Welcome worries. Anyone who doesn’t have some questions or concerns about what you’re saying probably isn’t serious about considering it. Objections are your chance to emphasize strongest points.

Prepare for anything. This can mean bulbs that burn out on slide projector, a dozen more people at a meeting than you’d expected, or someone who wants to talk about a completely new subject. Revise your plan as you’re met with changes and, above all, stay calm. A sense of humor doesn’t hurt either.

Close sale. When you’ve made your speech, get to point. People are expecting it. Conventional wisdom holds that you shouldn’t come right out and demand a signature; likewise, in an interview with your boss, you shouldn’t demand to be made a manager. But you can ask same question in more subtle ways, such as “What’s next step?” or “How close am I to reaching my goal of being departmental manager?”

Foremost, key to selling yourself, your idea, or your company is presenting subject in a way that’s appealing to prospect. Study techniques, and you’ll find that even if you didn’t win prize for most raffle tickets sold when you were back in school, you can make sales work for you now.

By: Roy Bartell http://www.RBar67.ccom Copyright (c) 2003

3. Premiums. Try rousing sleepy customers with bonuses -- spend more than $100 and receive a free whooziwhatsit, which isn't available any other way. One mail-order company offered a free booklet with any order from that catalog, and received 13 percent more orders from that catalog than previously. Similarly, frequent-buyer programs have now spread far beyond airlines, because they work. If convenience-store patrons have a card to buy nine cups of coffee and get tenth free, they're more likely to consolidate their coffee buying rather than buying sometimes here and sometimes there.

4. Payment terms. When you let clients know they can spread payments out over two or four months, you'll snag some wavering over money issue. But changing payment terms doesn't necessarily mean you get your money later. I know speakers and consultants who offered a 2 or 5 percent discount for payment in advance, and received their money a whole year before they would have otherwise!

With any new offer, test, test, test. You can't know any other way whether "Buy one, get second one free" works better or worse than "Buy two and each is half price." Human beings are illogical creatures, and unexpected offers can turn this fact to your advantage.