Love it! Buy it!

Make the sale easy.

Making the sale can feel like an uphill battle—but it doesn’t have to. Throughout my career—from my early days in sales to my current role as a trainer in Sales, Negotiation, and Presentation Skills—I’ve discovered that making the sale doesn’t have to feel like an uphill battle. In fact, truly effortless selling begins well before you ever step into the meeting room.

Here’s a quick story from my days as a sales rep. One day I reached out to my client, a marketing manager at a prominent architectural firm. Image and presentation were very important at this company. That simple call led to one of the smoothest sales of my career.

My client was the marketing manager of a prominent architectural firm—a company known for designing high-profile buildings where image was everything. One morning, I picked up the phone and called her.

“Hi, Elizabeth. We have some new products that I think you will really like. Do you have 15 minutes to meet?”

Later that afternoon, I found myself in a conference room with Elizabeth, samples of our new custom presentation materials spread across the table. I was right—she did like them. In fact, she liked them a lot.

At first glance, this scenario looks like a classic product pitch: no probing questions, no needs assessment, just a straightforward demo. However, there’s much more happening beneath the surface. The real story centers on the trust and understanding that grow over time—when you truly know your client and earn their view of you as a partner, the sales process becomes seamless. By investing in relationships and consistently keeping your promises, you can turn even the highest-stakes sales into natural, easy conversations.

From the perspective of consultative selling, what seems to be wrong with this scenario?

• I did not ask Elizabeth if she was “in the market” for new presentation materials.
• No questions were asked about her needs, preferences, outcomes, etc.
• No questions whatsoever! Just a product “demo”.

Back to the conference room . . .

The owner of the firm walked in. He and I shook hands. We had met before.

She pointed to the samples and asked what he thought. He looked down and said “Love it. Buy it.” That’s it. Four words. Then he turned and left.

Elizabeth and I spent the next 45 minutes discussing designs, quantities, etc. At the end she asked “By the way, is this stuff expensive?” While I couldn’t calculate an exact price without crunching the numbers, the ballpark estimate was five-to-six times what she was currently spending. She didn’t flinch.

Elizabeth remained a client for years because I devoted time from the very beginning to understanding her business and strategic priorities. Moreover, I kept my promises and addressed any issues promptly. As a result, as her business grew, so did ours. Ultimately, I earned her trust by being a true partner and introducing new ideas.

The Moral of this Story

This story is a reminder that sales isn’t just about products or pitches. Instead, it’s about people, trust, and building real rapport. When a salesperson takes the time to learn what matters to their client, the whole process changes. As a result, the client feels understood and valued, and the salesperson becomes a partner, not just a vendor.

Furthermore, great salespeople listen, follow through, and keep their word. They know that every meeting, every promise, and every solution offered builds or breaks trust and rapport. Over time, these small actions add up. Consequently, the result is clients who are happy to do business—and sales that come naturally.

Ultimately, making the sale easy isn’t about shortcuts. Rather, it’s about doing the hard work up front, earning trust, building rapport, and always putting the client first. That’s what turns a simple transaction into a lasting partnership.

This information is discussed in our Selling Skills ► Into Action curriculum. If you’re looking for ways to improve your communication skills, register for one of our public classes.

Other Resources:

4 Golden Rules for Making the Sale Easy

Understanding Others and Building Trust