COUNSELING IS THE ANSWER

Google Lane Stokes

COUNSELING IS THE ANSWER

In 1983 I began an automobile repair shop on wheels. I hired a mechanic to serve my customers by van at their homes or places of business. I was to sell the services that he would perform. Trouble was, I was having no luck at selling the services. What was my solution? Counseling. I knew how effective mental health counseling could be. I knew nothing about business consulting. So I called a counselor.

During our first session together, the counselor helped me find one inner barrier I had to sales success. He remarked at how my eyes wandered a lot and spent most of the time looking down. His evaluation was: “When you look sideways or down I think that you do not know what you’re talking about or just plain lying about what you are saying.” I said that I always looked anywhere except in the other person’s eyes because that scared me. So we spent the rest of the session with me focusing on his nose. That made it appear that I was looking into his eyes and gave me relief at not having to.
All that next week I focused on looking at the bridge of the nose of the person with whom I was speaking. I sold some oil changes and earned $100. Did I go back to that counselor? I certainly did.

We talked 45 minutes of the 50 minute session and he shared his observations at the end. He asked, “Do you think customers trust you more or less with that mustache of yours.” I had never thought about it. So I shaved the mustache and earned $200 that next week.

Every week for ten weeks I spent 50 minutes with that mental health counselor. Every week I increased the amount of money I earned by $100, totaling $1000 for ten weeks. That was my goal because I had a friend making $1000 a week selling roofing products. I believed if he could do it, I could do it. In the beginning I had no idea and no skills for selling. At the end of ten weeks I had identified ten barriers to sales success. Five of those barriers were more personal than poor eye contact or a moustache.

Counseling is the Answer because each person is different. What is a barrier for one may be an asset for another. Counseling is my way of digging into your personallity to find both what works and what doesn’t so that you can have your dreams come true–finally. Call me at 404-487-1956 and let’s talk. Clients tell me I’m easy to talk with and 27 years experience gives me the knowledge of what to look for.