Ten Tips for Making Sales

There have been many, many books written about making sales, closing sales and the sales dialogue.  The following tips are what I have found to be the most helpful from all the materials I have read.

1. Be prepared.  Find out about the client and what they are currently using.
2. Know your product and the benefits for your client
3. Answer objections
4. Ask probing questions
5. Make sure you understand what the customer is saying, ask for clarification if needed. 
6. Enjoy yourself, smile
7. Establish trust and consequently an excellent reputation for you and the product or service you are selling
8. People love to buy, they do not like to be sold.
9. Realize that not everyone is your customer, respect that.
10. Talk to the decision maker. You are wasting your time if you are talking to someone who doesn't have the authority to make the purchase. 

And 10.5  Follow up after every sale.  Fix what is wrong.