Sales contracts to China were sought with official support, and celebrated.

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Its sales were boosted by existing contracts with major companies such as Nexen and Talisman and new work with Dong Energy and National Grid, among others.

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Experts have also highlighted problems with other contracts, in particular with after-sales service and spare parts.

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These franchise agents must also meet aggressive sales targets so, with sales slowing, some stores have been reporting fictitious contracts.

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As with previous contracts, Beckham is expected to earn a portion of his jersey sales in the form of a bonus, separate from his salary.

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About two-thirds of its sales are attributable to multiyear maintenance, repair and operations contracts, with an average annual retention rate for these contracts since 2000 running at 95%.

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But beyond the trading of energy futures contracts back and forth--all with huge notational values--Enron's sales grew because it was a "market maker, " serving as the middleman on deals.

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Yet its low-cost strategy dovetails with the needs of many carriers that are looking to expand smartphone sales and the lucrative data-service contracts they bring to customers who aren't willing to pay for marquee devices such as Apple Inc.

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