We sell ideas to our teachers to get good grades. We sell ourselves to our girl friends or boyfriends using our own individual unique styles to get their “yes”.

We sell ourselves to prospective employers to get hired, by dressing well during the interview and answering questions convincingly. We sell ideas to our bosses to get that much needed promotion.  A philosopher once said that life is a matter of selling.

Even bloggers sell spaces on their blogs to ad firms.

To be effective in selling ourselves, our product or service, use the present tense.

Why? Because the present tense sounds more immediate, realistic, and convincing.

Thus, in addressing a potential customer with the implied immediacy of the present tense, you are addressing him (or her) as if he is already the satisfied owner or buyer of what you have to offer, reasons Sales & Marketing Management.

So avoid:                                             Instead use:

* Your profit will be higher.               *Your profit is higher.

* We shall test the process.                 * We test the process

* This new spray will                          * This new spray fits very

fit very well into                                well into your existing

existing range.                                    range.

*My blog will have traffic.                 *My blog has traffic.

*My product will meet your needs.    *My product meets your needs.

It is only by using the present tense that we can be convincing in promoting our selves, our ideas, our product or service, making us effective salesmen or saleswomen as we make our daily living and live our life.

Indeed, the viability and profitability of any business enterprise is dependent to a large extent on the salespeople who make the sales, because no sales, no profit. In this case, business will just go bankrupt.

But let the debate on whether salespeople are born or made. The best thing to do, says Sales & Marketing Executive Report, is to inspire your people to enhance and build upon their own abilities and strengthen their relations with their customers. To do this, encourage your salespeople to:

1. Read in order to become more helpful and interesting to their prospective customers. This involves finding out about the goings-on in the customer’s industry and taking advantage of seminars, continuing education courses and motivational DVDs.

2.Write the prospect after each meeting, showing what the company is doing about the prospect’s specific need or problem in preparation for the next meeting. This shows the prospect that you are thinking about him or her.

3. Team sell. Bring the talents of the company’s support people into the sale. Often, technical help or the personal assurances of a vice president or service professional may be just what is needed.

4. Focus on long-term relationships rather than on “deals”. Cut price, if necessary, to establish a relationship with a small but growing company whose business promises to be very profitable in the long run.

5. Involve the prospective customer in identifying needs and shaping the offer package. This includes letting the prospect critique an offer before formal presentation or letting him operate a machine while it is being demonstrated.

6. Take responsibility for misunderstandings and service or billing errors, whether or not your company is at fault. Doing so proves your interest in helping the prospect and earns respect for the company.

7. Trust the prospect as you would like to be trusted. Convey the impression that your company treats the prospect as being on the same professional level and worthy of doing business with on a long-term basis.

8. Ask a happy customer for the names of three other individuals who may benefit from your offer, together with the individual’s permission for you to use his or her name. Doing business with your customer’s associates will strengthen your link with your customer.

9. Let go of a prospect that has remained unpromising longer than any other, no matter how large the potential is. Concentrate time and effort on new and existing prospects that have greater likelihood of success.

     However, in buying your product or service, the customers’ objective is to maximize their satisfaction by paying the lowest price. And unless you can differentiate your product from that of the competitors, it is a basic principle that customers will always buy a product with the lowest possible price.

     Therefore, how do you price your product or service in such a way  that you will generate enough profit, make your target customers buy your goods, while at the same time remaining competitive?

     Pricing is always a function of knowing your market, your customers, developing your brand or  image, and differentiating your products or services from that of the competitors.

     Having done these, you can now proceed to set a price for your goods and services. Basically, there are four pricing strategies, as follows:

     First, cost-oriented pricing. You set your price on the basis of your cost. This means you just add a certain percentage to your cost to get your target profit or mark-up. This is also called mark-up pricing or cost-plus pricing, which means cost plus desired mark-up or profit. If your business deals in retail, buy-and-sell, or distributorships, then this strategy is ideal.

     Second, demand-oriented pricing. You set your price based on the level of demand of your product or service. If the demand is strong, charge at a higher price, and if the demand is weak, then lower your price to stimulate demand and attract more customers.

     Third, competition-oriented pricing. You set your price based on what the competitors are charging. This is suitable if you and the competitors are selling the same or similar products. However, you can charge higher than the competitors’ if you have developed a brand for your business, or if you know how to differentiate your products and services by offering extras.

     Last, market-penetration pricing. You set your price lower to penetrate the market and capture a sizeable market share. This is suitable if the customers are price-sensitive, and if you want to discourage existing and potential competition.

     In the end, your pricing strategy must be a part of your business strategy to survive in the market, achieve growth, and generate more profit.