If you went to see your doctor, and he mentioned a particular over the counter drug to you, or a particular type of food that was healthy, chances are, you would listen to this advice, than go out and buy the product. Why is it that when a doctor recommends a product, people buy it without any hesitation, without talking it over with their spouse, and without asking any questions. The main reason being, people respect and trust their doctors, they see them as experts on medical topics, even though they are not authorities on every subject. The relationship between a doctor and patient is built on trust and developed over time, therefore a doctor doesn’t have to sell anything, he simply has to recommend things, and people will buy. Unfortunately, for sales people, it just isn’t that easy. Here are a few ways you can begin to command the respect of your customers so that they will see you as an authority on the products you sell. 1. Gaining trust Work at getting your customer to trust you. This can be hard in the beginning because you and your customer are meeting for the very first time. Start out by getting to know your customer, look for things that you might have in common. Let them know that building a relationship with them is more important to you than the products you sell. Listen carefully to them and explain anything and everything in plain English so that they will understand. Don’t be pushy, let them go at their own pace, but keep the conversation going. The more time you spend with your customer, the better, because by spending time with them, they will get know you better. When they get to know you better, they begin to trust you. 2. Product knowledge Know your products, study them inside and out. Your customer is going to want to know what your product can do for them, how it will make their lives easier, and how it can save them money. They are not concerned about your weekly or monthly goals. If a customer wants to know something about your product, you want to be prepared to answer, so study your products. Would you buy a product from someone who didn’t know anything about the product, I wouldn’t. 3. Be accessible Always be available to your customer, give them your cellular phone number as well as your office phone number. By giving them your cell number you have just taken your first step to personalizing your business relationship. Make your customer understand that you are available to answer any questions they may have, or to discuss any concerns they may have. Keep in mind, by having them become comfortable calling you, you are giving yourself an opportunity to up sell every time they call you. Or you can just simply make them aware of any new products you have, or any new promotions going on. Remember, building relationships is about trust. If your customers trust you, than they will do business with you. If your customer likes you and trusts you, they will most likely refer their family and friends to you. Make it a personal goal to get to a point in the relationships you have with your customers to recommend them your products as opposed to selling them. Good luck