I was with one of our clients the other day and he shared the following sales wisdom with me.

So let me share it with you.

He declared that the number one sales tip was this: ‘Get the other person talking about themselves and you’ll make a friend, and ultimately a client.’

I have personally found that to be true. I never go in to a sales meeting ‘to sell’. I go in there to make a friend, find a need – and I do that by using the art of questioning. My purpose is clear, and that is, that I am more knowledgeable about their business at the end of the meeting than I was at the start of the meeting.

Here’s another trick that a business coach shared with me – to make sure that you are using the number one sales tip.

If you and your client are both drinking cups of coffee or water, make it your goal to have their cup full by the time the meeting is over. That will measure as to who did the most talking throughout the meeting. Your masterful questioning should lead to a client being the one who dominated the conversation – and the one with the full cup.

So use the number one sales tip to your advantage and to the benefit of your customers – it’s not rocket science – and watch your sales go through the roof.