Odds are that you offer a far broader range of capabilities than any one client needs, whether it's product features, multiple products or the related services you can provide. A common mistake many people make is to focus their sales meetings on all the things they have to offer, hoping that something will stick. But what happens is that prospective customers get overwhelmed by too much information, end up tuning out and miss the match between your offering and their needs. Or worse, what they hear from you first isn't relevant to them, they base their impression of you on that first impression, and they never give you the opportunity to correct it.

Great salespeople listen more than they talk. How can you possibly offer a solution to your customer's problem, or a tool to help them do what they do even better, unless you understand their situation? Ask open-ended questions that elicit more than a one-word response (watch for more on questions in a future edition). Remember, every customer has their own unique set of issues surrounding their buying decision. You can't really sell anybody anything - you can only help them buy. And in order to do that, you have to listen first.