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Many thanks to J.C. McKissen of LinkedIn for penning such an in-depth piece about sales persuasion. While it took me, a slow reader, about ten minutes to take it all in, it was well worth my time. And if you're in sales, regardless of what capacity, you need to read it too. Here's the link and below are a few of my takeaways.

1. Don't rely on your charm to win over a buyer. While charm does help, it needs to be accompanied by credibility, knowledge, and humility as a salesperson.
2. Have a plan going into a sales meeting. Winging it won't get the job done. Do some research on your prospective client and share what you have learned, good and bad. It's actually ok to reveal their weaknesses as you see them if you have accomplished my Point 1 above.
3. Establish personal rapport by identifying and discussing business or non-business commonalities between you and the buyer. Don't get into the proverbial weeds but do take a bit of time to develop a bond.

If you have any thoughts to share, I'd love to read them here. Also, remember that selling is not simply a numbers game. Although they do play a big part, content, context, and connectivity are equally as important.