CHAPTER 7
Getting to “Yes”
Simple and Easy Steps to Successfully Present Your New Invention or Idea
If you want to sell a car and you spend five dollars to wash and polish it and then apply a little extra elbow grease, suddenly you find you can charge an extra four hundred dollars.
—Donald Trump
W. Clement Stone, a businessman and author, once famously remarked that sales are contingent on the attitude of the salesperson, not the attitude of the prospect. We already know the attitude of the prospect, in this instance the prospective licensee. I would characterize it as “hopeful.” After all, he wouldn’t have agreed to invite you to his office if he wasn’t hopeful that you had some brilliant new product or program to sell him. He’s ready to buy, and by the time you finish reading this chapter, you’ll be ready to sell. It’s easy; trust me.
I’m one of the lucky people in the world because I love the work I do. I wear jeans almost every day, I shave about twice a week, and while everyone is rushing to work, I’m enjoying my second cup of coffee. I work at home, at my own pace, and every month the royalty checks arrive in my mailbox.
“Do what you like to do, and the money will follow.” I’ve heard that advice offered countless times over the years, usually by someone older to someone younger. It didn’t make sense to me when I was a young man, just as it probably doesn’t make much sense to young people today, but I’ve come to appreciate the wisdom because I’m living proof that it works. ...
