I'll keep this short and sweet. Do you have affiliate partners that sell your product/service but only collect if they make a sale? This is arguably the best sales strategy out there. It is how I built my shed sales company to $3,000,000+ in 2 years. Having affiliates is scalable and a way to keep fixed costs low. What have you done to bring on commissioned sales people?

You’re in the middle of your proposal, your prospect interrupts you and says, “I’ve seen enough. Show me the price.” How do you respond? Most salespeople try to defer pricing until they’ve shown “value” by saying something like this: “We can certainly get to the price, but before we do, I’d like you to see the value in what I’m offering. And I can’t do that until we go over all the details first. Responses like these destroy trust because it feels like you’re hiding something. You’re subconsciously saying, “That’s a dumb question.” The prospect feels like their parents are scolding them. My take? Questions aren’t something you dodge; they’re something you answer. Salespeople don’t determine value; buyers do. And buyers can’t determine value without price. So if a prospect asks for the price, tell them the price, even if it’s a range. Like this: Prospect: “I’ve seen enough show me pricing.” Salesperson: “It’s between 2-4K per month.” Then stop talking. Here’s how this typically plays out. Prospect: “Wow, that seems high.” Salesperson: “Seems like affordability might be an issue for you.” (Labeling: Chris Voss) From there, you might discover that price isn’t the real objection. Prospects: “Well, actually, we only can handle about 20 more customers a month, and your plan shows 40.” Or “This isn’t something we’re looking to do this quarter.” You get the idea. You’re seeing if the price is a smokescreen for other concerns. Or you might discover price is their only concern: Prospect: “It is. The price is more than I expected.” Salesperson: “I’m sorry. What did you expect?” Prospect: “$500 per month.” Salesperson: “Sounds like you’ve seen comparable solutions in that price range.” Prospect: “I haven’t, but this just seems high to me.” Detach from the outcome. Salesperson: “It feels like we should scale back the proposal and review some other options in your price range.” Prospect: “Yes. That would be great.” The takeaway? Let go of holding price hostage.

One of my clients just got the thumbs up from VR&E for his business plan after our meeting with his counselor and her supervisor. He and I have been working together for 6+ months so he can launch his home-based dog training business. It has been a passion of his, and now the VA will pay for most of his start-up costs for dog crates, leashes, a bite suite, software and more. He spent 5 minutes thanking me yesterday for making his dream become a reality and for taking the extra time to help him put together the financials for what is needed for the purchasing manager at the VA. This is the reason I do what I do and why I love helping other veterans. This can change this guy's life. Don't give up on your dream. Surround yourself with people like the ones in this community that will lift you up and not put you down. Yes, you will get constructive criticism, but that is how you become successful. Remember, even pro athletes still have coaches.

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I've started businesses with family, friends, gone in alone and everything in between. I've also started a company, then brought people in. At the end of the day, I tend to prove a concept, then bring in a partner who has skin in the game and will capitalize on the upside. I try to find people who love doing what I don't like doing and vise-versa. The most difficult part is finding the right parter, cause I've seen family members screw over each other more than once. In fact, one of my partners got sued by his brother even though the brother was paid more than what was agreed. We were not partnered in that business he was sued BTW. Final thought; partners can add fuel to accelerate your business if you can find the right one. So, keep networking and always be looking for opportunities.