say the and not his for a reason) all I hear is Mora Stewart and/or Johnny Saunders.
I do not enjoy Mora's directive tone on the radio in the morning. I know she is trying ever so hard to laugh and sound light hearted but it just deosn't work, does it.
I do not enjoy Johnny's logical sound either, in the morning by the way. Of course sports are all facts and statistics but this is no way to behave on a breakfast show that is meant to wake us up and get us going in the morning.
Perhaps someone clever at the BBC has recognised that if you have the three ego states represented then more people will be drawn to listening but this is a risky policy because, I for one, won't listen for enjoyment any more.
If you want to know more about how effective the sound of a voice can be to elicit emotion in others then please contact me.
I do not enjoy Mora's directive tone on the radio in the morning. I know she is trying ever so hard to laugh and sound light hearted but it just deosn't work, does it.
I do not enjoy Johnny's logical sound either, in the morning by the way. Of course sports are all facts and statistics but this is no way to behave on a breakfast show that is meant to wake us up and get us going in the morning.
Perhaps someone clever at the BBC has recognised that if you have the three ego states represented then more people will be drawn to listening but this is a risky policy because, I for one, won't listen for enjoyment any more.
If you want to know more about how effective the sound of a voice can be to elicit emotion in others then please contact me.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Tony Blair in my own words
In "The Interview" on BBC Radio4, Tony Blair talks about his book "In His Own Words" and rattles on about world peace, Gordon Brown and his new role as an author. It is all very impressive but somehow nothing to be jealous of.
While his policies and decisions have angered many, I am sure there are very few who would criticise the way he talks. He has a full range of emotions going on in every sentence.
He has passion for every new idea, issue or critism. He accepts the interviewers points with a logical manner and he always has an opinion or fact which he delivers in a wonderfully directive way.
I would say that he is the world's best communicator. If you would like to know more about how to be an excellent communicator, please contact me.
While his policies and decisions have angered many, I am sure there are very few who would criticise the way he talks. He has a full range of emotions going on in every sentence.
He has passion for every new idea, issue or critism. He accepts the interviewers points with a logical manner and he always has an opinion or fact which he delivers in a wonderfully directive way.
I would say that he is the world's best communicator. If you would like to know more about how to be an excellent communicator, please contact me.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
You should be delighted to be selling
If your job is to sell things and you are a bit fed up with the constant persuit of customers, this should make you feel better. Barak Obama has turned his attention to immigration reform and Arizona is the test case because of its proximity to Mexico. Why? Because so many Mexicans are fleeing from the drug wars. Cocaine is the Western worlds drug of choice and demand is outstripping supply. Dealers don't have to "sell" it, they just negotiate price and how many tons the buyer wants. In a way that sounds like a sellers dream but naturally, there is a downside and that is that everyone with wants a piece of the action so the daily grind becomes holding on to your market share and as we all know, instead of flip charts and advertising banners, the drug dealers trade tools are fire arms. I know which I prefer to rely on. At least I can sleep at night and not live in constant fear so for one, I am delighted to be selling every day. If you would like to know more about enjoying sales then please contact me.
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