Custom suit salesman Bob built trust by conducting the sales meeting at Victor's home, requesting to see his closet, and involving his wife in the decision-making process—creating a collaborative environment that positioned him as a trusted advisor rather than a typical salesperson.

Bob executed the discovery phase using open-ended questions to extract critical information about Victor's needs, budget constraints, and event details, allowing the customer to talk extensively while he gathered intelligence for a tailored solution.

Bob invested 20 minutes educating Victor on men's fashion, positioning himself as an expert and providing new perspectives that transformed the interaction from a transaction into a valuable consultation—a critical technique for educated salespeople to differentiate themselves.

Bob confidently quoted $2,100 against Victor's stated $2,000 budget, successfully upselling additional items (custom suit plus shirts) while still closing the sale—demonstrating that slightly exceeding budget with added value doesn't kill deals when perceived value is established.

Bob failed to capitalize on clear buying signals by not asking for a second suit upsell after Victor showed excitement about the first suit—a missed opportunity to double the sale when the customer was emotionally engaged and his wife had already indicated the $2,000 budget seemed low.