Retailers have been enjoying its profit-producing power for decades. Think of the last time you bought a car or pair of jeans. You had lots of options available to you from the same seller. You compared features and prices, pros and cons, and eventually made a decision to buy. You probably didn't need to go to another store to see several options - you had them all in one place.

The "shopper" prospect - one who wants a range of choices and options - can be a difficult lead or a great lead depending on your approach. On one hand, you know you are going to hear a lot about the customer's other options, but on the other you can take a proactive sales angle: present several options yourself.

For instance, present the following financing packages:

• Lowest possible payment (using a residual)
• Low or no residual (such as a Capital Lease)
• Extra money down
• Minimal money down

There is a second reason retailers show a customer several options - few people buy the option with the least features and few people buy the most expensive option. Study after study has shown that if you only offer product A, some people will buy it. But if you offer a product B with a few more features at a higher price and also offer an expensive product C loaded with features, people will now begin buying product B instead of the original product A. The range of options changes the way people perceive the products, meanwhile the retailer earns more per customer. The customer feels like they are making an informed decision and does not need to look elsewhere. (Product options are especially popular with hotels, car dealers and electronics stores. However, there are exceptions to this rule, like gasoline sales and airline tickets. People most often choose the lowest price option for fuel and flight.)

You can adjust the benefits of your product offering - monthly payment, residual, amount due up front - and the benefit to you - commission and repeat sales - to present a mix of product options. Next time you send a proposal letter, put multiple options on it. Continue to test different sets of options to see which produces the best results.