Everyone knows people buy from people they like. Yet, you can’t really like someone you don’t know. You can’t like someone you don’t trust. And that’s exactly why most attempts to sell fail.

Most entrepreneurs, business owners, and sales professionals push to sell at the first point of connection. A point of connection is the moment a potential buyer engages either with you or your message. Then they’re surprised when the other person is offended.

Remember that junior high dance when you tentatively asked a girl to dance with you. You waited for the slow dance then as soon as you got the girl out on the floor you squeezed her too close and put your hand on her bottom. She went stiff as a board before pulling away and slapping you.

Well, that’s kind of how your potential buyer feels. They gave you an inch and you went for the mile. Because you went too far too fast they turned coat and ran.

Here’s the deal. You don’t have to have a presentation perfected. You don’t need to know the top 100 closing techniques. You do need to understand how to develop relationships.

The key to sales success is your ability to start and develop long-term relationships. Once you accept this fact then you’re better equipped to make relationships. Plus it’s easier to transform those relationships into sales without the other person feeling violated. Sometimes you meet another person and it feels like you’ve known each other your whole life almost instantly.

However, that’s rare. In most cases relationship development is an incremental process. Because it is a process though relationship development is something you can consistently repeat over and over again with each new person from the first point of connection.

Most people are naturally a little guarded with strangers. Ever walked into the local coffee shop in small town America and noticed all eyes went immediately to you? Respect that and allow the other person to discover a reason to want to know you and know more about you.

Of course, most of us are self-centered so we are more interested in someone who has something we want than we are in someone who has something they want to sell us.

Prove they made a good decision when they decided to get to know you by adding value to them and their life. Focus on them, what they want, what they’re interested in, and what they’re looking for. Engage them and allow them to do the talking and the asking.

Relationships are give and take. Far too often sales conversations are nothing but you talking about you and what you have to offer. And that’s exactly why it doesn’t work.