Make friends before you start, or don't start. When I meet a prospect on a sales call, the first thing I do is establish some kind of rapport that includes finding some common ground. I laugh with them, I talk to them about them. I establish some credibility with them and then I begin my sales presentation. I would rather walk out of a sales presentation from a prospect who says, "Let's get right down to business." What he's really saying is, let's get right down to "How much is it?" I don't win sales on price. I win sales on friendship. I give the "price sales" to someone else. They're the
...more
