Selling is Not About You The more you focus on your customers' needs, the easier selling gets.

Over the years, one of the most important messages I've put forth in my seminars is this: People don't care how much you know until they see how much you care about them and their goals. You have to get what you sell out of your mind and start focusing on what your customers sell. What are they trying to accomplish? What do they get fired up about? Once you start listening and learning about them, the trust starts to build and the sales cycle becomes much easier to navigate. Here are three ways to stay focused:

1. Forget what you sell. When you first meet a prospect, start thinking of questions that will uncover his hot buttons. What does that person do, and does he have goals for the next year or three years? What are his top three priorities or objectives? What challenges and changes does he face in his industry? How can you help him generate more business? Once you focus on the customer, it becomes easier to think of ways your product or service can fit into their overall goals. If you realize right away that it's not a good fit, you can walk away and work on other, more qualified prospects.