I answered the phone. The salesman was a little nervous. Im new at this, he said, as I corrected the way he said my first name. I wasnt bothered by him not pronouncing my name correctly, although its usually the last name that people butcher.

He launched into his pitch. I was somewhat interested in what he was selling (book cover and internal page design), so I started to ask him a few questions. For example, I wanted to know if they worked on ebooks, since thats what Im most interested in now. He wasnt really able to answer; he brushed off my question with the classic evasion. We can do anything, he said. He then said he wanted to send me a brochure.

But I was beyond a brochure. I was already on the phone with him. I didnt care about a brochure; I just needed him to start answering my questions.

 As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently hired someone I trusted to interview my own clients and book buyers about my methods, to make sure I was doing as good a job as possible. What I learned will help you understand why this is such a valuable exercise. 

But first a confession: Even though I truly believe in this method – interviewing your current customers to sell more effectively to future customers – I still experienced the exact same natural resistance to the exercise that my own clients always feel. 

As the process proceeded, there was a part of my brain that kept asking, “Why am I paying to have this done? I talk to my clients every day. I constantly interview book buyers and speech attendees. What could I possibly learn that I don’t already know?” 

I was also tempted to go ahead with new marketing initiatives before getting the results of the research, just because my team and I had what felt like great ideas, and we wanted to try them out, just like all the other fools who blow their marketing budget because they didn

Oh, come on! Just make the buying decision already, the salesperson is thinking. What on earth is taking you so long?

Experience, that's what. Buyers have been disappointed so often that they are determined not to be disappointed by you. Salespeople have told them, "No problem," and whatever it was turned out to be a BIG problem. Websites have promised, "easy to use," and the product ended up being infuriatingly unintuitive and didn't do what it was supposed to do.

When it comes to being fooled, customers have "been there, done that."

Today's customers are aggressively trying to avoid buying mistakes. Because of the tools available to them now, they believe that if they dig hard enough, they should be able to find the "gotchas" and avoid making a regrettable purchase. Even a simple Google search using "[name of product] problem" can often help them discover a product's weaknesses prior to purchase.

Let's say you had a third party interview your spouse, asking one question: What do you love about him/her?

I guarantee you would be surprised at the answers they gave. Sure, there would be some things that made you smile and say, "Yes, I work hard at that. I'm glad he appreciates it."

But there would be other things that surprised you. Things that you never thought she noticed or thought much about; things you didn't even think much about yourself, because it comes naturally to you; things that you didn't realize were that important to her. You'd think, "Wow - good thing I do that. I had no idea it meant so much to her."

Given this new information, you'd see you and your spouse - and your relationship - in a new light. There would be new energy, new purpose, new direction. You would know what made your spouse happy, and you would endeavor to do more of that.

I am looking for a product or service like the one you sell. I have talked to a couple of my LinkedIn buddies, and I have a short list.

You're on it.

I come to your website. I already know pretty much what you sell, and I know what my buddies think of you.

Before I dig deeper, I want to know who you are.

What do you care about? Why did you start your company? What are your dreams? What is the problem you're determined to solve? Is it the same problem I'm trying to solve? Do you think of this problem the way I think of this problem? How successful have you been solving this problem?

The first thing I see on your home page is a big, rotating billboard with Stock Photo People. My instantaneous, knee-jerk reflex is to look elsewhere on the screen for something that might answer one of my questions.

There's a lot of talk going around marketing circles lately, positing that today's customers have become spoiled brats, expecting everything "now," and throwing a major, public tantrum when they don't get what they want.

I think this is completely false, and just another example of marketing and management hubris. In fact, one could say that managers and marketers are behaving more like spoiled brats than their customers are.

Actually, customers are expecting what they have always expected - they expect companies to keep the promises they make in their marketing content. When those promises are broken, customers have always expressed their frustrations to those within earshot. But now they can do so in public - where even head-in-the-sand managers can see what's happening.

Now, the person checking into a hotel in Las Vegas (which I did myself recently, there on business), doesn't have to suffer in silence while waiting a HALF HOUR to check in. They can whip our their smartphone and tweet about it to thousands of other people.

As you read this, you are seven conversations away from higher revenue - and making The Shift to customer-centricity. Take it from someone who has "been there, done that" - Dan Fylstra, CEO of Frontline Systems, who writes:

"What's it like to have Kristin Zhivago as a revenue coach? I think our return in incremental revenue from implementing the changes resulting from her work was probably 50x -100x her consulting fees, and would have been more if we had acted on them sooner. But even more valuable was the change of thinking that working with Kristin induced in me and my key people. It was a shift from a customer-centric view in theory to a much more reality-based, customer-centric approach in practice. Like the credit card commercials, that part has been 'priceless.'" - Daniel Fylstra, CEO of Frontline Systems

I'm putting this admittedly horn-tooting quote in the Revenue Journal for one reason: to help you realize that you are seven conversations away from making The Shift from a

Ran across three great articles recently; each one hits the nail squarely on the head:

What Does Your Company Look Like from the Outside?

Steve Cody, writing in Inc., asks, "Have you ever walked in your customer's shoes?" We all need to do this now - more importantly, we need to do something about what we discover. Fortunately there's an easy way to get into the heads of customers, in addition to the advice given in the article: Interview the people who have already bought from you, as I recommend in my book.

I've been interviewing marketers myself this past year, having given a number of keynotes and webinars for MarketingSherpa and MarketingProfs. I always interview attendees prior to giving any kind of speech, and I think this article is right on when it says that 75% of the CMOs interviewed have never experienced their brand from the outside in. No wonder there is a terrible gap between what marketers are promising and the experiences that customers are having with their companies.

Here's one of the best interviews I've seen in a long time.

Brian Solis, who is always interesting, is interviewing Jim Farley, Ford's Group Vice President, Global Marketing, Sales and Service (how's THAT for a lot of responsibility?). Jim is a wonderful example of a customer-centric marketer, a true thought leader.

He reminds me how important it is for marketers to have courage - but that courage can only come from a personal understanding of how customers really think. He also shows how marketing can LEAD a company, by understanding, communicating, and leveraging his knowledge of the customer's experience.

I think that is what Steve Jobs understood better than anyone - Apple's products put the customer's experience first, and the technology second.The technology was used to improve the customer's experience, rather than the customer having to adjust to the limitations of the technology.

Right now, someone is coming to your website or contacting one of your salespeople, already convinced that they need something similar to what you're selling, but not sure if they should buy it from you. They have questions.

They look for the answers to those questions on your website, or ask your salesperson. But they don't find the answers, or your attempts to answer those questions don't satisfy them. They walk away empty-handed.

You've just lost the sale. All because you didn't know what their real concerns were - so, of course, you didn't answer their questions successfully. Instead, you did what everyone does. You assumed you knew what their questions and concerns were and recited your boilerplate answers to the assumed questions. And, just like everyone else, you were wrong.

You could turn this situation around, in a couple of weeks, without spending any money, using the resources currently at your disposal. Here is a simple system that works - no matter what you're selling or who you're selling it to.

Steve O'Keefe, co-founder and COO of SixEstate, a newsblogging company, recently experienced the Roadmap to Revenue method for himself. He recently blogged about his experience, in an article entitled "Case Study: The Zhivago Method." Here's what he discovered - about himself, his business, and his customers. Reprinted with permission.

What are the factors that drive customers to your door? You might think you know the answer to that question. I thought I did.

Then I met Kristin Zhivago. She attended a webinar on The Benefits of a Top-Five Blog I produced for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). I later requested a meeting at Book Expo America, but Kristin couldn’t attend. She asked for a phone appointment instead to discuss an online PR campaign for her new book, Roadmap to Revenue: How to Sell the Way Your Customers Want to Buy.

We immediately hit it off. Kristin is a no-nonsense, get-down-to-business management consultant. We fairly quickly agreed to exchange online marketing services for management consulting, and we embarked on The Zhivago Method.

Selling was something that worked when the customer knew less than you did. Selling was something that worked when customers had to depend almost exclusively on companies for information about products produced by those companies. Selling was all about "convincing" someone that they "needed" something.

Well, those days are gone, over, kaput. Not in the minds of company managers, sales managers, or salespeople, mind you. Nope, they're still playing the game as if selling still works, and selling still matters. It doesn't.

Customers begin their buying process with a need and a set of questions. Note that the need already exists. They start their research doing one of two things: they search on Google (for Low- to Medium-Scrutiny products and services) or they talk to their peers (for Heavy-Scrutiny and Intense-Scrutiny products and services). They start getting answers and recommendations, from other customers who have purchased the same product or service that they are thinking of buying. In other words, they turn to the Customer Community for answers - using reviews, discussion groups, blogs, and direct contact via email and conversations.

I recently gave two keynotes for MarketingSherpa's B2B Summits, and am also doing some webinars for MarketingProfs. Prior to these events, I interviewed marketers who would be attending, so I could meet my goal of delivering presentations that were helpful, eye-opening, and radically career-enhancing.

These interviews are a good example of the Roadmap method in action, and the results were predictably successful. When I did speak in Boston and San Francisco, no one was doing their email or playing with their iPads while I was speaking, and there was a long line of very enthusiastic marketers getting their books signed after I spoke.

During the course of the interviews, one of the questions I asked was: What is the source of your information about customers?

They all said the same thing. Every single one. Small and large companies, newbies and veterans, all kinds of industries.

Their answer, in essence, was:

If you stopped reading EVERYTHING you read about marketing and sales, and spent that time over the next two weeks interviewing your customers, you'd be so far ahead, you would barely be able to contain your joy and enthusiasm.

I know, because I do this for my clients, and that's what happens to them. I just did this for a big organization and several very small ones. In each case, the CEOs, partners, managers, and VPs were flabbergasted and thrilled, all at the same time.

"Now we know what to do!"

"Oh, wow - no wonder that wasn't working!"

"Finally - direction. This is so helpful."

"This is priceless stuff." 

The eyes open. The fog lifts. The uncertainty vanishes. The pride swells, although it is tempered with the humiliation of all those things that seemed so important, which turn out to be unimportant - or even an impediment to growth.

"Overcome their objections."

"Establish a relationship."

"Target market."

"Convert them."

"Personas."

"Push."

"Pull."

These phrases are the lingua franca of marketing and sales. And they are rude! Offensive to the very people they are referring to - the very buyers who are considered "the target market." And they are a symbol of all that is wrong with marketing and selling right now.

Let's take off our selling and marketing hats for a moment and look at these words from the buyer's perspective.

Objections. I don't have objections. I have valid concerns because of negative experiences with sellers. I've heard all the promises before. When I've believed the promises and bought, I've discovered how they were lying to me.

It's no big deal when the disappointment involves small, inexpensive decisions. But it is a very big deal when my career or my business or my family's financial future is on the line. That's why I have learned not to trust the fancy promises. I have learned to doubt, and to question, and to talk to my friends (or working peers). It's easier than ever to talk to other buyers or read what they've written online; I can gather a lot of data from talking to them before I ever talk to a salesperson, visit a website, or even go to a search engine.

Are buyers really liars?

Actually, the real question is: Do sellers do things that force buyers to lie?

The answer, of course, is YES.

To see why the answer is yes, let's look at a typical interaction between a salesperson and a customer in a selling situation.

Imagine that a salesperson is delivering a pitch to a potential customer. At some point during the pitch, the salesperson says or does something that immediately makes the customer think: Whoa. That's not good. Major red flag. Hmmm. Yep, MAJOR. In fact, it's a show-stopper. There is no way I'm going to give this guy my business.

There are dozens of triggers for this thought. The salesperson may have:

• Mentioned, off-handedly, that the company is up for sale

• Said something that the customer knows is clearly a lie

• Said something about the way the company does business that the customer simply won't tolerate, including inefficient/rude processes

Whenever I first begin working with a new client, the CEO and other managers explain their situation and their goals. They also tell me what they think is important to their customers. In effect, they’ve given me their "list."

Then I interview their customers. In in-depth phone conversations, their customers tell me, among other things, what is important to them. After about seven interviews (of the same type of buyer), the items on the customers' list and their importance – are firmly established. Customers always agree on the most important items, even though most of them have never talked to each other.

Here is something you need to know: The company’s list and the customer lists are never, ever the same. There might be one or two items in common, but even then, the items are never in the same order of importance.

Things that the company thinks are really important are either totally missing from the customer’s list, or are at the bottom. Things that the customer thinks are really important are either missing from the company’s list or are at the bottom of their list.

Jerks are people who decided, early in life, that they were going to be jerks. It was their way of trying to come out on top. It didn't matter whose face they had to stand on, on the way up.

With jerks, it is always "me" against "them." Every interaction is a battle. If they want something, they try to figure out how to get it by manipulating, lying, and cheating.

I long ago decided that I would not take on jerk clients. It's a waste of time to help them anyway. There is no way they are going to do things that actually benefit customers and employees. Even if they pay lip service to goodness, sooner or later their true nature will come out, and everyone will know what a jerk they are. Policies created by jerks always benefit the jerk at the expense of someone else.

It's pretty difficult to live a jerk-free life, but I certainly do try. On those rare occasions in our personal life when I am forced to deal with a jerk, I am reminded why I work so hard to avoid jerks in my business life.

We've all been doing business on the web for more than ten years now. We all consider ourselves experts.

And yet, I still see the majority of business people making these really stupid mistakes. These mistakes are a drag on business - and your revenue. They're small things, seemingly, and simple. But they make all the difference in the daily interactions between you, the seller, and your buyers.

The Top Five Cyber Biz Mistakes

1. Missing or incomplete email sig. Let's say you have just decided that you want to buy something from someone who has been sending you emails. You have a question, and you decide it will go faster if you call. What do you do first? You go to your email inbox, find one of their emails, and open it up.

You EXPECT their contact information to be at the end of each message, complete with a direct dial number and/or their mobile number. When it isn't there - and it often isn't - you have to go digging, which is a pain.

This is a discouraging time for people who work. It's discouraging for anyone who works, but it is an especially dismal time for entrepreneurs and other business owners.

It is not that people aren't working, and working hard. It is not that there aren't companies succeeding, and succeeding well. It's that underneath it all, there is this sense that something has gone very wrong and the people in positions to fix it aren't interested in fixing it.

It isn't a vague sort of feeling; it's palatable. It's a fear you can taste, a real sense of doom.

I'm not going to get into the reasons that people feel that way; others are filling that role.

What I want to do here is remind us all - to remember together - why our work matters.

If you look at the history of mankind, you see two types of situations: Prosperity and poverty. They are polar opposites. I have seen - and experienced - both, firsthand.