When your customers win, you win. But sometimes you need to challenge their perspective to set them up for the win.

Upending someone’s belief -- especially when it’s in the way of progress -- proves to be a delicate task. Do it wrong, and you alienate them.

We all like to cling to our beliefs.. we don't like to discover we
were 'wrong' at something because it threatens who we 
think we are.

Normally you do not what to challenge your customers
perspective.. unless their pain is keeping them from something.

Show them how much easier it is this way...
If you position yourself as the one helping
them to overcome an old belief, while showing
how it solves their problem.. you will succeed.

Don't challenge them by making them feel wrong.
Challenge them to see how this (new belief) will
help them.

Source: Donald Miller

Why should you never tell people what your going to tell them?
Imagine someone getting on stage and saying.. ''Today I'm going
to tell you why the SF 49ers are the best football
team in the country''

Telling me what you're going to tell me in a sign of insecurity.
Not a good way to start, especially emails.
'Today I'm going to tell you about a sale we're having on Thursday'
vs 'We are having a blowout sale this Thursday'
One is weak, one is strong
and you feel the difference..

''The SF 49ers are the best team in the country and here's why''

Much stonger, agree? So, be strong in stating your points vs stumbling along
and you'll get a better response.

Source: Donald Miller

How to close more sales? Lots of ways..
you can ask for the close, but just like marketing..
sales is an exercise in memorization.

If you can get people to really understand your offer
and the value you bring, then you are much
more likely to close that sale.

A lot of times we build relationships, but
we don't communicate clearly the problem
that you solve and what they need to do to solve it.

There's more of course, but you need to write down
the problem you solve in one sentence and then write 
down in one sentence what they need to do to get started.

Repeat that over and over throughout your presentation
These 2 things are what
you want your customer to know and you 
have to repeat it so they can memorize it as it takes
our brain hearing something about 8 times
before it starts to sink in.

If you can get to the point where a customer can
repeat back your offer and what it takes to start,
then your odds go way up of making that sale

Source: Donald Miller