Quick Fix #5: Start a conversation, not a sales pitch

Too often, sales professionals set their primary objective as: "I am trying to sell you something." I know this may sound backwards, but adopting that mindset is one of the worst - and most common - mistakes you can make.

Instead, before every sales call, replace that objective with: "I want to start a conversation." This will help you instantly overcome two very important call obstacles.

First, it will relax you, and take the pressure off your client, freeing them to stop looking at you as an adversary and start viewing you as a trusted advisor.

Second, adopting a conversational frame of mind will encourage you to ask more questions (see Quick Fix #4 below), and bring you closer to that 80% listening "golden rule."

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

Colleen