I will be completely upfront in telling you that I think any person, in any occupation, can strongly benefit from improving his or her memory. It’s just one of those skills that carries over into so many parts of your personal and professional life that it would be hard to overvalue.

With that being said, however, one of the groups that I tend to work with most often are salespeople. If ever there were a set of professionals who could use a memory presentation to make more money right away, it’s these hard-working folks who turn ideas into commission checks.

How can a stronger memory multiply your sales income? Here are just a few of the most obvious ways:

By helping you to remember every key point in a sales presentation. Using this system can assist you in not only recalling key points, but also delivering them in the correct sequence. Too many times salespeople give a dynamite presentation only to remember 30 minutes later that they forgot a key point. This leads to lost credibility . . . and potentially lost sales.

By helping you to remember customer names. Is there anything worse than sitting face to face with an important prospect – or seeing them at a convention or social setting – and not being able to remember their name? Putting names together with faces is the top challenge that salespeople ask me about, and it’s also one of the easiest skills to teach.

By letting you build stronger relationships with clients and colleagues.There is more to building rapport with customers than remembering names, of course. The more you can recall about their spouse, children, career background, and so on, the easier it is for your buyers to feel like they know and like you.

By giving you an edge with product knowledge and account details. There is also a professional component to your memory. When you have key product features, prices, part numbers, and other details available off the top of your head, you look and feel more confident. In addition, you are able to move sales forward more quickly.

By keeping you on top of what your competitors are selling. If you are able to master your competitors’ products as well as your own, you can counter nearly any objection. It isn’t enough to know about your industry – you need to be able to remember all key information at a moment’s notice to make it worthwhile.

To find out more about memory training for salespeople and my entertaining keynotes and seminars, contact my office today.

The post Why a Strong Memory Can Multiply Your Sales Income appeared first on Funny Motivational Speaker, Entertaining Humorist - Bob Gray.

So here is my eighth post on memorizing the US state capitals. Again, please take a moment to read the April post regarding how our memory tends to cling to the absurd and make sure you are reviewing these crazy images at the critical times in order to store them onto your long term memory. (See below)

OK, let’s memorize the next five capital cities for Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina.

The capital of Oklahoma is Oklahoma City. For Oklahoma is see an Oak tree. I always picture the one in the backyard which played a huge part in my childhood where I grew up in England. If you cannot picture a particular Oak tree then any tree will do. In this tree I imagine hundreds of model skyscrapers (City) hanging from the leaves like Christmas tree ornaments.

Oregon’s capital is Salem. I change Oregon to Oar Gun and picture two gigantic guns being used as oars in a sailing boat. I can’t help but instantly think of the Salem Witch Trials whenever I hear the name Salem. So I imagine a couple of witches rowing this boat, see real ugly caricature cliché images of witches, perhaps like the witch from The Wizard of Oz.

Pennsylvania’s capital is Harrisburg. This is an easy one, how about a huge Pencil stuck in a Hairy BURGer……imagine taking a bite, disgusting I know……but memorable!

Rhode Island’s capital is Providence. I picture a lonely Road winding its way across an Island, I then imagine a Professor Dancing along this road, Prof Dance/Providence.

And finally the capital of South Carolina is Columbia. I see Carol Singers again, just as I did for North Carolina, only this time they are dressed in swim suits which represents warmer weather in the South. Personally I see old 78 and 45 rpm records stuffed into their swim suits. Whenever I hear the name Columbia I am immediately transported back in time to my living room in England. I see my dad playing his old 78’s with the Blue Columbia labels, I also see my old Columbia 45’s with their black and white labels. If you are young enough to have only ever downloaded music and have absolutely no idea what I am talking about regarding 78’s and 45’s, then you can picture the Carol singers in their swim suits, and they are stacking a Column of Beer/Columbia in front of the door where they are singing.

So to review:

An Oak tree with Skyscrapers as Christmas ornaments
Oklahoma/Oklahoma City

Two Witches rowing a boat using guns
Oregon/Salem

Eating a Hairy Burger with a Pencil stuck through it
Pennsylvania/Harrisburg

A Professor dancing along a lonely Road
Rhode Island/Providence

Carol singers dressed in swim suits with records stuffed in their suits
South Carolina/Columbia

Here is my standard wrap up.
Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.

I will continue to post state capitals and their crazy images in groups of five. I have just ten more to go then you will have all 50 memorized and a great handle on how to visualize the ridiculous and absurd. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc.

Please share if you found this informative, thanks.

Bob Gray CSP HoF

Motivational Speaker

The post Eating a hairy burger with a pencil! Oklahoma to S. Carolina appeared first on Funny Motivational Speaker, Entertaining Humorist - Bob Gray.

OK, let’s memorize the next five capital cities for Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire and New Jersey.

The capital of Montana is Helena. I immediately picture a mountain for Montana, sat on top of the mountain is Helen of Troy. If you know a Helen, see her sitting on top shouting AAAAHH… (Helen AAAH)

Nebraska’s capital is Lincoln. For Nebraska I see a huge wheat field. Picture Abe Lincoln giving a speech in the middle of this huge wheat field, perhaps his audience is a bunch of scarecrows. If you like, for an added association see a Lincoln car cutting donuts through the wheat field.

Nevada’s capital is Carson City. I simply see Johnny Carson playing slot machines (Las Vegas). Could use Carson Daly for you younger ones out there who are saying, “Johnny who?” If you don’t know a Carson, then break it into Car Son; see a car with a small boy sitting on top of the roof playing a slot machine.

New Hampshire’s capital is Concord. You can visualize a Hamster piloting the Concorde.

And finally the capital of New Jersey is Trenton. You could use a sweater for Jersey. There are Jersey cows, or the small island off the coast of mainland Britain. How about any of the characters from the TV series Jersey Shore, can’t say I know any as I haven’t seen the show, but know it’s popular. For Trenton I would change it to Train Ton. My personal image is of a Jersey Cow driving a Train that is pulling a Ton weight.

So to review:

Helen of Troy sitting on top of a Mountain
Montana/Helena

Abe Lincoln talking to a bunch of scarecrows in a wheat field
Nebraska/Lincoln

Johnny or Carson Daly playing the slots
Nevada/Carson City

A Hamster piloting the Concorde
New Hampshire/Concord

A Cow driving a Train
New Jersey/Trenton

Here is my standard wrap up.

Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.

I will continue to post state capitals and their crazy images in groups of five. Before we know it you will have all 50 memorized and a great handle on how to visualize the ridiculous and absurd. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc.

Please share if you found this informative, thanks.

Bob Gray CSP HoF

Keynote Speaker

The post A Hamster flying the Concorde! Montana to New Jersey. appeared first on Funny Motivational Speaker, Entertaining Humorist - Bob Gray.