Ethical Practices and the Media   Water Quality Products April 2003   Wendi Hope King
It is so important to educate the public, government agencies and, most of all, the consumer media. We need to let them know that we are accessible to them as experts for comment in order for them to present fair and accurate stories.
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If You Don't Ask, You Don't Get   Water Quality Products November 2002   Carl Davidson
If we ask everyone we meet if they are doing anything to improve their water, we will be overrun with prospects and sales.
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Straight Talk About Ethics   Water Quality Products October 2002   Carl Davidson
Our industry seems racked with questions about ethics when, in my opinion, its real problems are problems of selling skills. But many market areas have seen fast-talking companies come in and turn the public against the water equipment industry. Let's take a look at the issues and the answers.
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What Could Be Better Than Selling Water Equipment?   Water Quality Products September 2002   Carl Davidson
The good news for us all is that everyone needs pure water, and they need it every day. We have the biggest population of people who need our product--everyone on earth. Couple this with the fact that only about 10 percent of U.S. homes have water improvement equipment and you have an unparalleled opportunity to sell.
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Getting Paid to Listen   Water Quality Products March 2002   Carl Davidson
Is there a job out there where you get paid big bucks to listen? I mean sitting with someone over a coffee and just listening? You may guess a psychiatrist or lawyer and that would be correct. The truth is, all of us in the sales profession get paid big bucks to listen.

If You Sell Just Water Softeners, You Could Be Making a Lot More Money   Water Quality Products February 2002   Carl Davidson
Have you ever done a great demonstration only to find that the customer just isn’t interested? We all have that happen occasionally, but sometimes we cause their apathy by emphasizing the wrong things. What I mean is that people do not buy steel tanks, resin and valves, they buy emotions, dreams and love. Let me explain.
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How Many Demos is a Full Day's Night?   Water Quality Products January 2002   Carl Davidson
Recently, several salespeople and managers told me they don't believe a reasonable person can average a minimum of two demos per day as we recommend on our recorded training videos. Are we leaving out important practical considerations? This article will take a look at this issue and help you make this important decision. Your financial success is determined by the decisions you make, so choose wisely.
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Can Technology Help You Sell More?   Water Quality Products October 2001   Carl Davidson
Many of us went into sales because we were good with people and bad with paper work. As a result, many of us have shied away from changing technology during the last few decades.
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Packing and Positioning   Water Quality Products June 2001   Carl Davidson
There are two pillars to success in our industry that some salespeople overlook. They make a big difference to sales and profits and deserve some study. They are what separates the big earners from the not-so-big earners.
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Top 12 Things We All Do That Kill the Close   Water Quality Products April 2001   Carl Davidson
Sometimes we are so close to the sale we can taste it until we do something that kills it in its tracks. To prevent us all from doing this, here are the top 12 things we all do sometimes to kill the sale.
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I've Never Met a Rich Sharecropper   Water Quality Products March 2001   Carl Davidson
Sharecroppers are poor tenant farmers. They farm the land for the owner in exchange for a share of or percentage of the crops they produce for the owner. They do what they are told and have no land to farm themselves.
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We Ought to Be Committed   Water Quality Products February 2001   Carl Davidson
We ought to be committed. No, that isn’t a comment on our mental stability but rather a comment addressing the fact that we ought to be totally committed to success if we intend to achieve it.
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But How Much Is It?   Water Quality Products January 2001   Carl Davidson
Could we get more of those people to allow us into their home for a demonstration? Here are a few tips from veterans of the phone wars.
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Scare Tactics or Excitement: Can You Tell the Difference?   Water Quality Products December 1999   Carl Davidson
We are one of the only industries I know of that spends so much time and effort talking about scare tactics, high pressure tactics and ethics. I, too, am concerned about using the truth about water, but I realized that truthful water concerns and excitement about products often get confused with scare tactics, and it costs many sales as well as the public an important information resource.

More Thoughts on Cashing Objections   Water Quality Products July 1999   Carl Davidson
Previously, we discussed the basics of overcoming objections. The techniques discussed included bypassing the objection, releasing the pressure and asking if there was anything else. If you can get that far, you are ready to actually solve the objection. This article will take a look at some common objections and ways to overcome them.

Are You Putting Your Customers at Risk?   Water Quality Products February 1996   Steven L. Richards
Being knowledgable about various technologies as well as honest and thorough when assessing and/or installing systems will benefit you in the long run