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...he president of a company selling dietary supplements through health-care prof...

... . It's going for the crumbs or snatching a bite from the table. It's also outdated because it doesn't work. Fewer customers are attending trade shows. Buying decisions take longer. Customers feel more confident doing their own research. Continuing a selling strategy based on who you can find to talk to today' is fostering failure. 5. Following the wrong agenda. The president of a company selling dietary supplements through health-care professionals wrote a monthly research newsletter for customers that was thoughtful and informative. Then he made a discovery that changed his thinking. Conducting an interview with a health-care expert, he sent out 700 audiotapes. We received more positive responses from the tapes than anything we've done, ' he reported. With that information, he issued taped versions of his newsletter. The buyer sets the ... , not the seller. Pleasing the customer is all that's worth doing. 6. Faking an understanding of customer needs. The I can sell anything to anybody' attitude is a myth, although some still believe it. Some salespeople think that knowing an industry's buzzwords is all the expertise they need. But the I can sell anything' school has been closed because the graduates failed. It's knowledge that pulls customers to salespeople. They're drawn to the sales rep who has broad experience and adds value. Everything else is useless. To demonstrate, consider this common exchange: The salesperson calls and says, I want to meet with you because I can save you money. The business executive responds, OK, now tell me about my business. That's why I want to meet with you, ' replies ...