How would you like to invest $5.49 to land your next big deal? If you knew that $5.49 would give you the edge with your prospective client, would you rush out to Office Max or Staples and lay down your hard earned $5.49? Assuming that your answer is yes, I am going to reveal one of the simplest strategies you will ever discover to give yourself the advantage when making your next presentation.

How many times have you spent long hours preparing your presentation for a prospect only to get the cold shoulder? Or have you found that your prospect’s level of seriousness was not what you initially thought it was?

A simple solution is to run, walk, drive, ride your horse or crawl into your nearest Office Max, Office Depot or Staples and buy a rubber stamp with bright red letters marked DRAFT COPY.

That’s right. A DRAFT COPY rubber stamp is your next success tool. Stamp DRAFT COPY on every preliminary proposal you submit from now on. If you are like me, you are dealing with clients who are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. They want to take time to discuss the details and make an educated decision. They want to change their mind and revise the specifications until they feel like the specs are perfect.

Since this is the case, why waste your energy on presenting a final draft of your specifications, your preliminary sales agreement or proposal when you know darn well that it is not going to be the final draft?

Here’s a caveat. This may not always apply in every sales situation. There are obviously times that you won’t need to do preliminary sales work. However, I will bet you a Starbucks Grande soy upside down caramel macchiato that you have spun your wheels on more than one occasion trying to figure out what your prospect really wants. And for you techie types, you can use the watermark feature in your word processor to accomplish the same thing.

Think of the psychology of stamping DRAFT COPY. It tells your prospect several things. It tells them their proposal is a work in progress and that you are committed to the process. It tells them they can still change their mind to get their purchase right. It allows you the chance to get to know your prospect better before you get to the final negotiations.

It allows you to change your specifications to more favorably suit your sales conditions. It allows you room to expand on the details of the specifications in order to customize them to your client’s decision making style.

DRAFT COPY says to your prospect, “How serious are you about this deal?” If they are just window shopping, they will want to get to the final price in a hurry. If they are serious, they will want to work out the details in an orderly, structured fashion before rushing into a final agreement.

Most of all, it subconsciously tells your prospect that you are willing to work with them throughout the entire sales process. It tells the prospective client they can enter negotiations with you and have some hope that you will work out a deal with them.

Everyone likes to feel as though they have made a good deal when they make a major purchase. Stamping DRAFT COPY at the top of your preliminary sales agreement tells your prospect that you are willing to help them feel like they are going to get a good deal.

A DRAFT COPY rubber stamp is a valuable tool to get more business. Get one today and try it. Give yourself every advantage when selling to your prospective customer. Often times, the simplest strategy can yield the greatest results.

Until we have the honor to meet in person, remember, “Success is YOUR choice, choose well.”

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© 2008 Paul Montelongo, Paul Montelongo International
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Paul Montelongo is an international authority on sales motivation. He conducts corporate sales training programs, delivers inspirational keynote addresses and offers retreats for sales and management teams worldwide. Get free weekly electronic tips and learn more about Paul and his resources for sales professionals, at www.PaulMontelongo.com.