The solution, for Julie, photographer, is in thinking differently. In thinking what if I use this lens. Will different lens bring what is out of focus in focus? What if I approach subject from this angle? What if I slow speed? Each time she uses her knowledge of photography and her camera to build on what is possible. To look outside her box.

Sukekawa is also interested in what is out of focus. She is one of Japan’s most successful inventors. But it hasn’t always been like that. In fact, she didn’t start inventing until she was 57 years old.

Sukekawa was a physical education teacher at a High School in Japan. Then at 57 years of age she suffered from a ‘serious medical problem’ that could only be treated in Tokyo. So she and her husband decided that in order for her to receive medical treatment she needed she had to resign from her job and they would both move to Tokyo.

The main reason for buyer resistance and selling stalls boils down to one simple fact: reasons for not buying are bigger to prospect than reason to buy.

If you sell an intangible product or service, it may be even tougher to close down a sale because your product or service is not something people can see, touch, or feel. So reasons for your prospects to buy have to be vivid, logical, and emotional. There has to be a reason for them to buy NOW, or they’ll put off making decision until later.

When you sit down with a prospect, ask a lot of questions about prospect related to your product or service to get person to tell you what is important in his/her life.

If you are selling a tangible product, you might ask questions like following:

-- What do you like most about your current product? -- What do you like least? -- If you could change anything about product you have now, what would it be? -- Has any needs changed hat makes buying a new product different than last time you bought (bigger family, etc.)? -- Why do you want to buy a new product?

If you are selling an intangible product, then questions like following might be more helpful?