People are always looking for ways to close the sale. Often times when you lose a sale, it has nothing to do with your ability to close. The only secret to closing more sales is by focusing more on your customer.

Focus on the customer goes far beyond the words coming out of your mouth. Your focus directly affects your body language, your tone, and your message. These are three of the key factors that customers use to determine if they like you and if your product can solve their problem.

Focusing on your customer means that you are actively listening and that you personally care about the customer. These things cannot be faked. You must truly want to listen and you must truly care about helping the customer. That is the only secret to closing the sale.

Body language will show you are focused on your customer. Your customers detect your body language even if they are not aware of it. There is no ‘secret’ way to ensure that you have effective body language. When you are engaged in a conversation with a customer and you remain focused, it can be nothing but positive body language.

The same is true for your tone of voice. If you are listening with the intent to understand, instead of listening with the intent to respond, then that amount of personal attention will reflect in the tone of your voice. The tone of your voice, like your body language, plays a role in how well someone receives your message.

The content of your message will naturally be in-line with what the customer would like to hear if you focus on the customer and nothing else. When you are in-sync with the customer, then the customer will guide the conversation all the way to the commitment to buy.

Here are eight ways to ensure you are focusing on your customer:

1. Relax.

2. Find out something personal about your customer.

3. Call them by their first name often.

4. Find out WHY they are interested in your product and refer back to that reason often.

5. Listen to understand the meaning of what it is they are saying.

6. If you catch yourself formulating a response before they finish talking, this means that you are not listening.

7. Look your customer in the eye.

8. Get your mind right. Why do YOU want to help this customer? If the answer is just to make the sale, then start here.

You need to care about the customer personally and care about solving their problem before you can ask them to buy from you. Many salespeople are well intentioned but lose focus of their customer somewhere during their conversation. It is this ability to maintain your focus that will not only differentiate you from your competition; it will win you more sales.

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