People know Dato Tim Ong (DTO) for many different things; a world-class speaker; an intellect and a leading thinker in economics, politics and current affairs; and non the least, an influential and wealthy businessman from a much respected family in Brunei.
But to me, he is also one of the most underrated salesperson I know. DTO is not given enough credit for his selling ability simply because most people do not regard what he does as selling.
What draw me the most to DTO are his unparalleled storytelling skills and the ability to convince others. With every interaction, it is always a treat to hear great stories and a special learning opportunity. Like many, I am often captivated by every word that is uttered out of his mouth.
I have the good fortune of knowing DTO for over 15 years, and have the distinct privilege of hanging around with him often and hear many of his epic stories first hand. Professionally, I have worked for DTO early on in my career, and have interviewed him periodically for a column on Inspire magazine and have seek many valuable advices from him on life and business.
Here are my 5 observations of what makes DTO such a masterful storyteller / salesperson:
1. The Gift:
- Literacy – DTO has a superior ability as an orator. His exceptional command of English enables him to articulate his thoughts freely, making all his propositions effortless.
- Voice- DTO has a distinctly strong vocal tone and when he speaks, it is often slow, steady and he’s always thoughtful with his words too. As a result every sentence he utters carries much weight and are so unmistakable and clear.
Notice how we often dismiss the above attribute as a gift rather than a skill set that we can acquire. Truth is, we can improve our English ability if we work hard at it. We may never be as eloquent as DTO, but we can always become better than before. As for voice- there is such thing as voice coaching if you’re serious about improving your vocal tone. Just pay http://www.YippyTune.com a visit.
2. The Effort / Practice
- It is no secret that DTO is passionate about story telling. Everywhere he goes, he will always be pitching stories and influencing decisions. The only thing is, half the time; you would have no idea that you are being sold to.
- What makes him a compelling storyteller is his ability to notice and retell of the details. There is always interesting interpretation of insights from what he remembers of the incident. And he always leaves you with a lesson or two from the stories he told.
- Because DTO meets many different people at any given day, it gives him the opportunity to relay same stories to many different people without sounding like a broken record. By the time you hear the story from him, it may be the 10th refined version. As a result, it cannot be bad.
3. The Sources
Where does DTO get all the content from?
- DTO reads a lot, travels widely and networks extensively. Everything he does is an opportunity for him to collect new stories to tell.
- I remember going with him to a meeting years ago when I worked for him, and he orated a current affair story with such interest and clarity that I thought he was actually there. And then, I stumbled into an article Time Magazine. It was the exact same story he recited from the article.
- As remarkable as DTO is as a storyteller, he is also a great listener too. Whoever he meets, he would always listen intently learn from them. And then, he would share the interesting content to the others.
4. The Simplicity
- DTO has the ability to breakdown even the most complex situation into a simple and easy to understand format which a six year old can comprehend. And he does it with such a flair that he can hold your attention without you realizing time passes by.
5. The Closer
- What sets him apart from being an extraordinary storyteller to an effective salesperson is his persuasiveness and his ability to close. DTO is extremely strategic with all his business undertakings. His approach is often deliberate, measured and thoughtful, everything is planned towards the smallest details that leaves no room for error. Even with the sequence of he articulates his pitches.
- The greatest sales person almost never sells you any products. They appeal to your emotion and take your imagination wander into places you have never been.
That’s what makes DTO the master, that’s what separates DTO from even the best salespeople I know…
I will conducting a Masterclass on selling in the near future. You can learn more about it at http://www.YesInspire.com/training
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