“Monkey Business” What we can all learn from Curious George  “Mick, it is nice to hear something new.  I am tired of hearing my Manager tell me to do more tie downs.  Thank you for keeping it fresh.”
Name withheld by request As always, we appreciate your email.  I generally make an effort not to speak disparagingly of sales trainers that teach the basics.  There is nothing wrong with tie downs, the porcupine technique or even the Benjamin Franklin close.  As times change, however, some of the old sales trainers have started to come around to the idea that influence is born from more than just a single “closing line.” based on everything going on with the economy, we are now talking to clients that NEED to be massaged into an agreement frame BEFORE the close. Clearly, the Benjamin Franklin close is not going to cut it.   So then, what moves people to take action? Persuasion comes down to three basic principles. Of the three, “pain and pleasure” are the most widely talked about elements of persuasion.  In the Time Line Selling® system, we call it “Touchdowns and Tacklers” (click here for more information)  Today, however, we are going to talk about the most overlooked (and usually flat out ignored) element of persuasion. Curiosity! How overlooked is this?  Most sales trainers (and good ones) completely overlook this component of influence.  By doing so they are missing an easy shortcut into the unconscious mind.  In reality, curiosity is one of the first emotions that we learn.  It is the foundation for which all of our knowledge and experience is built. Question: Have you ever made a great presentation and been turned down?  You might have left the presentation scratching your head.  After all, you brilliantly made your case.  We get many emails from talented professionals.  Many of them say, in effect, that it is frustrating to show empirical evidence that your offering will; 
Save the client money
Offer peace of mind
Secure the clients financial future
Give the client status.
Bring the family unit closer together
Help the clients business run efficiently
Increase productivity 
And the many other things that our products and services do for our clients and yet…They still say no! Why? Because curiosity was not peaked! Hear this now and forever more be better for it:  
Curiosity is the impetus to change!  The equation is simple: No curiosity = No Change!
No Change = No Sale! The real strength of curiosity is the state that it puts your client in.  When a client is curious they naturally ask questions.  The longing they have to satisfy their curiosity will put them in a position of NEED!  Isn’t this exactly where you want them?  
Dr. Linus Pauling (Chemist, Humanitarian and Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize) once said “Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.” The good doctor clearly understood human persuasion.  
In hypnosis it is common during the pre-induction process to evoke curiosity.  This opens the mind and when our minds are open we are susceptible to change.  In those precious moments it is vital that we create a new level of curiosity about old beliefs and new solutions.  THREE WAYS TO CREATE CURIOSITY NOW!  PROVOCATIVE STATEMENTS These create questions.  The questions begin moving the person you are persuading to be curious.  AUTOMOBILE SALES: "A man who drives a car like this is sure to get some unique attention!" The client is curious!  What did he mean by UNIQUE attention?  What kind of man drives a car like this?  I wonder if I am that kind of man. 2. BOLD STATEMENTS: These statements can serve the persuader well.  They move people to thinking about you in a new and intense way.   
Some of our students are taught to say: “Today I will show you some of the finest properties in the world!  After experiencing them, you be the judge!” This statement is bold and at first startles the client.  In doing so it creates curiosity.  The client now looks forward with anticipation to seeing the properties.  The client is curious if they are really among the finest! They might find that, after seeing them, they believe that these are indeed some of the finest properties in the world.  On the other hand they might disagree.  Is that really an issue?  No!  What is important is that curiosity moved them to evaluate the property.  It is not important in their decision making process to stay in the finest in the world.  It is however important to invest in a good property and what they experienced clearly was. 3. OMMISSION
The art of omitting important information warrants an article all by itself so we really can’t reveal this strategy today. Look forward to it in a future edition of “Mondays”. I gotta think that you are curious about how that works. Just kidding. Here it is: The idea is simple.  By omitting information from a story or presentation, you create curiosity within your client.  The blanks have to be filled in.  When they ask for the omitted information, they are now in a position of need.  The funny thing about questions is that they gain momentum.  Questions lead to more questions and if answered correctly they will lead to more curiosity, more need and finally a solution.  Financial advisor:  “Your neighbor Bob, choose this package.  Well you know that already, I mean after all he said you had been on his boat.” Client:  “Boat?  Well yes I have but what does that have to do with this package?” Financial advisor:  “Oh, I thought you knew.  Well let me show you how by investing in this package you can redirect some of your expendable income.” Here the advisor omits what the connection between his offering and the fact that the client’s neighbor has a boat. In this statement, curiosity was created more by what was not said.   The client now mentally begins asking himself a series of “curiosity” questions.  “I wonder why my nieghbor chose this package.”
“I wonder how much he invested.”
“How does investing in something like this help Bob buy a new boat?” “What could I do with that extra money?” All of these are questions that we prefer our client to be thinking about.  The client’s curiosity moved him away from asking himself disempowering questions.  (Example:  “How long has this company been in business?”   “How well do I really know this guy?” CREATING ATTRACTION: Can you remember what attracted you to the person you are now with?  If you think long and hard, you will likely discover that he/she made you curious.The ever growing industry of “speed seduction” is teaching men that most women are not interested in the masses of guys that are offering to buy her a drink. It is usually the guy that turns his back on her that peaks her CURIOSITY!  Curiosity = Attraction!   So now that you know curiosity is essential to influence, you might ask “Mick, how do I make someone curious?” 
Here is the answer.  Drum roll please... The double special top secret answer that will forever change your sales presentation.  
ASK THEM! Simply ask them what they are curious about. This will elicit immediate curiosity!  If nothing else they are curious as to what they might eventually be curious about.  For years we have taught students to lead clients in this direction.  The results are outstanding.      “Bob, I was wondering, what is the one thing that you are the most curious about when it comes to health insurance?” “John, what is it about investing that you are most curious about?” “Bob, I know that you have heard of our company before.  What about us makes you the most curious?” Simple and effective! A well thought out presentation will usually include a pre-frame for the client to be curious.   “John, now that I am about to get started, you will find that some of these topics will make you curious.  At that point feel free to ask as many questions as you like.  Sound good?” “Clearly Bob, you will hear some things today that make you curious.  At that point I would like to let you know that it is ok to ask questions.”  So with that in mind, turn you focus this week to the curiosity level of your client.  By keeping them engaged you will most assuredly have an outstanding week.   Mickey Booher Your success is assured! Curious quotes:   “The cure for boredom is curiosity.  There is no cure for curiosity.”
Ellen Parr “I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
 
“Seize the moment of excited curiosity on any subject to solve your doubts; for if you let it pass, the desire may never return, and you may remain in ignorance.”
William Wirt Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.”
Albert Einstein “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
Walt Disney “The Greatest virtue of man is perhaps curiosity.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mickey Booher has spent 18 years studying the art of influence and persuasion. He uses his expertise in Neuro Linguistic Programming and Hypnosis to design “Real World” Selling programs. As a top producer for many years in the sales industry, Mickey spends his time testing various theories as it relates to why people make the decisions they do. These theories become working models only after being tested in the most extreme of circumstances. In 2000 Mickey Booher developed his Time Line Selling® system. The concept was to take the sciences of NLP and Hypnosis, blend it with “Real world” selling techniques to produce a methodology that would revolutionize the way that sales people communicated with their clients. Today Mickey Booher proudly serves as a Vice President for one of the finest vacation ownership companies in the world. He lives in Carlsbad, CA where he spends all of his free time raising his son.     
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