Ribbon of Life

Are your sales teams asking the right questions?

If there's one skill that separates average salespeople from exceptional ones, it's the ability to ask better questions.

This is something we explore in depth in our Ribbon of Life sales training programme.

One of the techniques we practice is the TED method: Tell, Explain, Describe.

These are simple but effective prompts that encourage the customer to open up and to feel understood.

The right question at the right time builds trust and opens the door for solution focused responses.

Are your sales team asking the right questions?

The start of September comes with change.

There's a clear shift as the summer holiday's come to an end, the diary fills up and we refocus on the final 4 months of the year.

For most businesses, September is where the real work begins. Targets that felt abstract in January are now very real as the end of the year gets closer.

With the right attitude and approach, there's still plenty of time to hit them but that won't happen by accident. It happens with intention.

Whether you're an individual looking to get back on track and end the year with purpose or an organisational lead that wants to re-energise their team ahead of the final stretch of the 2026, we can support with training, development and coaching.

Get in touch to find out more.

It sounds obvious but not everyone communicates in the same way.

➡️ Some people want the facts
➡️ Some want the bigger picture.
➡️ Some need time to think; others make decisions quickly.
➡️ Some people value relationships above everything else whereas others just want you to get to the point.

The mistake we often make is communicating in the way we like to receive information, rather than adapting to the person we’re speaking to. In a sales environment this can be the difference between closing a deal or seeing a customer walk away from it.

Our Ribbon of Life training sessions delve into Wilson's Social Styles and why they’re so powerful. Not only do we help people recognise their communication style, but we also equip them with the tools to understand other people's way of thinking and communicating.

The results…

➡️ Salespeople build trust more quickly.
➡️ Leaders have better conversations and get the best from different personalities and teams have a better understanding of their colleagues.

If your business could benefit from better understanding each other and developing better communicators, let’s chat.

[email protected]

Commercial awareness is one of those phrases that gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean?

In a sales context, it’s the difference between a someone who pitches a product and one who solves a problem.

So how do you build it?

Here are 5 ways to develop commercial awareness in your team and crucially, the change it makes to customer conversations is often immediate.

Communication isn't about what you say...

It's about what the other person understands.

One of our favourite exercises always proves the same thing.

We ask participants:

"How often do you leave a customer conversation assuming they understood exactly what you meant?"

Most people smile, because we've all done it!

Then we run our Communication Challenge.

Soon participants realise that the message they intended, isn't always the message received.

· People interpret differently

· They filter through their own experience

· They focus on what matters to them

The difference between a good and a great communicator is the ability to close the gap of understanding.

Ribbon of Life in action 📸

Today we’re on site at the stunning Ogi offices, hosting a Ribbon of Life Workshop for their sales team.

You might be wondering how helping people find their purpose might help enhance their sales approach…

Not only does it equip the team with intrinsic motivation, it also empowers them to build deeper trust with customers, increases their resilience against rejection and creates stronger teams who understand each other better.

Having a clear WHY drives effort and performance far more effectively than financial incentives alone.

It’s been a great first half of the day so far, thanks to Christian Dobbs for facilitating. We can’t wait to see the impact it brings.

It's likely you will spend nearly 5 years of your life, scrolling aimlessly on your phone! (Yes, you read that right).

Results of a new study from Virgin Media found that UK people are on track to spend nearly 5 years of their waking lives on their phones — unintentionally.

Not purposefully. Not meaningfully. Just... scrolling.

Even more shocking was that 61% of people admitted they're not fully present in the moments that actually matter.

So, the question is... if that time was laid out in front of you, what would you do with it?

➡️ Master a new skill
➡️ Indulge in new hobbies
➡️ Spend quality time with loved ones
➡️ Live a life that feels right?

Next time you aimlessly pick up your phone, think about what else you could be doing.

It;s likely you will spend nearly 5 years of your life, scrolling aimlessly on your phone! (Yes, you read that right).

Results of a new study from Virgin Media found that UK people are on track to spend nearly 5 years of their waking lives on their phones — unintentionally.

Not purposefully. Not meaningfully. Just... scrolling.

Even more shocking was that 61% of people admitted they're not fully present in the moments that actually matter.

So, the question is... if that time was laid out in front of you, what would you do with it?

➡️ Master a new skill
➡️ Indulge in new hobbies
➡️ Spend quality time with loved ones
➡️ Live a life that feels right?

Next time you aimlessly pick up your phone, think about what else you could be doing.

Don’t Be an Ostrich!

We’ve all been there… faced with a challenge, feeling overwhelmed and a bit stuck. But burying your head in the sand won’t make challenges disappear, it just traps you.

Imagine what you could accomplish by facing things head-on instead! Give it a try and let us know how you get on.