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A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of knowing and being part on the life of his late and dearest friend Earl Pertnoy who provided him with so much wisdom in the field of business management.

The author explores the factors or reasons underlying the increase in online holiday purchases in the U.S. 2007. He refutes claims that attribute online-purchases' rise to bad weather and high gas prices. He believes that the popularity of Internet as a trusted information sources, and the value and convenience it offers drive people to make their purchase online. As online purchases are growing, the author urges businesses to take advantages of the trend.

The article discusses the characteristics and significance of a power influencer on business enterprises. It is noted that a power influencer is a person who can reason and be reasonable and plans in implementing something which is in favor of the other. In addition, a person of influence has the knowledge on what is going on in detail such as product knowledge, service knowledge and experience. It is necessary that the person has the patience in acquiring the needed characteristics.

The article presents the author's views on customer satisfaction. The author maintains that one of the main reasons customer satisfaction is a meaningless statistic is that it is not predictable. He states that satisfaction is not a measurement but an indication of future business. He is of the view that if businesses create a service culture rather than a sales culture, customer loyalty will increase, and sales will increase organically.

The article provides information on the elements to be considered for businessmen to incorporate into their presentation of products. It is important to develop a belief system in one's company, product or service. Preparing of ideas should be considered to help the customer produce more and profit more. Setting one's mind on helping the customer achieve his objectives is also needed.

Provides tips on developing sales presentation and persuasion skills. Development of a strong belief system that makes salespeople assume on every sale before doing the presentation; Importance of doing necessary preparations ahead of time to boost confidence; Creation of points of value and areas of differentiation when speaking.

In this article the author presents his views on why do sales personnel quit their job frequently. According to the author, this issue is further complicated by the fact that most people, when they do leave a job, never tell the boss the real reason for leaving. It is interesting to note that more than 74 percent of people who quit their jobs do so because of a bad boss or bad company policies. The author advises the salespersons to consider what negative things will be eliminated at the new job and what positive things will continue at the new job, before quitting the job.

Provides tips on how to entertain customer complaints. Typical response of businesses when faced with customer complaints; Ideal attitude that will make customers grateful; Need to avoid excuses when entertaining complaints.

Provides suggestions in advertising a business during a networking event by using a personal commercial. Factors that may ensure success of advertising a business in such an event; Adoption of a sales presentation to the needs of the customers.

Presents a guideline on the questions salespersons must ask when selling a product or service. Establishment of rapport; Creation of prospect disparity; Elimination or differentiation from competition. INSET: Free GitBit.

Focuses on the treatment of salespeople in the U.S. Content on the voicemail of customers; Abandonment of loyalty and relationship; Formulation of corporate decision.

Presents tips for sales personnel in finding information about business prospects in New York. Internet research; Meeting with dealers of the prospects; Interview on the customers of the prospects.

Offers information on mentors and their role in the life of a salesperson trying to succeed. How mentors help salespersons; Guidelines for helping a mentoring relationship grow.

Discusses reasons for the worsening of customer service. Inclusion of the disadvantages of having a wrong mission statement; Absence of written principles for customers; Poor examples set by upper management; Companies' concern with customer satisfaction rather than loyalty; Low training-budget priority of some companies.

Offers tips on successful sales presentation. List of factors contributing to stress; Importance of intense preparation in sales presentation.

Lists several trends that will drive sales and customer loyalty. Importance of acquiring knowledge; Tips for keeping customers away from competitors; Information on how to build personal relationships with customers.

Talks about the business success at Great Harvest Bread Co. Analysis of what separates one company from the other if they sell the same product; Key factor contributing to the success of the bread company; Advantage to the company of hiring Nido Qubein as its chairman and principal.

Lists some of the best places to conduct network marketing. Private clubs; Restaurants; Sports events.

Presents a list of ways to stay positive in work-related activities. Avoidance of bringing problems from home to work and problems from work to home; Recognition and replacement of negative qualities with positive ones.

Provides tips for companies on raising sales. Factors that could result to the lowest sales percentage; Ways to attain the highest percentage of sales; Importance of business referrals.

Gives advice to business people on how to manage stress. Ways to stay cool; Development of a positive attitude; Benefits from staying organized.

Gives advice on improving retail sales during the Christmas season. Importance of helping customers to earn and sell more; Advice on making the selling atmosphere jolly.

Deals with the impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. on the sales sector. Tips on selling.

Discusses the winning ideas that the sales personnel could get from the Womens National Basketball Association in the U.S. Excellence of the team play; Work ethics of the players; Execution of the fundamentals of the basketball which could be applied in an organization.

Focuses on factors to consider in using the Internet to boost sales in the market. Consideration of the resource budget; Identification of customers interest and preference; Need of discovering the flaws in a business strategy; List of common mistakes on Web sites of companies.

Focuses on the need for salespeople to follow-up business developments everyday. Role in achieving small daily successes; Ineffectiveness of cramming to accomplish the work at hand; Importance of translating thought into action.

Discusses customer service principles aimed at sales promotion. Determination of the degree of excellence of the service a salesperson performs through his attitude; Reason why customers call, contact or visit; Value of a customer.

Discusses the reasons behind the bad customer service provided by companies in the United States. Inappropriate mission statement of the firm; Lack of written principles pertaining to customer service; Poor examples set by upper management.

Relates the author's experience in buying a loft book in North Carolina. Unfriendly approach of customer service personnel at Borders and Barnes and Noble bookstores; Failure to find a book on decorating lofts.

Advises service-oriented organizations on the benefits of properly addressing the customers' needs. Increase in sales for the service organizations; Loyalty from customers; Increase in publicity for the organizations.

Offers advice on how to use seminars as venue for selling. Lessons from the success of the financial services industry in using the concept of seminar selling; Related insights from the book 'The Toastmasters International Guide to Successful Speaking' by Jeff Slutsky and Michael Aun; Benefits of seminar selling.

Discusses the problem with United States companies' practice of allowing experienced sales representatives train the newest recruits in the field. Flaws of the sales-training practice; Reasons companies perform such practice; Major categories needed to be addressed for the sales force to achieve sales objectives.

Deals with business attitude coach Ray Pelletier's principles and philosophies about winning. Implementation of a winning way of thinking; Winning positive principle; Execution of a winning success action; List of winning components and actions that will encompass a person's decision to win.

Recommends several business shifts to implement as the 21st century commences. Shift from narrow to wide vision; From complacency to urgency; From doing too many things half-fast to doing a few things at full speed; From empowerment first to empowerment second; From complicated matters to simple ones; From orientation training and periodic training to daily training and personal education.

Highlights the importance of the friendly factor in customer service and selling professions. Top quality of a successful customer-service person of salesperson; Three-step plan for making everyone friendly.

Presents a plan for contacting and scoring sales appointments with the chief executive officer (CEO) of firms. Preparations for the sales transaction; Use of the right tactics when getting to and getting through the CEO; Things to say during the actual phone conversation with the CEO.

Discusses tips in apologizing to customers. Saying 'I apologize'; Giving an action plan; Taking responsibility for follow-up; Citing company policy.

Discusses six elements of personal achievement. Having a personal vision; Striving to be the best; Attitude towards success.

Advises individuals to be the best in what they do in order to attain their goals. Author's experiences in being the best in all his jobs; Reasons why some people are not able to achieve their goals; Disadvantages of setting material goals; Elements of personal achievement, such as vision, love, being the best and attitude.

Recommends rules and guidelines designed to help turn sales letters into sales. Use of headline or graphic above the body of text; Statement of objective; Use of creativity; Writing in short paragraphs for emphasis; Editing.

Discusses the importance of effective customer service in hotels. Customer-service objectives for the hospitality industry; Description of the customer-service roles of hotel employees; Attitudes of hotel employees towards guests.

Focuses on the benefits derived from a specialized customer service. Special and surprising customer service offered by Broadview Hotel in Wichita Kansas; Top eight services usually asked by guests in hotels; Competitive advantages of the specialized customer service.

Offers advice about selling. Adoption of strategies and techniques from children; Utilization of combo closes; Children's ability to create a sense of urgency.

Discusses the importance of the mentoring for sales managers to effectively lead their respective sales teams. Learning component that exists in every element of success; Value of perpetual innovation to companies; Changes in personnel management.

Focuses on qualities that distinguish a salesman from a master salesman. Pleasing personality; Showmanship; Self-control; Initiative; Tolerance; Accurate thinking; Persistence; Faith; Habit of observation.

Part II. Presents excerpts from the 1939 book `How to Sell Your Way Through Life,' by Napoleon Hill. Knowledge of the merchandise; Belief in the product or service; Appropriateness of the merchandise.

Offers tips on sales presentation. Confidence in the sales talk; Ability to create a mood of excitement; Assessment of the participants' situation.

Provides tips for effective network marketing. Includes suggestions for writing sales letters; Example of an ineffective solicitation letter; Need for proponents to arouse the interest of buyers; Efficacy of the network marketing approach.

Discusses principles and practices applied by Debbie Fields to grow her business, Mrs. Fields' Cookies. Number of franchises in various countries; Seminar delivered in Boston, Massachusetts in April 2000; Hiring of people who love cookies; Employment of attitude over ability; Practice of giving employees all the cookies they want to take home; Frequent giving away of samples in the streets.

Offers selling advice for salespersons. Combination of selling and storytelling; Technique developed by master storyteller, Paul Homoly; Application in the real world; Goal of telling stories with enthusiasm and passion.