10CLIENT CHALLENGE: “WHEN WILL I START TO SEE A DIFFERENCE?”

As I’ve indicated elsewhere in this book, to say nothing of the many other books I’ve written on sales and sales techniques, one of the basic mistakes you as a salesperson can make is to overpromise. This doesn’t just mean exaggerating the benefits the client will realize from what you’re selling; it means overstating the speed at which the client will start to see the benefits of your service or product.

In the case of a physical product, this is a somewhat easier proposition to control. If clients buy, for instance, a new, less expensive, and better material to manufacture their widgets, this change should be reflected almost immediately in their bottom line. They’re spending less, ...

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