Retirement Highligts, Selected Works, J Neil Gilmer, Part I June 1999 (Editor's note: fundamental reading if you sell anything)

1.  Excellent  customer service generally baffles most buyers, so baffle them.  Remember, a good deal is normally a perception.
2. Never, never leave money on the table!
3. Charging what the market will bear is fundamentally a good idea!  But don't make it obvious.
4.  Price leaders generally fool themselves -- with help from the friendly buyer.
5. Two rules apply here:
    a.  We're here to make money
    b.  Never forget "A" above
6. Part number and design changes are our best friends.
7. Buyers generally do not give you the whole story -- only the portion that is favorable to them or a version that you'll use to defeat yourself.
8.  Most engineers like to play buyer.
9. Remember, if you start a little high, you'll have some room to make the buyer look good.  Plus, you will generally obtain a fair price or terms.  We should not feel we are above this tactic.
10. Never reveal difficulties that go beyond the scope of the question or task at hand.  Remember, perceptions are very important.
11. Price alone is not our game.  Differentiate yourself from the pack.  Find it and use it.
12. Your competitors have weakness.  Find them and exploit them.  Be careful, however, not to "bad mouth" your competitor.
13. Your competitor's communication problems are generally worse than yours.  Why?  You are more effective and persistent then he/she.
14. Most situations generally are a result of an improbable series of blunders and incredible oversights.  This is the normal human condition throughout history.  Small improvements here put you in a unique position relative to the pack.  Plan ahead so screwups don't happen as much.