You’ve probably heard that people don’t like to be sold to, but they do like to buy.

That’s all about control and timetables. Customers want to feel like they’re in control of the buying process, not the vendor. And they want to act on their timetable, not the vendor’s timetable.

That’s why you need to build long-term relationships with customers, whether through personal interactions or marketing.

Later, if the time comes when they’re in the market for the sort of product or service you sell, you’re the one they’re going to think of. 

At that point, they’ll choose to buy from you … because you didn’t try to sell to them.