An old coworker I knew used to say you have to be a good enough salesman to sell sand to an ocean.  I never understood what an ocean needed with more sand?  In fact it really misses the point.  The goal isn’t to sell something to someone that they don’t need, the key is in assessing what the needs are for that customer and then tailor making the sales  experience to meet the customer’s needs.  You become a better sales person by better understanding your customer and what they need and how you can deliver.  You aren’t forcing your product down their throat but you are educating your customer.  Think about these steps when crafting a sales experience for you customer.

1. As a sales person you need to take the time to get educated about your customers needs.  Get background on your customer.  Understand how they need to use your product.  Understand what expectations they have in using the product.
2. You need to know what your product can and can’t do.  Know the limitations of your product.  Don’t tell a customer your product can do something that it isn’t made to do or is beyond the product’s limitations.
3. Take time to explain to the customer why they need your product.  Never assume a customer understands what your product can do and how it works.  Ask questions, give your customer a hands on demonstration and let the customer tell you in their own words what they think the product does.  That way you can determine where there might be any misunderstandings about what your product really does and how it works.
4. Educate the customer about your product.  Whether it’s you or support staff that have the proper training on product use, make sure enough training is provided so that the customer is comfortable using the product.  Always follow up with the customer to make sure the product is meeting their expectations.
5. You need to be able to anticipate future needs of your customer.  Try to anticipate future needs.  While you can’t anticipate every need, think about how your product might help your customer in the near future.  This becomes an added sales tool and helps your customer understand the added advantage of your product.  In other words it doesn’t just meet his or her current needs it can meet future needs.

Remember to work through this process with any sale and you will maintain many satisfied customers.  Selling is all about customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction is all about the customer knowing and understanding what they purchased.  Don’t settle on being a salesperson when you can be a sales educator.