For or against the troop build-up, there was an important sales lesson to be learned from President Obamas’ speech at West Point Tuesday evening. Anticipate and address head on every objection or concern in your listener’s mind. The anticipated objections were many: why the delay in ti decision? Why should we focus on Afghanistan when our economy is a mess? Is this commitment worth it? Is there no end to the money we are spending there? Isn’t this just like Vietnam? Why can’t we keep the status quo? Etc. As with any sale, the concerns netted out to Why? Why now? How much? Is it worth it? Are there other better options? What’s involved? What will be our return on the investment?

You can’t wish away people’s objections, doubts, and concerns. They are the white elephants in the room that must be acknowledged.   Your job is to turn those elephants into into mice that scamper away  and shape the way your listeners think about those obstacles.   To get  acceptance for your ideas and recommendations, deal with them directly , which will pave the way for acceptance of your ideas and recommendations.  

On a holiday note, if you are thinking of the perfect gift tech gift for someone, the  NY Times had lots of wonderful suggestions in its Personal Tech section. My favorite: the new ebook readers. The most surprising: gifts for crafters.

 

Always remember:  Your time with people is limited: Make What You Say, Pay!