Nikki Rausch, author of The Selling Staircase: Mastering the Art of Relationship Selling Bill Ringle and Nikki Rausch discuss relationship selling as working with your prospect to solve a problem and not at them to make a sale for small business leaders. >>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations. Interview Insights Top 3 Takeaways Selling is not about you; it is about the clients. Offer what the client needs, not what they can afford. Remember, we are not just selling to them; we are providing a solution for their problem. Selling is a process of building trust, creating curiosity, and discovering through conversations. Read the Show Notes from this Episode Nikki recalls working at her grandfather's tool store and how this experience honed her skills in selling. [01:00] Armed with experience and her grandfather's wisdom, Nikki was impressed at her first job, being so natural at selling she got promoted at eighteen. [02:35] Working for Hitachi America, Nikki observed Patrick, a more tenured employee who was not only killing it with sales but was creating customer loyalty. He taught her what it means to 'make it about the customers.' [06:52] Nikki talks about selling as a process: Building trust, creating curiosity, and discovery. [10:03] Selling, according to Nikki, starts at the discovery process because it is in this step where the conversation, virtually or in person, happens. [13:18] Lisa was a client of Nikki's who has her clients ready to take the next step with her. But Lisa was confused with the steps and was taking two steps back. [16:14] How to prospect a client. Nikki likens this to the difference between calling versus calling a dog. [23:34] Nikki talks about The Sales Maven Society and how this group didn't only become a place of learning but a community of people helping each other. [26:32] My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [31:25] Expert Bio CEO of Sales Maven, Nikki Rausch has the unique ability to transform the misunderstood process of “selling”. With 25+ years of selling experience, entrepreneurs and small business owners now hire Nikki to show them how to sell successfully and authentically. Nikki has written 3 books, all available on Amazon and she has a podcast called Sales Maven which you can find on your favorite podcast platform. Contact Info and Social Media for Nikki Rausch Primary website Travels from: Boise, ID Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Resources Mentioned During the Interview Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further. The Sales Maven Podcast The Sales Maven Society Hitachi Published by Nikki Rausch