This RR discusses how commission breath impacts the final terms of an agreement. I wrote a previous RR on commission breath and how it affects your ability to sell. For reference, it is reprinted at the end of this rule. All skilled negotiators know that the best time to ask for a concession is right […]

Often, when salespeople want to accelerate the process, they tend to skip steps to arrive at the outcome sooner. However, more often than not, skipping steps in the Sales Funnel®, tend to increase the length of time for the result. Worse yet, the outcome is not the one desired. Trust the process. It will not […]

If you’re sitting at your desk or office wondering why sales aren’t up it might be time to start doing something and you will see some results. But if you’re looking to be the industry/market leader it might be time for a personal SALES TRAINER.

How do you really differentiate yourself from your competitors? There are normally three types of competitors in a market. They are: The big solid national/global company. The small regional company with a good reputation. The small cheap competitor.

There has been quite a lot of information and theories published on Left Brain/Right Brain leadership. In fact, my latest leadership course has a section on Left Brain (systems, processes, skills) and one on Right Brain (motivation, trust, empathy). However, not much has been published on how to sell to the whole brain. Left Brain […]

There are a lot of buzz words in sales that, for the most part, seem to be the “answers” to making sales. Come on, you know them… right? You must be able to            relationships. The customer has to see the            in your product or service. The prospect must            you before they buy […]

Lagniappe is a popular term in customer service circles. It means giving a little extra, especially when unexpected. Most organizations know the definition, but few practice it. It may be the number one way to increase customer satisfaction. I just returned from a poker tournament where I experienced lagniappe. This tournament was an invitation only […]

I had just completed dinner in a Shanghai restaurant and was reading the local newspaper. On the front page was an article about swill oil. It turns out that swill oil is used oil that is to be recycled for fuel but often finds its way back in to the kitchen. It is filtered and […]

A few days before I went to South Africa, I received a call from an old client that was also a friend. I hadn’t heard from him since I last spoke to his group. I asked him why he was calling and he said he just wanted to let me know that I was a […]

Your BATNA is the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. If the client will not allow you to pass on your increased cost to him, what is the best alternative? Is it to terminate the contract or is it to eat the cost increase yourself? If you are asking for a promotion or a raise, […]