No matter what type of a business you own, you’ve got to do some selling in order to get what you want. Follow these sales tips to achieve your goals, whatever they are:

• Build relationships. Don’t just focus on what a contact can do for you today. Get to know people’s needs and interests so you can stay connected for the long term. Working with people who already know you is much easier than building every relationship from scratch.
• Plan for results. When you get together with a “customer,” decide in advance what you want to get from the interaction. A clear goal will help you save time and zero in on priorities.
• Listen to people. Don’t do all the talking. Take the time to find out what your contacts are looking for, what their problems are, and what they expect from the professionals they do business with.
• Help your contacts. You want to be seen as a giver, not a taker. Work on using your talents to solve problems for your contacts. Once they see what you can do for them, they’ll be eager to work with you again in the future.