When a customer walks into your office, don't sell them the first product that comes to mind. Sit them down and evaluate their needs, than sell them the products that meet their needs.

I once worked with a guy in the banking industry, who was one of the best at explaining the benefits and features of our products, the only problem was, he was spending so much of his time explaining, but never selling anything.

He never sold anything because he never took the time to get to know what his customer's needs were, therefore he was attempting to sell them things that they didn't really need.

Nobody will buy things that they don't need.

This is why it is so very important to evaluate your customer.

Start off by making your customer as comfortable as you possibly can, talk about non-business topics such as the weather, sports, or a current event.

Once you and your customer have built a good enough report, start to ask some questions so that you may evaluate your customer's needs.

You can begin by finding out why your customer came into see you in the first place. Find out what products they already have. Find out if they already deal with one of your competitors. If so, find out all you can about the products and services they have with your competitor, so that you may compare products and fee's. This is a perfect opportunity to let your customer know how much better your products and services are compared to your competitors.

Find out what it is they need and can afford, than sell them the products you believe to be ideal for their needs.

Once you have evaluated your customer, the chances of making a sale will be very good, because you will now be offering your customer something they need and can use, so they will most likely buy it.

The last thing a customer wants to hear about, is a bunch of stuff they don't need. They have a reason for coming into see you, so find out what that reason is and do all you can to satisfy their needs.

Don't waste your time trying to push off all of your products on them at once. This time can be better spent evaluating them.

Get to know your customer, evaluate their needs, than meet their needs with the appropriate products.

By evaluating your customer before you sell, you will find that the sales process will come much easier to you. Good luck.