One of the toughest things about selling is learning to remember that the world does not revolve around us and our priorities. It's not hard to understand why though.

If we believe in our company and what we sell, if we are passionate in how our product or service can help our customers, if we see the results so we know it really works, then it's easy to assume everyone places the same high priority on our product or service as we do.

Why wouldn't they? This is next best thing since sliced bread, nuclear fission and Velcro. People should be lined up to buy from us, right?

Of course, everyone has their passions, their priorities, and their fires to extinguish. They might agree with us that our product or service is fantastic and it is a perfect fit for them.

But, they also have budgets and families and employees and bank loans and vacations and all the other fun things that fill our lives.

So when you talk with someone who is interested in your product or service, remind yourself that you're working on their schedule, not yours. It needs to fit their world, not yours. That way when it takes two or three months to close a deal that should only take two or three weeks, you won't get too frustrated. Just remember, you're working with their priorities, not yours.

If they want and need what you offer, if it is a good fit, if they trust you and your company, you will do business. It might take longer than you prefer but that's okay. If you stay with them, the deal will get done.

Kevin Stirtz has developed a unique concept called