When I first started getting active in creative real estate, my skill set at negotiating was very weak. I had done the telemarketing thing for American Express as a financial planner and had studied and learned a few techniques.
On the surface one might think that would be a perfect tie-in to talking to sellers about their properties and their financial situation. I can promise you it wasn't. ... full article

Some salespersons and network marketers make the terrible mistake of thinking that the sale ends with the sale.
They tend to think that, once the client bought something —that they already "closed" the prospect— their work is over. To the new client, however, his/her signature on the dotted line and her/his credit card order mean only the beginning of the sell/buy relationship.
In this article we explore twelve practical ideas that you will want to apply right away to guarantee your customer's satisfaction after the sale.
The service you give to your clients and customers does not begin some time after they already bought. On the contrary, it should begin right at the moment you shake their (virtual) hand, in signal of their acceptance of your proposed deal. ... full article

My silent fish tank was no more. Enough water had evaporated to make the filter gurgle. It was highly annoying and I knew I wouldn't be at ease until it was silent again, so I filled the tank.
Did I fill it to satisfy a want or a need? Does it really matter? Probably not. The gurgling tank was an unacceptable problem that required a solution: more water. I was able to solve the problem on my own. If it had turned out that my fish tank gurgled because my filter was broken I would have needed a new filter. ... full article