1. Clarify your value proposition Strong value propositions are essential for getting in to see corporate buyer. Make sure you can clearly articulate business outcomes customers get as a result of using your product or service.

Be precise - numbers, percentages and time frames make your value proposition even stronger.

2. Target a specific market segment Don't chase every available opportunity. Focus. Focus. Focus. Increase your knowledge and expertise in a particular market segment.

Learn as much as you can about their business needs, terminology, issues and marketplace trends. This significantly increases your client desirability.

3. Prepare Ad Infinitum Today's customers suffer no fools. Unprepared sellers are quickly escorted out door. Before you meet with any new prospect, research their business.

Read their annual report, check out their website, interview their clients, review analyst's reports. Find out what's important to them, their challenges, goals, and strategic imperatives.

4. Create Seductive Ideas Use your brain and think for your prospective and existing customers. They’re so busy putting out fires, they lack time for problem-solving, strategic thinking, creative alternatives or even reflection.

A seller who consistently brings business ideas to relationship becomes indispensable - winning contracts with minimal competition and at full dollar value.

5. Slow Down, Lean Back Don't try to rush sales - even if you’re desperate. Customers feel your push and immediately erect a wall of resistance. On first sales calls do NOT lean forward.

To maintain a consultative approach you must LEAN BACK. The minute you lean forward, you're "selling" - trying to get your customer to buy. Lean back. Slow down. And you'll get business sooner.

It is easy to blame other person. They're difficult ones. But, truth is, if you find someone difficult, for sure they will find you just as difficult. And, if you're difficult they won't want to work with you. They'll take their business elsewhere.

It's just human nature to dig in our heals when we're irritated. We want them to change. We want them to be like folks we find easy to deal with. And they feel same way. They dig in their heals too. They want us to change. Then when we don't change they leave. They won't buy, even if we have perfect solution to their needs.

Selling to difficult people works best when we step back and let them set stage for our sales call. Follow their pace. Give them information in way they best understand Speak to their needs. When we start where they are it is more likely we will lead them to sale.

Sally told her prospects so much, so fast, everyone was overwhelmed. She was stuck on fast forward. She truly believed faster sales presentation, more sales a day she could make. Yet when she finally slowed down, she made fewer presentations but many more sales.

Sally's mistake was meeting her own comfort and needs, not her customers' comfort and wants. If she had focused on her customers' comfort and wants, she would more easily close sale.

The easiest customers to be with are people like us. Selling to someone not like us is harder. We have to choose how to approach them.