A Holiday Dog Sweater for a Christmas Present

Christmas is in the air and it is time again to give your pet a treat by giving him holiday pet clothing. And what could be the best Christmas present for your pooch?

You can make your choice from a variety of holiday dog clothing. It could either be a dog sweater, a dog snowsuit or a dog raincoat. These items are suitable gift you could give your canine friend. Yes, they are indeed appropriate for the holiday. Christmas falls on a winter season and so your dog needs something to keep him warm. A sweater will be useful when he is indoors. A dog snowsuit and a dog raincoat will protect her from cold and snow when he is outdoors.

Here are some facts that you should know about your pet:

• It is true that dog’s hair protect them from cold. But not all the time. In periods of extreme temperature your dog will still feel the cold. This will make them vulnerable to catching cold and chills and worst hypothermia. So you should take extra precautions during cold season especially winter. A holiday dog sweater will be a wise present to keep him warm indoor.

• Not all breed of dogs are gifted with thick fur. Some breeds are born with less hair and this makes them feel cold easily compared to those with thick hair.

• Small breed of dogs get cold easily compared to large breeds. Because small breeds have lesser body fat, they are also vulnerable to cold. Examples of this breed are Chihuahua and miniature Poodle. These kinds of dogs really love to curl themselves on your sofa or prefer to lie by your side to keep themselves warm.

If your dog falls into one of these categories, then you should consider buying him a holiday pet clothing that will keep him warm. There are plenty of designs that you can choose from but make sure that your choice is made of the appropriate fabric. Holiday dog clothing made of fleece will be enough to provide your pet the extra warmth he needs.

Car Buying – Critical Negotiating Tips

O.K. you’re patting yourself on the back for all of the homework you’ve done on your perspective car that you are going to buy… so you’re fired up and ready to go… right?

It’s great that you’ve done much homework on the car that you’ve got your eye on… good job. But, consider this – have you given any thought at all as to what your negotiating game plan is going to be? If you really want to maximize your car deal, it only makes sense to give this area some additional consideration.

Negotiating is skill that can be learned and gets better with practice. Throughout everyone’s life – first as children then as parents – negotiation occurs rather regularly. Now that you’re looking at stepping onto a car dealership, you shouldn’t suddenly feel as though you’ve never been involved in negotiations… I’ll bet that you have.

First and foremost, plan to succeed. Simple thought I know, but it is part of the preparation. If you go into the process thinking that you would really like to get the selling price down to a certain figure, but at the same time you’re telling yourself that this probably won’t happen… then guess what… it won’t. You won’t have the confidence, and the sales person or sales manager will get work on your shaky expectations and get you off your target price.

Be mindful of the other hand though. If you go into the car selling price negotiating process like the proverbial ‘bull in a china shop’ you’ll probably trip the sales person’s and the sales manager’s hot button and they will push back just as vigorously creating a negotiating chasm.

The key as a polished negotiator is to stay calm and pleasant and present win-win scenarios.

Secondly – Be prepared. Don’t go into any type of transaction such as buying a car unprepared. Don’t just know about the car and what you want your car to come with – know what each of these options cost… don’t guess or assume… There is profit to be negotiated upon across the board at any given dealership. Knowledge is confidence, and sales people will pick up on the fact that you know of which you talk and this will significantly cut down on the sales b.s.

Next – Leave yourself wiggle room inside your cocoon of happiness target. In other words never start with the price you want to pay. Remember, by definition here we are negotiating with another person… if you start with the price you want to pay; you’ll have no choice but to negotiate your way up and out of it. So, if you’re will to spend say $15,000 then start at $14,000 and work to create a win-win somewhere in between. And, oh by the way… no one in the dealership other than you has or will have NO IDEA of what you’re willing to pay.

Here’s a bonus tip – if the sales person kicks off the negotiations with the first offer, don’t counter with a number… that’s right no counter number… instead counter back with a pleasant … “I’m afraid that’s somewhat beyond my budget” … make them come back with another offer to get you in the game. Now you just gotten a newer offer and you haven’t even jumped in yet. The first offer from the dealer is usually their ‘home run’ swing… they don’t really expect you to serve yourself up at this point (although some do… and hence the home run in profit).

Keep in that this is not a one way street. You’ll have to participate and make some concessions in order for your deal to be a winner. For instance, if you can’t get to the selling price you want then get more for your trade, get an extended warranty at dealer cost, get some no cost service or oil changes, floor mats, … anything that keeps the deal moving forward and the negotiations open… don’t get hung up on ‘beating you opponent’ over just one aspect of the deal.

This is where many people get frustrated and either walk away after getting so close or just give in as a result of the frustration. Negotiating a car deal is a package not just a selling price. Sure the selling price is the focal point, but you have to give the appearance that you are offering some concession as well. In fact, as your target price get within range, don’t just agree on the price and then begin the delivery process. If you do… you will be in a much weaker position to negotiate any extras you may want such as that extended warranty… you see… make sure all potential aspects of the deal are in place before you shake hands on the price.

Effective Presentations

Everything is coming together. You have prospected, contacted and now, finally you get to do your presentation. You have gathered all the information to present your product or service, but how do you do so in a way that is truly effective? Here are a few tips to help you do an effective presentation:

Keep It Simple

Keep the presentation informative, yet simple. You might know all the minute details on how your product or service works, but now is not the time to go into that in extreme detail for a couple reasons.

If your plan is complex, cumbersome and loaded with details, your client’s decision will also be complex, cumbersome and loaded with details. Keep it simple and make it simple for them to make a decision to work with you.

Also, if you begin talking too many details with someone who is not detail oriented, you will talk them into and out of working with you in the same conversation. Watch for eyes glazing over.

Follow the 4 Steps to the Anatomy of a Presentation

Uncover your prospect’s pain

Before you ever go into what you and your products and services can do, you have to find out what is motivating them as prospects, their why. There is some reason why they are talking to you. What is it that they have too much of or not enough of? There is something in their life that is causing them discomfort or dissatisfaction. What is it for the person or people you are presenting to? It is imperative that you find out. Think about all the features and benefits of your product or service. By asking your prospect some High Yielding Questions, you are able to quickly uncover their pain and check those items off mentally on your features and benefits list that are important to them. You want to make sure you highlight the right things in your presentation.
Present the solution

Tell them why your company, your product or service, or you are a solution for their pain. If you have skipped step 1, then you will spend your time going down a laundry list of all the features and benefits without really connecting to their needs and you will appear to have a one-size fits all approach. Remember to keep it simple and don’t go into too many details, yet give them enough information so they can see that you really do have a solution for them.

Determine their interest

This is where you summarize the main points and recap how these things will be of benefit for them. Then ask them how they see your company or product or service benefiting their challenges. This will insure that you did a good job in steps 1 and 2. If you didn’t make a good connection between their pain and what you offer, this is a good time to go back to step 1 and ask more High Yielding Questions.

Call to Action

Don’t let the presentation just fizzle to an end, make sure you ask the prospect if they are ready to get started today. If they are not, then set up a time to follow up. A “no” is often a “not yet” which is fine, just make sure you follow up.

Practice

“Amateurs practice until they get it right, professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.”

Don’t forget to practice, practice, practice. You will be more confident and relaxed and your prospect will be able to sense that. Learn to LOVE Practice!