This time we were both anything but impressed. I could go on and on about the things that the different sales people did that only damaged the relationship they were trying to build. But the ultimate blow came at the end of the day.

I have only been to a few timeshare presentations. At this one, they began by grouping about 8-10 couples and taking them to a boring little room with a salesman, who delivered an hour-long talk about all the reasons you "should" be a timeshare owner.

I wrote, ÒshouldÓ because he truly said, Òyou shouldÓ this and Òyou shouldÓ that throughout his presentation. This is probably one of the biggest No-Nos in sales. As adults, we like to be spoken to like adults. No one prefers to be treated like a child. As soon as anyone says, Òyou should,Ó he/she is using the language of a parent, not an adult. Who wants to take their time to go to a sales presentation and be told what they should be doing? Oh, but I digress.

After that "sweat box" presentation, each couple met with another salesperson, who then tried to close just that couple on buying a timeshare. If the couple said, ÒNo,Ó as we did, the supposed Big Kahuna, the ultimate sales guru, was brought in to close the deal.

I have to admit, I was expecting some great salesmanship from him. But once I saw him in action, I understood why his whole sales force was anything but persuasive. His means of building rapport consisted of bashing his competition. And here is the kicker... he KNEW that we owned a timeshare with the company he was bashing! I hope you know thatÕs just foolish.

In so many words, he told us that we were dumb to have invested with that company instead of his. I can think of better ways to build rapport with one's prospects, how about you?

On the opposite side of the spectrum is the company with which we own a timeshare. To begin with, the sales people there did not group all of us together and send us to a sweat box. Instead, each couple was greeted by a sales person, who took each individual couple somewhere beautiful and comfortable at the resort.

The saleswoman who met with us spent her time asking us question after question about ourselves and our family. After thirty minutes or so of a truly fun "Kaffee Klatsch," this woman really understood our challenges and our desires. Instead of telling us what we should do, she empathized that our schedule did not allow much travel time, although it seemed like we wished it did. She then suggested that we take advantage of the special offer they had going on by getting the smallest timeshare unit, until our schedule could allow for more travel time.

Hmmmmm.... which one would you by from, if you wanted a timeshare?

When you bash your competition, you run the risk of insulting your prospects, who have potentially bought from your competition. You don't ever want to run the risk of bad-mouthing a company with which your prospect previously was or currently is affiliated. You also do not want to run the risk of bashing a product or service that your prospect might actually like. Let your prospects do the bad-mouthing, while you just listen.

In addition, if the only way you can talk about your company or your products is by bashing another's, what you actually broadcast is that you don't have many beneficial things to say about your own. Sit down and decipher the most beneficial benefits of your company and its products. Prospects find acclaim far more convincing than slander. It's good to remember the old saying, "If you sling mud, you are bound to get it on yourself."

It never benefits you to belittle or defame your competition. By doing so, you donÕt make yourself look better than it; you make yourself look worse.

If you haven't read Maxwell Maltz's intriguing book, Psycho-Cybernetics, I hope you'll change that situation immediately. I am now re-reading it for the THIRD time. Yes, you read that correctly... the third time.

I've read it every year now for three years in a row because it's such an amazing book. Every time I read it, I find myself in a mental position to understand something new and benefit from it.

My oldest daughter moved far outside of her comfort zone because of an understanding I gained from reading Psycho Cybernetics.

After her first couple of games in her first season of basketball, I told her that I was impressed with her defensive skills, but I didn't understand why she didn't try to score any points, even when she had several good opportunities. She told me, "I'm too afraid I'll miss, and I don't know how I can handle the embarrassment."

Then I told her something that converted that fear into willingness, and the very next game she took her first few shots and Ñ do I even need to say this Ñ scored! What I told my daughter, Tess, I learned in the first few chapters of Psycho Cybernetics.

Why not empower yourself with over one hundred of such insights by ordering it today. Click on the picture of the book above to order, Psycho-Cybernetics, A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life.