"I don't care about you." That's a pretty lousy thing to say to someone, but every time you make a sales call, that's what goes through the mind of your prospect. The person you are talking with, does not care about you, he or she cares about himself or herself. That person cares about their business, not yours. They are more interested in what you can do for them than how great your are, or how many years your company has been in business.
The worst way to convince a prospective customer to do business with you is to tell them all about your capabilities. With my marketing firm I have done business with numerous printing companies over the years. Every time I would meet with one of their sales people they would begin by telling me all about their printing presses, and their collators, and all the other equipment they have. They would try to impress me with the machines they had to generate their printing plates. I didn't care! All I cared about was timely delivery, quality printing, and good pricing. Eventually one printing company (out of several that I worked with) woke up and completely changed their sales approach and their sales material. They focused on how they could make my job easier, and provide me with the printed items that I needed for my clients. What a concept!
When you meet with a new prospective customer, or even an existing one, listen to them. Ask questions that will elicit their concerns. Then and only then can you return with answers. Your answers should include what value you and your company can provide to your customer. That's what on their mind, and it should be on yours.
To learn more about this author, visit Don Zihlman's Website.
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Here's one way to sidestep having to raise money from LPs: Sell your house for $76-million. 
I haven't written much in the Failure series lately, but I've got a doozy or two coming soon. 
