Hi Lynn,

I'm not sure exactly what you do, but to me almost everything is about creating an offer, and then communicating it....

If you know their problem or what they need/want done - make an offer.... Say, I can do this for you, I'll do all these things, or give you all this stuff with these advantages for you, and it will cost this much....

I don't think about "making a sale" any more - I tend to think about "communicating a great offer." I like to break down business into two fundamental steps....

1. Having a good offer, or giving people a "good deal"....

2. Communicating your offer or deal to people.

I think the heart of most business is contained in these two categories....

(Of course, you have to deliver on your offer too - I guess I've taken that as an assumption....)

Product development, deciding what business you want to go into - that's all part of trying to create a "good deal" for people (where you will make a profit too).... A good deal doesn't necessarily mean "cheap" prices - it could also mean expensive prices for a valuable product, with extra support services thrown in or extra features - that sort of thing.

Offering a "good deal" is not necessarily straightforward - often it requires creativity, since you have to make a profit too. Just cutting your profit to offer "cheap" prices is definitely NOT what I mean here....

Communicating your offer - that's when you tell them or educate them on why your deal is good for them. This is where sales, advertising, and all that come in.... It also requires creativity too.

In my mind, however, it mostly boils down to those two essential things....

Maybe someone else here can also offer some suggestions....

- Dien