A few years ago I went to a seminar with Jordan Belfort. That’s right, the Wolf of Wall Street. Jordan still had a lot of millions to pay back to the government to make up for his scam artistry on the Street, and these seminars sure did earn him some cash, although probably not nearly enough.

One thing about the Wolf; he sure can talk. For three hours straight, he jabbered on and on (he was probably on amphetamine). And that was just his first performance that day. Which of his sales tips stayed with me?

Use the four C’s
– Confidence
– Certainty
– Courage
– Clarity

He also talked a lot about the straight line system: leading a prospective customer to a close (but only if the product is right for him/her. Jordan learned from his past mistakes. So he says).

How does it work?

Every conversation is the same. Human beings are fear based creatures. Therefore the first impression is crucial. You have four seconds to establish that you are:
A. Sharp as a tack
B. Super enthusiastic
C. An absolute expert

When you do this, the client will hand the control of the conversation over to you, so you can start asking questions: what does the client want to achieve? Guide him/her towards the product that you know will be right for him/her.

When the client has objections, that means he or she is not completely certain, so keep on working. Straight line means the deal must close before the conversation ends.

Jordan could teach this to guys with IQ comparable with Forrest Gump on acid, so you can too. If you think you can’t, that’s just your brain speaking. We are fear based creatures remember?