I was at a business presentation on selling the other day and the gentleman presenting discussed the “puppy dog close.” Let’s say, for example, that you sell copiers. You wheel the copier into a prospects office and tell her to keep it a few days. When you come back for it, she has fallen in love with it. It’s sort of a hybrid of a trial and an extended product demonstration. If your product is cute and cuddly enough, no one will want to get rid of it.

But what if you don’t sell a product? What if you sell a service? What if you sell yourself? What if you are in some kind of consulting? Then what? How can you leave a puppy for your prospects to fall in love with? How do you do a product demonstration?

The Council Defines Six Rights and One Responsibility of Service Consumers That Will Help Providers and Consumers Establish and Maintain Successful Business Relationships

A great article I ran across this morning from Joe Weinman - Strategic Solutions Sales VP for AT&T Global Business Services. This is follow-up to a article he wrote in '08 about the 10 Laws of Cloudonomics.  For anyone who is still trying to wrap their heads around why more companies aren't clamoring to join the cloud band wagon - this is a must read: Enjoy!