Last week my newsletter included an article titled, "Never Give Up."

I made a mistake by linking two baseball players to the Detroit Tigers, who actually played for another team.

That newsletter was number 280. You'll have to agree, that's a lot of newsletters. Some are good. Some aren't as good as they could have been. Some probably have been terrible. And some were probably quite good.

I enjoy reading e-mails from my subscribers. Of course I enjoy the ones which are complimentary more than the ones which aren't.

Closing annuity sales is the point of the exercise, and every professional knows the euphoria of a perfect presentation and close. Some salespeople believe it is the hand of destiny ushering them through the signatures, to the button-up, the handshake, and the drive home where they bask in the good fortune of finding that low-hanging fruit. The true professional spends the drive home replaying a different visual, a series of familiar steps that lead inevitably, unerringly to a new client for life. One salesperson gets lucky, the other gets validation.

When it comes to annuity appointment setting, the most effective technique by far is the Drop-By System. However, if you've totaled your car, broken both legs and must resort to a phone call, I've always taught my agents that the best way to engage your prospect on the phone is to open with a statement that is anything but your typical warm fuzzy, "How are you today?" Your statement must (1) make them sweat a little and (2) pose a problem which is at the same time a benefit of owning an annuity (without saying the word annuity). Note: This formula works with any product.

A salesperson is not a good idea early on. This is a question that many computer services businesses have. The best advice I have is that it is generally a very, very bad idea to hire a salesperson when you are just getting established.

Early on, your focus needs to be on establishing the identity of your business. Bringing a salesperson into the mix will take your attention away from your core business. When you have a salesperson you have to be concerned with human resource issues as well as business development.

Do you feel frustrated when sales prospects don't return your
calls? Does your anxiety about paying your bills give off a I'm
frantic to get a sale look?

When you are successful business owner you have a platform to
position your product or service with more people. Doors then
open to client opportunities. You sell more when your platform
is working for you. You can raise your rates and finally have
money to go on vacation.

How do you get a platform?

Knockout sales champions have an insatiable appetite for knowledge. They know that their customers look to them for expert advice and know its their responsibility to stay on top business trends, changes, and competitive activity.

Part of their core competency is the acquisition of "New Knowledge,"and they turn it into an art form and business discipline. They are always prepared to think through all sides of an opportunity.

Pricing strategy is like walking a tightrope: price too low and you lose money that is rightfully yours; price too high and you lose business. Without knowing how to bill and what to charge, you risk looking like an amateur to the prospects that you desire most as clients. And it can take years to recover from a poor pricing strategy.

There are three common ways to determine the pricing strategy for an IT service business:

Price-fixed
Per PC or per server basis
By the hour

Price Fixed Pricing Strategy

The differences between top sales professionals and the rest of the crowd isn't just about what they DO it's about what they DON'T do as well! Over the course of more than 20 years developing the MasterStream Method, we've identified over two dozen traditional selling approaches that, upon closer examination, cause more damage than good. In this article, we'll begin exploring several mistakes sales professionals make, starting with:

Why "Feel, Felt, Found" is a Foolish Thing to Say

According to the publishers of Laundry Center MarketWatch and
recent Coin Laundry Association statistics, self-service laundries
represent one of the most over-looked and powerful investments
available. Industry experts report that the average return on
investment is a whopping yearly 20 to 30% and that investing in
a neighborhood Laundry Center is one of the most recession
resistant and stable investments one can make.

Now, those interested in exploring the profitable opportunities

Lord Ganesh: