Most people use persuasive techniques their mothers taught them when they were children. They learned through experience that it is better to do and say some things than others ... without really understanding why.

Unfortunately ... most people never find out why they communicate the way they do ... and for this reason, much of their communication has an effect that is the exact opposite of the one they are seeking to achieve.

Even the most successful achievers find it difficult to identify that part of the communicative process that has contributed so much to their success, and they wrongly credit such things as smiling, desk pounding, and so on, as most important.

"In the past, sales training has comprised memorization of canned pitches, formulas, and product knowledge. The gamut has been run from the motivational pep-talk to teaching gimmicks to help the salesperson outwit the prospective customer. But little has been done to help the salesperson to communicate more effectively."

By reviewing and practicing the skills described in this guide, you'll learn the rules of persuasive communication. You will understand them as a sequence of clearly defined and inter-related steps. You will know exactly where you are at any time during the contact ... and what you must do next.

But you'll be getting more than a few fresh new ideas. You'll be able to identify your prospective customers' needs. You'll learn to sort out the real objections from the cover-ups, and how to deal with those objections. You will be able to move the conversation toward agreement ... how to ask the right questions at the right time. How to ask for a commitment, and what to do if the customer says No! Once the agreement has been reached, you’ll know what to do next, so not to lose the sale.

In other words, you will learn how to be a communications professional.