Inspired by a friend about the story of a little boy who went to the zoo with his 1st grade class and managed to entice a penguin into his backpack, zip it up, conceal the wiggling backpack on the bus and bring it home. I’m sure, as this enterprising  little boy’s mother packed his lunch and sent him off to school, it never occurred to her to say, ” And honey, when you go to the zoo today, don’t put a penguin in your backpack.”  The story reminds me of my experiences as a mom and all of the things I should have said, but never dreamed I would need to say.  Here are some examples:

• “Don’t put the fire truck in the toilet.”
• “Don’t sit in the toilet.”
• “When you need to go to the bathroom, don’t use the empty sippee cup in your closet.” (My kids clearly had some potty issues.)
• “Don’t eat the mushroom you picked out of the backyard.” (This resulted in my only experience with syrup of ipecac.–Why would a kid eat a backyard mushroom, when he gags over the ones on his dinner plate?)
• “Don’t shoot your brother with an arrow.”
• “Don’t eat a worm.”
• “Never use your sister as a paint ball target.  It doesn’t matter if she’s wearing a helmet”.
• “Don’t run outside in the snow when you’re naked.”
• “That is supposed to be on the INSIDE of your fly. Put it up, it’s time for dinner.”
• “Are you sure going to the grocery store dressed like Peter Pan is a good idea?”
• “Don’t tell the docent at the museum that the teepee smells like your underwear.  Don’t tell anybody that anything smells like your underwear.”
• “It’s bad form to complain that we are out of cream cheese while you’re wearing your SAVE DARFUR shirt.”

All of these statements come from my real life.  This trip down memory lane got me thinking about all of the things in SALES that you should say, but never think you need to say.  Here are my top five:

• “Is $360,000 a lot of money to your company?”

OK, I know this sounds ridiculous.  However, without asking the question, the sales person is making an assumption.  A problem that costs a company $30,000 each month may be a lot of money (depending on their profits) or it may be a drop in the bucket.  If it’s a drop in the bucket, the company may or may not be willing to pay money to solve the problem.  Don’t make the assumption that an amount which seems like a lot to you is a lot to the company you are meeting with.

AcSELLerate Sales Tip: Assumption is the enemy of the sales person.

• “When you say you want to move forward, what does that mean?”

Again, we could be playing in Assumption Land.  It’s the absolute opposite of that fun kid’s game, Candy Land—mainly because the salesperson usually loses.  Optimistic sales people (as most of us are) take the statement “I’m pretty sure we will move forward” as a sure sign that the deal is closed.  If I had a nickel for every story about a “verbal commitment” that didn’t turn into money…..

AcSELLerate Sales Tip: Verbal Commitments should be tested with more questions.

• “I don’t want to stalk you.”

If you are thinking I’ve just gone too far, stay with me.  This phrase is magic when trying to get the prospect to agree that no one (including them) wants to get stuck on the Follow-Up-Merry-Go-Round.  Everyone has been on this ride.  It’s lots of fun: Sales person leaves a message, prospect avoids the call, sales person leaves a message, prospect avoids the call, sales person leaves a message, prospect gives a lame excuse and promises to get back with the salesperson soon, salesperson leaves a message… Anybody dizzy yet?

AcSELLerate Sales Tip: Quit following up!  Get clear agreements for decisions or next steps after every meeting.  If you are already on the ride and can’t get off, try this: I don’t want to stalk you with phone calls and emails, but I am trying to follow-up professionally.  What do you suggest I do?

• “It’s fine to tell me NO.”

If the prospect isn’t going to work with you, when would you like to know? ‘Nuff said.

AcSELLerate Sales Tip: YES is better than NO, but NO is better than MAYBE.

• “Before we meet, you need to look at your checkbook.”

One of the largest mistakes I see is allowing the prospect to think that you will have a sales meeting without discussing money.  The second largest mistake is not preparing the prospect for that conversation.

AcSELLerate Sales Tip: If you can’t talk money, you won’t make money. ~Amy~

If there is one thing that everyone likes doing, it is going out to a restaurant. Whether you have experience in the service industry or you have always been interested in owning a restaurant, a restaurant franchise opportunity might be perfect for you. Owning a restaurant franchise is one of the most sure-fire techniques to have a successful business. People dine out based on brand recognition, and when you become a restaurant franchise owner you’ll be able to offer a well-known name and menu to clients.

When you’re looking for retail franchise opportunities it is simple to see the track record of success that other people have had in other areas. By opening a restaurant business in a nearby area, you can capitalize on the success that the restaurant has seen somewhere else. This is specially true if you’re opening your restaurant business in a place where there’s a lot of passing traffic. Out-of-town visitors are more likely to eat some place with a recognizable name than to try a local restaurant.

There are nearly a million restaurants nationwide and national sales records for 2008 should reach $558 billion. Even in times of economic hardship, people still continue to eat at restaurants. 70 % of adults surveyed say their favorite restaurant has dishes and flavors that aren’t reproducible in their house kitchens. Although there is a huge initial investment when opening a restaurant franchise, it is not similar to going into the restaurant business alone. When you’re independent of the franchise system you won’t have the added benefits of brand recognition and support from the local office.

As you possibly know, there’re many different types of restaurant franchise opportunities to choose from. You can choose based on cuisine, kind of service provided or even concentrate on food specialties, like at Zoup. Zoup is a speedy service soup restaurant franchise. It offers a healthy option to burgers, fries and normal quick service dining options. If you wish a restaurant business like no other, this may be just the suitable one for you.

You may wish to go with a more recognizable restaurant franchise, like McDonald’s, Burger King or Carl’s Jr. These restaurant franchises offer a familiarity that come with an expensive price. If you’re married to the idea of owning a burger joint, Checkers may be ideal for you. Checkers is a drive-through restaurant franchise that focuses on burgers, fries and shakes. In a little but efficient space, your workers will work a double drive-through to offer quick service at a fantastic price.

Restaurant franchises like La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill offer ethnic food in a casual dining environment. In the industry since 1979, La Salsa is committed to providing fresh Mexican food with the added feature of a fresh salsa bar in each restaurant. Casual dining restaurants like La Salsa are increasing in popularity and this type of restaurant franchise is sure to be a winner in your area.