Regardless of industry or title, we're all salespeople. We have to be in order to put our talents to a good use, build strong relationships, and gain the recognition we crave and the opportunities for service.

I know, you're cringing on your side of the computer screen, thinking: "I'm not a sales person; I'm a (business owner, artist, engineer, writer, physician...fill in the blank)." The fact is that selling is a form of communication, and business owners must sell their products and services in order to reach and communicate with those who can benefit from your work. Think of it this way: Your clients and potential clients have legitimate needs which will either be 1) ignored, 2) met by someone else, 3) met very poorly by someone else; or 4) met with help from you.

If we at Ivy Sea are going to help our clients and thus the world, we have to sell our services. Step number one in selling your services: Rid yourself of any and all negative thoughts about the word 'sell'. When you think of selling, don't think about 'how' to sell, think about 'why' you sell. The answer? You can fulfill a true need and make a real difference in people's lives and your organization with your product or service (and if you can't, perhaps you need to reassess why you're in business).

Below, we've highlighted key sales techniques used by successful, high-integrity salespeople. (You might be surprised by how much you can learn - or recognize - from sales methods.)

Know yourself, your products and your services — and know why they're of value, not just to you, but to your potential clients. Effective salespeople sell from the heart; they are convinced that the client would benefit from the product or service. They know the product, themselves and (to a certain extent) the client, inside and out. This knowledge allows the effective salesperson to address questions and concerns while maintaining confidence about the ability to help someone else.

For business owners, if you can't effectively articulate your company's merits, persuade a client to trust you, and energize someone else about the power of your product or service, how can you effectively serve the client and your own organization's goals? A good salesperson knows she has to make the contact, build the relationship and gain her client's confidence before she can begin helping that client meet his goal.

Know your audience, and speak their language. Truly effective salespeople tailor the information they provide to their audience or prospective client. This sounds deceptively simple; the truth is, many marketing and sales communications — whether presented on paper, in person or via the web — are presented through the filters of their creators, rather than tailored to the interests and needs of their recipients.

Discover your prospective client's primary issues, needs or goals. Through solid research (web, print, conversations or interviews, etc.) identify how your services can help the person(s) achieve the goals, meet the needs or resolve the issues. In doing so, you've shifted your mindset from the sender-focused "Must make the sale; must complete the tactic" to the user-focused "How might our product or service truly help this group work better and meet its goals?"

Question and listen. You've probably heard the saying, "When you open your mouth, your ears slam shut." It's true, and good salespeople know it. Only when you understand the client's needs can you know how your services might benefit her. Selling does not equal talking. Two common mistakes: talking too much and describing how you can help before you've gathered adequate information.

Do you ever provide a boilerplate solution? (I hope you're shuddering at that thought.) No, you listen and question to find out what a particular client needs. This technique can also help you build a strong rapport with the client and increase his or her confidence in the expertise offered by your company.

Focus on benefits, not just features. This is a biggie. Even sales and marketing professionals often focus more on what they've got to sell than how their products or services can legitimately benefit the client. If I'm buying a computer, I don't care how many bells, whistles and gadgets it has, unless those features help me do my work better, faster and more effectively.

If you're going to help your client live or work more effectively, you'll need to show how your business can help meet their goal or their deadline or the expectations of their superiors in the organization. A benefits-focused approach answers the question, "So what good does this do me?"

Know your purpose and your limits. This is pretty straight-forward, and often learned the hard way. Regardless of your good intentions, fabulous service ethic and great roster of services, if you aren't the best person (or firm, or department) to meet your prospective client's needs, for whatever reason, say so. Then build a team of people who can, or refer the client to another source. An appropriate referral can be a great sales tool, because the prospective client will remember that you were interested in meeting her needs rather than making your sales quota.

Sound simple? It can be, with a little work. Maybe you're already applying these techniques, and just didn't equate them with selling. Selling well, like doing most anything well, is a finely honed skill — both art and science — that can generate tangible and intangible rewards for everyone involved.

As we at IVC hold as our sales mantra: If you're focused on genuinely meeting the client's needs with high quality services, selling can (and should) be an altruistic, integrity-filled act. This is not to say that it's always easy, but it's a necessary part of our jobs.

Are you a poor listener?

Secrets of a smart interviewer