Many people have asked us, “What is the biggest tip you could give someone who is trying to make sales?” Our answer is, strangely enough, “Don’t sell.”

Your first or even second engagement with a prospect is not to “direct sell” your product or service. You will turn many prospects away immediately if you come on too strong with a hard sale. Instead, your first conversation is to find out more about the person you are talking to. What are their goals? What challenges are they having? What can’t they do that you can?

We refer to this engagement as “an exchange of ideas” because an exchange implies that both parties are contributing. You should not deliver a canned sales pitch and hope that the prospect bites. There should be a two-way dialogue to discuss the client’s needs and objectives, get to know them to identify how your services or products can bring them results, and decide the best course of action to get there. If you show you are mutually invested in helping the client meet his or her specific goals, the sale will follow naturally.

One strategy that we advise is to start off with a small project, or chunk of a project, in the initial stages. Also, set clear goals and objectives so that you can measure success. This way you can start moving forward with a commitment from your client while you continue to build the relationship and establish your contribution to the client’s success. This is your chance to prove to them that it does make sense to work together in the long-run. You will then be in the best position to handle future projects, and will have more success rather than trying to win a large deal from the onset.