The best salespeople understand that before you can close the sale, you must open it. Too many salespeople mistakenly concern themselves with only the technical aspects of the sale, and neglect entirely some of the other issues.
Most competitors are able to meet the prospect's technical needs.
The sale often goes to the supplier who takes the time to understand the personal and situational aspects of the buying dynamics. I made a joint sales call with a client's salesperson which illustrates this important skill. I'm just collecting information for the budget. He didn't realize that because he didn't take the time, nor have the courage, to correctly open the sale. Here are the rest of the questions I asked.