I made millions of dollars making hit music and selling more than 80 million records. I have also built multiple multi-million dollar businesses. I did this by selling my value, talking my way out of difficult situations, negotiating deals, using the power of persuasion, and being able to reasonably deal with some of the most unreasonable people of my entire life – both in business and on the road.

But I never attended college, had formal music training, or enrolled in a leadership course. So how did I do it? There was a source of truth that I always relied on and cultivated. It starts with a simple concept that I've built over my years as a successful entrepreneur and founder.

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I learned not to overlook or ignore any source of information or person. They all matter, but they don't matter equally. I learned how to pay different attention to different people.

The point is that people dismiss others very quickly. If someone isn't talking about topics or opinions they care about, they immediately delete them and assume they have nothing to learn from them. You don't have to do this.

Image credit: Clinton Sparks

Let's say someone is talking to you about real estate, but the topic is irrelevant to your business, career or personal life – most people wouldn't normally care about listen actively. What I do in these situations is caution. I'm interested in:

• person — I give everyone the time of day to speak their mind
• Listening — even if I don't agree with them, I'm interested in hearing
• Learning — I'm interested in what other people are interested in, even if I don't necessarily care about the subject

There is valuable information everywhere, but most discard information they don't see as valuable or seem to think they understand where the value lies for them.

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Here's the thing: You can listen to the greatest teachers and entrepreneurs, but you should also listen to your neighbors, interns, that weird guy from work, or even a street artist. All of this information is extremely useful and valuable in building a powerfully informed and armed you.

It's the mentality behind it, the personality of those who do it, and the emotion associated with it. You are never selling a product or a service. You are always selling a feeling. When you understand what people feel, need to feel, or want to feel, you can sell anything to anyone and profit from your ideas.

People want to feel power, security, peace, success, health, strength and happiness from everything you have to offer. You just need to understand the person you are dealing with, which will help you identify which feeling is most suitable for him.

How to start

Pay attention to people when they speak, theirs body language, or even those who post and write on social networks. When I talk to people, I'm learning their personality profiles. This includes people's awareness, timing, phrasing, how they listen, how they listen, what they react to, tone of voice, etc. Learning these profiles allows me to better know what kind of information people are interested in or what will move them. It also helps me learn how to deal with or get closer to other individuals.

Image credit: Clinton Sparks

But remember: this only works if you allow yourself to go into every conversation with an open mind and willing to care enough about the person to hear what they're saying—and at the end of the day, you know there's always something for taught.

There are many benefits of adopting this philosophy for people. Including:

• You will not underestimate people
• You will not miss opportunities
• You learn how to turn small ideas into big ones
• You will get better use of your time
• People will like and respect you more
• You better learn how to communicate with this personality type for future situations

The warning is that everyone should be heard, but not everyone should be heard in the same way. You wouldn't listen to an intern tell you about their weekend any more than you would listen to your boss express his frustration with your work. But if you listen to them all with equal attention and intent, you will be able to reap the aforementioned benefits. Don't label conversations as irrelevant, stressful and useless. Listen and take care to learn.

I don't avoid any conversation unless it's something I've heard from this person multiple times and it's the same complaint – but that counts too. They might say something a little different this time that helps really understand the root of their issue, or you may be in a different mood that allows you to hear the same thing differently. There is a difference between thinking too much and thinking things through.

It also doesn't mean you have to let someone talk your ear off. Once I give someone the same attention as everyone else, I can lead a conversation all the way through after identifying what they are looking for in a conversation (power, empathy, happiness, success, etc.) and give it to them. . By the end of the conversation, I can walk away knowing they felt heard and I learned something about their personality type. This “conversation hack” has helped me identify what people want and helped grow my businesses to where they are today.

It seems easy to start listening to everyone more, but it takes an insane amount of awareness and patience, which are by-products of caring and truly understanding others. So technically, the more you give your attention to different types of people, the easier it will become.

How does this apply to business?

Remember that most people like to associate with like-minded people because they want their ideas and opinions to be approved. Using my conversational tactics will allow you to touch different groups of people because you are indulging in a feeling that they may only be able to get from their inner circles.

No matter where you are in life or your success, you must learn how to sell to others; this conversation tactic helps with that. You may disagree and think that you are not trying to sell anything or a salesperson.

You would be wrong.

you are always selling and you've been selling since you were a kid. Whether someone should be your friend, why someone should date you or why you should be hired or trusted. You even knew when to sell by waiting for the right time to ask your parents for a snack, a new toy, or a nap. You didn't ask them when they were visibly angry because you understood their feelings and cared enough (for yourself) to ask when it would be more in your favor.

So don't be blinded by the transaction or be something you're not. It's okay to sell yourself; one of the best ways to do this is to invest in others. When you care enough to care for others – you will be just what everyone needs.

your friend,

Clinton