Get Your Price

Woman sitting at a table with a calculator

For those times you work hard finding the product that will suit your customer’s needs only to face getting beat up on the price, here are a few helpful ideas to preserve your margins:  Establish a consistent position. Consider the automobile industry. During ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, negotiating prices was so common that nobody would […]

Don’t “Sell” People. Let Them Buy.

women on the phone with someone

It’s very interesting to study what motivates people. For example, nobody wants to be “sold” anything, yet everybody likes to “buy,” Buying is an invigorating activity. Buying is acting on a decision and taking control of a situation. Buying provides a sense of power. A salesperson can take advantage of this motivation by doing more […]

How to Make the Most of the ‘Send Me Some Material’ Request

two people talking

Too often, a customer who says, “Send me some information on your product,” really means “Go away and stop bothering me.” To get the most value from the literature you send, follow these suggestions:  Qualify the prospect. Find out how serious the person is by promising to send the brochure, then asking something like, “Are you […]

How to Work a Customer in One Minute

an employee talking to a customer

You’re at a networking event or riding the elevator. Standing next to you is the ideal prospect, but this is no time to launch into a sales presentation. You’ve got one minute, at most, to explain who you are and what you sell in a way that will spark the prospect’s interest. Here’s what to […]

Words That Kill the Sale

Words that kill a sale

Despite the popular saying to the contrary, words can sometimes be stronger than actions. An example is when you’re presenting to a prospect, and you’ve covered all the bases, but the prospect still won’t say “yes.” Sometimes an adage applies: “It isn’t what you say; it’s the way that you say it.” In that case, your […]