I'm one of those rare breed who sometimes enjoy listening to telemarketers and insurance agents (to a point). Not for any sales tips I can use, but for any bad habits I may still unwittingly be using. When it comes to Hard Sales, these guys are like dinosaurs. If any part of their sales pitch starts to sound familiar, stop and re-examine your Relationship Selling. Point being; Be sure that those annoying little sales pitches don't ring a bell with your own approach. Sometimes it can be downright hard not to come off sounding like a salesman.

All kinds of things can build or destroy a good relationship. This is where the word "Alignment" comes in. You must align yourself with your prospective client. If your prospective client is a frat house and you're in the DJ business, you would hardly show up in a suit and tie, unless of course you want these boys to eat you alive. On the other hand you don't want to meet the president of an accounting firm wearing sandals and a tie-dye tee shirt either. But it goes much farther than appearance. It's in your language, your mannerisms and the way you move. Everything about you should align with what your client needs to see and hear.

Most relationships in your life are built without a second thought. It's simple action-reaction. Two strangers meet. One says "good morning" (action), the other responds "good morning to you" (reaction). Soon you're talking about what you do for a living and so on. A simple, subconscious event. Action-Reaction starts a relationship, but planned action-response relationships often require research and planning. You want to lead the conversation in a certain direction, so you know the response to their reaction to cue the next reaction-response. Remember, you're a guide. Lead the conversation in the direction you want, without using sales pitches, buzz words or mentioning products or services. The trick is to lead them to the point of asking you what you want to tell them.

There is only so much I can get across in this article, but throughout this series of three articles I have been recommending a book by Rick Beneteau. If you would like to learn more on "Relationship Selling" & "Personal Branding", I strongly urge you to read his Powerful new book that puts YOU on the fast track to becoming an Internet Celebrity. Not only does Rick teach you step- by-step how he did it; he also asked many of the top Internet personalities to share their success secrets with you. If you're at all serious about achieving success on the Internet, you need to start Branding YOU and Breaking the Bank! Do yourself a favor. Check It Out at:

Wild Bill Montgomery

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