When you look at a great piece of art, it energizes you, and for a moment it changes how you view the world, and what you consider important. It sweeps you up, and you gladly forget any outside considerations.

Some people call this “aesthetic arrest,” being seized by beauty. It’s so effective, as art, that it creates a positive, yet completely involuntary response in you.

You happily surrender to the moment.

Great salespeople

I’m especially impressed by how prolific he was, churning out sculptures and paintings galore, into his 90’s.

Most people look at a Picasso drawing, consisting of a few lines, and they think: “Any kid could do that!!”

Of course any kid could, or anybody else for that matter, but they don’t. Picasso’s work seems deceptively easy, but that’s because it already exists.

He had to conceive and execute it. Somewhere in that process we can infer a genius was at work.

The artist makes something out of nothing and so does the salesperson. He creates, seemingly out of thin air. And to many, he seems overcompensated.

What the seller does also looks easy—after the fact.

But observers don’t see the work that supports the sale, the mental rehearsals before approaching a prospect, breaking down various barriers just to identify and then to reach a decision maker or influencer, customizing a sales presentation, and incessant follow-through.

Like the artist, the salesman is also an illusionist, creating an impression of intimacy with a prospect that he has only just met. This takes talent and effort.

“Breaking the ice” is the metaphor we use, quite rightly, for initiating a relationship with a client; not “Strolling in the park.” Ordinary folks generally don’t have this skill of warming people up, especially strangers..

I dealt with two “professionals” today, highly educated and highly paid non-salespeople.

The first was a negative, dour, and hostile communicator, and she got the same in return from me. She made no effort to be warm.

The second professional was much more open and I made it my job to make her laugh and to show her a good time, though I was her client. I turned on my “sales charm,” if you will, we had some good laughs, while taking care of the underlying business.

When you look at a great piece of art, it energizes you, and for a moment it changes how you view the world, and what you consider important. It sweeps you up, and you gladly forget any outside considerations.

Some people call this “aesthetic arrest,” being seized by beauty. It’s so effective, as art, that it creates a positive, yet completely involuntary response in you.

You happily surrender to the moment.

Great salespeople

The artist makes something out of nothing and so does the salesperson. He creates, seemingly out of thin air. And to many, he seems overcompensated.

What the seller does also looks easy—after the fact.

But observers don’t see the work that supports the sale, the mental rehearsals before approaching a prospect, breaking down various barriers just to identify and then to reach a decision maker or influencer, customizing a sales presentation, and incessant follow-through.

Like the artist, the salesman is also an illusionist, creating an impression of intimacy with a prospect that he has only just met. This takes talent and effort.

“Breaking the ice” is the metaphor we use, quite rightly, for initiating a relationship with a client; not “Strolling in the park.” Ordinary folks generally don’t have this skill of warming people up, especially strangers..

I dealt with two “professionals” today, highly educated and highly paid non-salespeople.

The first was a negative, dour, and hostile communicator, and she got the same in return from me. She made no effort to be warm.

The second professional was much more open and I made it my job to make her laugh and to show her a good time, though I was her client. I turned on my “sales charm,” if you will, we had some good laughs, while taking care of the underlying business.

When you look at a great piece of art, it energizes you, and for a moment it changes how you view the world, and what you consider important. It sweeps you up, and you gladly forget any outside considerations.

Some people call this “aesthetic arrest,” being seized by beauty. It’s so effective, as art, that it creates a positive, yet completely involuntary response in you.

You happily surrender to the moment.

Great salespeople

Like the artist, the salesman is also an illusionist, creating an impression of intimacy with a prospect that he has only just met. This takes talent and effort.

“Breaking the ice” is the metaphor we use, quite rightly, for initiating a relationship with a client; not “Strolling in the park.” Ordinary folks generally don’t have this skill of warming people up, especially strangers..

I dealt with two “professionals” today, highly educated and highly paid non-salespeople.

The first was a negative, dour, and hostile communicator, and she got the same in return from me. She made no effort to be warm.

The second professional was much more open and I made it my job to make her laugh and to show her a good time, though I was her client. I turned on my “sales charm,” if you will, we had some good laughs, while taking care of the underlying business.

When you look at a great piece of art, it energizes you, and for a moment it changes how you view the world, and what you consider important. It sweeps you up, and you gladly forget any outside considerations.

Some people call this “aesthetic arrest,” being seized by beauty. It’s so effective, as art, that it creates a positive, yet completely involuntary response in you.

You happily surrender to the moment.

Great salespeople

I dealt with two “professionals” today, highly educated and highly paid non-salespeople.

The first was a negative, dour, and hostile communicator, and she got the same in return from me. She made no effort to be warm.

The second professional was much more open and I made it my job to make her laugh and to show her a good time, though I was her client. I turned on my “sales charm,” if you will, we had some good laughs, while taking care of the underlying business.

When you look at a great piece of art, it energizes you, and for a moment it changes how you view the world, and what you consider important. It sweeps you up, and you gladly forget any outside considerations.

Some people call this “aesthetic arrest,” being seized by beauty. It’s so effective, as art, that it creates a positive, yet completely involuntary response in you.

You happily surrender to the moment.

Great salespeople

When you look at a great piece of art, it energizes you, and for a moment it changes how you view the world, and what you consider important. It sweeps you up, and you gladly forget any outside considerations.

Some people call this “aesthetic arrest,” being seized by beauty. It’s so effective, as art, that it creates a positive, yet completely involuntary response in you.

You happily surrender to the moment.

Great salespeople repeatedly create the same result, getting prospect to stop, listen, and agreeably relinquish their concerns and objections.

If this isn’t art, then I don’t know what is!