The subject of my latest article over at Duct Tape Marketing is the difference between trying to sell a customer and trying to give the customer what he or she actually wants.   By focusing on the customer first and selling second, you can create a much stronger bond with the customer.  This bond engenders trust and trust results in more sales.  So as odd as it may sound, the more you concentrate on selling, the less you sell.  The real sales secret is to concentrate on listening to your customers and then solving their problems by selling them what they want and need.