Closing is an art, something that doesn’t come to you over night. You have to work at it, you have to LIVE it. The phrase “ABC” is very true for salespeople who want to go out and achieve a little more than his co-workers. Because, once you start closing people convincingly, you will like it. And you will want to do it all the time.
You must always ask a minimum of three “yes” questions before attempting to close the sale, tally them on a piece of paper, as you go through them, so you don’t lose count, if you have to. The reason behind doing this is so that within the mind of the prospect, he has agreed with you, three times, that this is what he NEEDS at this present moment in time.
Remember, sales is not giving people what they think they want. Sales is to make them believe that they need what we have – somehow helping them, taking care of a problem for them, by persuading them to see our point of view.
People will always believe their own ideas, more than other people. So, make them see the opportunity that you are offering them as something that they really need.
You have to put the customer in the “yes” frame of mind. Visualize the sale taking place before you call. Handle the prospects objections smoothly (because you have learned and practiced your rebuttals). Make them feel confident by giving them a few benefit statements (once again practice these, as they will sound a lot better when they just roll off your tongue), that will capture their thoughts, and put them into a positive frame of mind.
Most importantly, be full of energy, enthusiasm, and determination.
Close the prospect with a ‘casual confidence’ that says to them “I do this 100 times a week…”.
Keep in mind, your attitude is very important when closing. Be assertive, committed to closing the sale and work towards getting that same commitment from the prospect.
Never sell past the close. Once you have gained the commitment you are looking for, you should look to get off the phone pretty quickly. But, remember to not just end the call abruptly. Be polite and professional, say something like “OK, Bob, I’m glad we’ve worked this out together, I’ll get everything through to you shortly… Now, you’ll have to excuse for the meantime, I’ve have a conference call I have to get on to – I will call you tomorrow, to make sure you’re okay…”
Conclusion:
Don’t be scared of rejection. Many salespeople give up on the first try, many give up after the second try, but those salespeople who PURSUE the close will eventually get the answer they are looking for from their prospect. A big, solid “YES!”, and boy will it make you feel good… Happy Closing!
