Biz Bits

Soak Up the Sun
Solarola Portable Charger
www.solarstyle.com $40

Here is a chance to make an eco-friendly eff ort and keep all your gadgets charged at the same time. Th is portable charger uses solar power, eliminating the hassle of additional battery packs and the search for traditional outlets.

Convertible Case
Belkin PocketTop
www.belkin.com $50

The PocketTop is a workstation and laptop-carrying case in one, providing travelers with the opportunity to pack up and go. Th ere is room to store your mouse, a power supply and other various accessories—and the built-in cooling pad protects your lap, providing the opportunity to get work done comfortably when there isn’t a desk in sight.

Microsoft Wireless
Entertainment Desktop 8000
www.microsoft.com $300

If wireless is your goal, look no further than the newest addition to the Microsoft empire. Launching in May, this system includes the industry’s first wireless rechargeable and backlit keyboard and rechargeable mouse duo. With First Connect Technology, the
2.4GHz Bluetooth device and receiver are paired at the factory, so the mouse and keyboard work right out of the box—welcome news for the technologically challenged.

DocuPen
RC800
www.planon.com $300

Forget Mont Blanc. It’s time to invest in a pen that does much more than write. Th is new-and-improved pocket-sized color scanner from PlanOn Systems Solutions scans everything from newspapers, books and receipts to photographs, maps and blueprints for transfer to PCs. Weighing just 1.75 oz, it now off ers both 24-bit and 12-bit color scanning options, grayscale and monochrome scanning modes; a built-in processor; and 8MB of on-board flash memory.

Secret of My Success

Two sales professionals from Yukon, a sister company of Alongside Management Inc., have developed a resource to equip professionals with the tools, techniques and strategies necessary to thrive in today’s sales environment. Senior vice president Tom Parker and chairman Ron Lambert are authors of Is Th at Your Hand in My Pocket; we caught up with them and learned six things that every salesperson should know about negotiating.

Tips for Negotiating from the authors of Is That Your Hand In My Pocket?

1. Negotiation and Selling are Two Different Skill Sets “Negotiation isn’t selling; it’s a two-way street, and it is more important to hear the other person’s ideas and perspectives so that you can come up with a deal that works for both sides—as opposed to just trying to make a sale and then move on to the next one.” –Tom Parker

2. Planning is the Key to Power “Too often, salespeople ’show up and throw up.’ When it comes to negotiating a deal or an agreement, our rule is if you don’t plan, don’t go.” –Ron Lambert

3. Always Be Alert to Face-Saving Situations “Good negotiators are constantly aware that face-saving things can pop up and complicate the situation, so, in addition to focusing on the terms and conditions, you always have to be sensitive to the ego and self image of the person on the other side of the table.” –Tom Parker

4. Be Aware of Buyer Tactics “It is amazing what people do to get things from other people. And a lot of these are very common, even outside of the workplace. We have names for some of the very common ones [below].” –Ron Lambertz

5. Reading Non Verbals “Non verbals are subconscious behaviors that are created either through an autonomic response, a physical response or something we learned in childhood. People actually do say things when they’re not talking.” –Ron Lambert

6. Negotiation Styles “Good negotiators recognize the style that the other party is using. They recognize the situation they are in, and they adapt their style to fit the circumstances. You are much more likely to get the deal that you want if you are using the appropriate style.” –Tom Parker

Buyer Tactic Glossary

The Squeeze: When the buyer asks a seller for a price, and immediately responds with “You have to do better than that.” Th e way to handle this is never to say, “How much better do I have to do?”

Bogey: Th e buyer asks a salesperson to prepare a proposal and whatever the proposal price comes in at, the buyer says, “Th at’s really too bad because I only have…” Th e way to handle this, rather than simply cutting the price, is to say something like, “When is your budget your end?”

Counter Nibble: A small bite at the end of the negotiation. Since most people don’t want to lose the deal, the best thing to do is to ask for something in return.