Selling as a Service - Ch 1 How You Make the Sale Series at Catch a Gideon

January 23rd, 2007 by digerati

This is Chapter 1 of How You Make the Sale. How you Make the Sale is an excellent book on how to increase your sales by changing how you interact with the customer.

Together the two of you are walking toward a solution that addresses the customers problem and also puts a living in your pocket. You must think of the customer as a colleague and not as a competitor.

Never forget this fact. Many sales books will have you believe that you are against the customer and you are in a duel to make the sale. This is counter productive since the customer is less likely to be happy. A happy customer recommends you to their friends and also comes back to purchase more items from you in the future.

Here are the keys to helping the customer:
* Listen carefully to the customer
* Clarify the customers wants and needs
* Determine the problem the customer is trying to solve
* Know your own product lines (and your competitors)
* Present the solution so the customer sees and appreciates the benefits of the solution
* Help the customer complete the transaction
* Follow up after the sale

Honest customers and buyers make rational economic choices based on the facts as they understand them. If you can educate customers about the facts you have an excellent chance of making the sale.

If you sell products or need to interact with customers in a sales process, How You Make the Sale is an excellent book to have. See the other chapters of the book at the How You Make the Sale Series page.