By Dan Hatfield

Ever wonder what many successful sales people do to close the kind
of long term business that creates lasting relationships with customers
and ultimately leads to many warm referrals? When you’re out there
marketing there’s a great thing to keep in mind. That is, what is your
prospect’s perception of his/her situation? This is also referred to as
the customer’s concept. When the prospect understands where they are at
in a situation, you can work together to present feasible options which
will hopefully result in your product or service being a fit to help
that prospect with what they’re trying to accomplish, fix or avoid.

What
is it that most sales people or marketers do? They get in front of
there prospect for a show and tell session as if it were first grade
all over again. The prospect doesn’t really understand how the
marketer’s opportunity or product will help the prospect to accomplish,
fix, or avoid something in their lives. Consider asking your prospect
questions up front so you can understand his or her situation and so
they can bring verbalization to their feelings and better understand
where they’re at themselves.

Doing this allows for mutual respect
to transpire as your prospect starts to understand that you understand
their concept and are working together to come up with an overall
solution. This allows you to become much less off a sales stereotype
and allows for a lasting relationship. Just think of the competitive
advantage you will create for yourself in a market full of ‘old school’
show and tell salespeople.

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