1. Always under promise and over deliver. Develop a reputation for reliability; never make a promise that you can't deliver.

2. Stay in contact and keep good records. Consider sending a personal note or an article of interest once or twice per year.

3. Pay attention to small things. Get in habit of returning phone calls, e-mails and other correspondence quickly.

4. Give your customers a promotional gift. You might want to consider sending them a book, or any gift with your picture and contact information.

5. Establish a feedback system to find out how your customers perceive quality and quantity of service you provide.

Differentiate Yourself from Your Competitors

Top salespeople, positioning themselves as consultants, see themselves as resources for their clients. They see themselves and carry themselves as advisors, mentors and friends. They become emotionally involved in their transactions and they are generally concerned that their product or service be ideal solution to real needs of prospects they are dealing with. They differentiate themselves from their competitors by being more concerned with helping their prospects than with selling their products or services. Their customers often feel that they care more about them than they care about making a sale. And it's true.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, see yourself as a problem-solver rather than as a salesperson. Take sufficient time to understand prospect's real need before you start selling.

Second, think of ways to tailor your product or service to your customer's needs so that he sees what you sell as ideal solution for him.