How one letter from the alphabet can mean the difference between Closing a sale or Losing a sale.

As told in "Guerilla Marketing" by Jay Conrad Levinson, a survey of 5,000 shopper was once conducted by a marketing research firm to determine why people shopped where they did.

Here's what the surveyors discovered. The prime reason -- not the only reason but the PRIME reason why people shop where they do and buy what they do from whom they do… boils down to one word: CONFIDENCE.

Customers or clients want to have confidence that the store or manufacturer or service provider will stand behind their product or service.

They shop where they are confident there will be a good selection of merchandise. And where they are confident that prices will be fair, and where they are confident they can trust the people involved.

They buy houses through realtors they are confident can steer them to what they are looking for and safely guide them through the process. Same holds true when dealing with insurance agencies and carriers.

The difference between the word closing and losing is the letter "C."

Now think about that.

Do you realize how much your incoming cash flows hinge on people's confidence in you? Your company? Your products or services?

What are you doing to imbue (fill) your prospects, customers or clients with a feeling of confidence in you? Are you using testimonials? Establishing yourself as an expert and author by writing a column in your local newspaper? Testimonials and newspaper columns act as third-party endorsements which, in turn, breed confidence.

Hopefully, you're continually promoting, advertising and getting the word out about what you do, what you offer, what you provide.