Most salespeople are required to negotiate with their prospects and customers. But let's face it, today's consumer and corporate buyer is much more aggressive when negotiating the terms of a sale. Unfortunately, many salespeople lack the same level of sophistication when negotiating with savvy purchasers. Here are 18 fatal mistakes that salespeople often make when they negotiate.

1. Believing that price is the primary reason people make a buying decision. Although price is a factor in every sale, it is seldom the motivating factor behind a person's final decision.

Which would you rather have: 500 mediocre leads or 25-30 high-value leads? The answer is obvious and yet many exhibitors who attend trade shows try to talk to as many people as possible, then go back to the office with a fist full of business cards and say; "see what I accomplished."

The cost of following up on all these business leads is enormous and it leaves your sales reps often disheartened with the number of rejections they receive. The solution is three-fold:

Before I started my sales training business, I worked in a corporate environment in which I had the opportunity to review many sales proposals for a variety of products and services. Since then, I have had the good fortune (or misfortune, in most cases) to read dozens more and I'm still under-whelmed by most of them. Most of the proposals I see make the same fundamental mistakes. Here are 10 strategies you can use to ensure that your proposal stands out from your competitors.

Print World: The World of Shorter-Run Printing is the biggest show of its kind in North America. Especially with the expanding implementation of digital presses, the shorter-run market is rapidly growing. In 2008, the show welcomed nearly 10,000 attendees. This year, from November 20-22, Print World will be presented at the Direct Energy Centre in downtown Toronto with over 125,000 square feet of exhibition space.

Networking is a critical skill in sales; after all, the more people you connect with the more sales opportunities you create. However, many salespeople make a variety of mistakes that prevent them from maximizing the power of networking. Here are 10 blunders and mistakes you need to avoid.

Members of my staff and I will be at Graph Expo in Chicago October  3–6 meeting with old friends, making new ones, networking and learning all we can about what's new in the printing and graphic arts industry. So far, we've heard some exciting news about new technology, clever marketing initiatives and great deals offered at the show. It never fails to amaze me how innovative companies can be as they adapt to an ever-changing industry landscape.

I'm delighted to announce that Graphic Arts Magazine has successfully completed its initial audit with Canadian Media Circulation. You may notice the Canadian Media Circulation Audit Logo on page 3. This notification has been forwarded to Canadian Advertising Rates & Data (CARD). We would be happy to supply a copy of this audit if anyone is interested.