126 HIGH-PROFIT SELLING Q It starts with knowing the customer's exact needs. One of the first rules about negotiating is to never negotiate with anyone until you know that person's exact needs. The same is true in sales. If you don't know the customer's needs, you'll never be able to negotiate successfully. Unless you have knowledge about what the customer wants, there is no way you can even think about maximizing your profit. The Customer Is Seeking Knowledge, Too Before I go any further, let me say knowledge is also impor- tant from the customer's perspective. Your customers' ability to obtain knowledge provides them with leverage. Some peo- ple take this to mean that a knowledgeable customer is more