This guide describes how to be effective and achieve positive outcomes in business and in life. To succeed you need to pay attention and do your research.

Michael F. Hotchkiss believes that’s especially true in sales, where you need to connect with prospects and keep the business of existing customers. Drawing upon his many years of experience selling customized capital, and engineered products, he walks you through the steps you need to take to:

know why your customers buy;

get to know people on a personal level;

research potential customers;

navigate cultural differences;

initiate meaningful conversations.

Selling engineered and technical goods that may have different purposes, uses, and features is far more complicated than selling hula hoops. You need to know what you’re dealing with, create a strategy to react to what you discover, and store everything you want to learn in your memory for easy reference.

While geared for those who sell technical goods, the tips and strategies you’ll learn can be used in other businesses. No matter how many years you’ve been selling, you can do better by applying the methods in Preparation Breeds Success.