I have a proposal for you: give needs analysis a miss. Forget features, advantages and benefits. Don?t try to convince anyone that they should buy your solutions or products. You?re asking why? Firstly: because all of this is very boring. Secondly: everybody acts exactly this way. Thirdly: think of another argument yourself?.but, generally, stop selling and worrying about the customer?

This method is probably going to fail anyways, for the simple reason that nobody will venture such a change. It?s nice to read about it, to let it inspire you, but to rearrange everything so drastically?

OK, so what?s it all about? One of the most frequent reasons one loses a sale is?pay attention?trying to sell something. I mean, if you have pressure to sell, the customer will sense that and feel like you?re trying to manipulate him into buying. The effect?well, there?ll be no effect? :)

The simplest advice is to totally forget about selling, about the customer and his needs. In sales, act like doctor House acts in medicine ? he doesn?t care about the patient?s (customer?s) health or his well-being. What he does care about is solving a riddle ? diagnosing the illness and finding its cause. The rest (i.e. curing the patient) is a by-product of the nasty doctor-detective?s work.

What does that have to do with sales? It?s exactly the same thing. Try treating sales as a game, a riddle, a secret you want to uncover. The customer isn?t important here ? the most important thing is uncovering the rules of the game. Getting to the real ?illness? through the patient?s lies ? finding the real pain and its cause. Focus on that. Be a sales-detective ? skeptical and inquisitive. Don?t let go too quickly. Break down the game ? name each trick, move and technique. Take conscious control over the whole situation. And, most important ? play the game, too ? that is if you want to, because you don?t have to. Put emotions aside. It isn?t the right moment to get excited or feel offended. Now you?re in the play. Respect the opponent because he might be a savvy player. Appreciate it. And, most important of all, find pleasure in playing the game!

What do you think could be the side-effect of such an approach? Selling, of course!

Oh my?but what will happen if I lose a customer because of this? ? someone could ask.

Some of House?s patients also died ? but if he wasn?t able to get to the cause of their illness, who else would be able to do it? Those patients probably wouldn?t have survived anyways?Besides, do try to memorize this rule: you can?t lose a customer who hasn?t yet become your customer ? right now he?s only your prospect, so he isn?t ?yours? yet. It?s a bit like saying: I lost a car because I didn?t send an SMS in a TV contest.

Now, observe how your attitude will change if you assume such a ?House-like? approach. You stop being a pushy, pesky salesperson, who tries to convince the customer and talk him into buying something at any price. Instead, you become a consultant-explorer. You try to understand what?s going on on the other side. You put on the buyer?s shoes and try to get to know his business?These are the characteristics of the best salespeople.

And at this point the by-products emerge. Just don?t get excited. You don?t care about them, remember?