Most people don’t like salespeople. They avoid eye-contact and brush you off with a passive “just looking.” Why? Because most people feel at odds with the person on the other side of the counter. There’s a baked-in skepticism when it comes to making a purchase, and the more expensive the item, the harder it is to overcome this hesitancy.

In order to overcome this sense of doubt, you have to build trust and rapport with your customers. But changing the way someone else thinks isn’t easy. In fact, it’s much easier and will get your further if you can first change the way you think.

The problem with some salespeople is that they see customers as targets, as marks, as rubes. It’s like a game to them, where they try to outdo the customer by selling them instead of helping them. But successful salespeople will join their customers’ team, so you can solve the problem their facing together. To discover your customer’s problem, join their team.