Let Your Customers Sell to Themselves....HBR

No one really likes to be sold to. Even the savviest salesman has to overcome people's resistance to the show-and-tell aspect of selling. Instead of persuading your customers to buy, try letting them sell to themselves. Don't just show them what is great about your products or services, let them experience and experiment. In a digital setting this may mean letting people participate in the creation of a new product or service (see Apple's App Store). In a retail setting, this could be providing samples or spaces in your stores where customers try out your products. Not only will this approach help you sell more, if used correctly, it will likely also teach you something about what your customers want.