I just got done downloading Timothy Ferriss’ book “The Four Hour Work Week” off of Audible. I spend a lot of time on the roads of this great country, and having ‘brain material’ to listen to always helps me stay awake and alert. The last book I listened to, “The Ultimate Sales Machine”, by Chet Holmes, gave me a great many strategies and tips that I have already begun to incorporate in more sales-oriented pursuits. I was trying to decide what to read next, and recognized the title of Tim’s book. I read the reviews, and they were split right down the middle. Many people hated the book, saying that his “full of it” attitude put them off. Others went on and on about how amazing the book was, and how it changed their lives. Something this controversial is sure to keep me interested, so I went ahead and used up a credit.

I didn’t get too far tonight. In fact, I only made it about 5 minutes into the narration, and decided to call it quits for the night. Not because the narrator was overly aggressive (which was one of the negatives in the review section), but because of a phrase I found very interesting: “Why you NEED this Book”.

From the very start, Timothy lets you know that he knows what you Need. He knows exactly what makes you tick, and what you are looking for in life. How does he know this? Because he is a master of sales and social manipulation! Now- I don’t know much about him, or what he’s done. As I mentioned- I’ve only made it 5 minutes into the audiobook. In just those 5 minutes, however, I can tell where this is going. The primary reason that he is able to be so forward and assuming is that you are already on the hook. You have either picked up the book, purchased it, or have started listening to it. This means that something in the title, on the cover, or in his marketing campaign has made you want to delve deaper than the cover. Because you have taken that first step, and ‘bit’ the bait, you are now at his mercy, and will listen to (at least some of) what he has to say. His ‘hook’ puts him into the ‘zone’ – that place where he feel supremely comfortable. Once he has established his ‘zone’, he continues on to give you the pitch of why his words and concepts matter So much to You.

Are we able to be so forward and assuming in our own lives? Do we have a ‘hook’ of our own that we can use to land a sale, seal a deal, or make a new friend? What are the tools that we can use to change the outcome of any event to be in our favor? After a few minutes of self reflection, I can see some of the ‘hooks’ that I use to swerve a conversation into an area where I feel comfortable. When I am comfortable, I am self-assured. I know exactly what I’m talking about, and love to let the other party know that. I will push my agenda, carefully, but will take into account Anything that the prospect, client, or potential acquaintance has to say. If they disagree with me- Great! I want to know all of the reasons that they have for feeling the way that they do about that specific topic. I have come away with more positive meetings and experiences resulting from confrontational discussion than from polite banter.

Take a few minutes of self-reflection to analyze your own habits and techniques for getting people/clients/prospects to like you. Do you have a ‘hook’ that you can identify? If not, try to find a topic relating to your life or business that you are supremely comfortable discussing. Practice various speaking techniques that will allow you to turn a conversation on this topic, without seeming like you are trying to take control of a situation, or **Shudder** give a sales pitch. Once you have hit that ‘zone’, use the comfort and familiarity that you have now fostered within yourself to talk about the topic that you are really there to discuss. Even if you aren’t all that comfortable discussing a contract, selling a product, or learning about someone new, the ‘hook’ will keep you from embarking on that journey feeling uncertain. Make your client/prospect/associate feel like they ‘Need’ to hear what you’re talking about. Use your comfort ‘zone’ to let them know why your product/service/self is so great for Them. Once you’ve mastered the art of creating the ‘Need’, all you have to worry about is being able to follow through!

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