Most people think selling is about them knowing (and showing) more...

More product knowledge. More pitches. More rebuttals. More closes.

It's all about them.

They walk into rooms rehearsing. They obsess over what they're going to say. They worry about how they sound. They want to be remembered. They think the more they know, the more they can control the conversation.

They are focused entirely on the wrong person.

Dale Carnegie understood something most never will. He said:

"Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language."

Getting someone's name right is attention to detail. It's respect. It should be the bare minimum, the least you can do. Not the goal. The floor, not the ceiling.

Ask them. Ask them their preferred name. It's basic respect.

And pay attention.

A name holds meaning.

You may meet many called Ben in your life, but none will have my story, my reason.

You may not have chosen your name, but you can change your name. We all know that. We make a choice not to do so, to keep our name.

To each, their name is special.

Don't accept "you can call me whatever."
Don't assume you know what they prefer to go by.
Don't jump to nicknames for your convenience (or entertainment.)

Once they tell you, use it. Use it correctly. Every time.

You want others to get your name right, right? You should. You should demand it.

And if they get it wrong, correct them. Firmly.

Sometimes it's intentional. You'll stop that fast.

Sometimes it's "accidental." What that really means is they weren't thinking about you. They were thinking about themselves. They weren't paying attention.

If someone won't respect your name, they won't respect your time. They won't respect you. They won't respect your value.

And that's exactly what we communicate to others when we don't get their name right.

Zig Ziglar knew how to put this into practice. He said:

"The first word that sells is your prospect's name. You should use it from time to time throughout your presentation."

And he also said:

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Getting someone's name right is how you show them you care. It's the baseline. It's where everything else starts.

When you sit down with anyone—a prospect, a partner, a colleague, a friend—remember the sweetest sound. Stop selling. Start paying attention to them.

And demand the same attention in return.

If you want to sell more, if you want to influence more, if you want to matter more...

Learn, and use, the sweetest sound in the world.