We, The Customer Deserve Being Heard

My best sales technique is:  

Get the intended customer's point of view first before you ever attempt to sell.

This is the only way to be certain you are on the same page.  This technique also increases the odds for getting the sale and establishing a long term relationship. 

A friend was celebrating his birthday this past weekend.  Ten of us met for dinner at a very nice restaurant in town.  Needless to say, some people eat a lot of food, others love their wine, and a couple of folks watch their intake and order little.  Accordingly, the waitress was asked to provide a check for each couple.

The waitress replied, "It's harder for the kitchen to provide separate checks".

While this may be true, she did not take into account at that very moment in time, we were her customers. Her reply showed no interest in accommodating us.  What if we had decided to sit at separate tables?  Was she expecting a nice tip after the meal was over?  

No one knew how to reply to the waitress, so I acknowledged her statement and added another by saying, "While it is perhaps a little more difficult for your kitchen, we are your customers."

It was at that point, the waitrress got the message and relented.  A friend said he was thinking the same thing but didn't have the nerve to reply.  The point here is there always needs to be a very honest dialogue back and forth between the Seller and the Prospect.  In this manner, you can come to terms or negotiate a solution satisfactory to all and be headed for the Smooth Sale!

For Additional Sales Strategies, Read:

Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results
and
HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews.