Tapsearch Com EditorHow to tell when to close a sale
By Ray Tapajna, Editor and Artist at Tapart News and Art that Talks - Taking it Global
Hints and Tips - Closing a sale as a sales professional
First, moving from the power of suggestion to a stronger selling approach , which statement, to you think offers the best of all worlds in closing a sale or a concept.
The sales agent asks:
How can I help you?
Is there anything particular you are looking for?
-or is this the best approach :
What can I do for you?
( I think the latter statement, puts the sales approach on ready instead of the others. It assumes there is something the person wants to buy from you. )
In our last post, we explore the power of suggestion for various purposes. Here we explore it in a stronger way for sales people. It should not be that much different but it is since our culture expects it to happen this way. I sold by making a friend first and then selling a friend. There is a problem however that many sales pros do not want and do not use this method. If you make a friend and sell a friend, you are more obligated in the post sale support cycle.
Closing depends on who you are and everything has to be adapted to it. There is nothing worst than a fast talker who forces a deal and then rushes to the next prospect. They prompt alot of buyers remorse this way and invite more problems than other sales pros who first make a friend and then sell a friend. Most sales people are somewhere in the middle.
Supposedly, the longer one sells the more apt they are to know when to put on the closing statement. There are many signals to observe to make the closing statement. However, after selling for many years, and taking in all the prompts etc., I just forgot about all of them and started closing the sale from the begining of my presentation. It became a habit but most pros do not ever do it this way.
Normally, a good salesman sums up all the benefits and features before trying to close. During this process, the salesman watches for signals the prospect gives out. Their attitude, posture, expressions and words provide these signals. Then the close is put on. If it proves to be too soon, the salesmen retreats back to one of the selling points and waits for another opening. I always liked to find a way to use the either or approach which assumes the buyer is ready to buy something .
Here are some techinques to consider in any process in selling of in any advocacy:
1. You assume the sale or the agreement will happen and talk accordingly.
2. You keep adding extra ideas to induce the buyer with more selections.
3. You tell a story.... Example: I told someone yesterday about this and they told me etc etc. The story has to be real where the buyer wants to join the little club you presented.
4. You initiate an action where the buyer cooperates with you...Example- showing a brochure of the item and asking what the buyer thinks is the best part of the decription.
5. You expand on what the buyer brings up even though it may have nothing to do with the sale directly.
6. You directly ask for the order from the beginning and find ways to ask in different ways depending on the buyers responses.
7. You keep the door open even when there is a strong objection. Let the buyer know that they are in command and not try to force the issue.
8. Be ready for buyers remorse from the start. In most cases after you make the sell do not continue to sell any longer. Try to find ways to affirm their decision to buy. Depending on the buyer, try to get in touch with their reasons for making the buy but never in an obvious way.
9. A good salesman prepares like an actor going on stage. Before a big sale, I focused on just preping myself for it. I stayed off the phone or any other contact while putting myself in the role and imagining the coming event. Sometimes, after I covered all possilbities in my mind, I shut down and observe something little around me while I waited. I had a close friend who would stop on a highway on his way to a big sale and spent time bird watching.
10. There are actually really no formulas to follow on any consistent basis, however when I lost a big deal I immediately went to a smaller prospect and sold my heart out with everything that was in me. I used all the coin phrasing etc. At the same time, I was internally reviewing what went wrong with the big deal.
We explored sales techinques above but most of all of the above applys to any endeavor or advocacy. Just put your heart into it.
Hints and Tips - Closing a sale as a sales professional
First, moving from the power of suggestion to a stronger selling approach , which statement, to you think offers the best of all worlds in closing a sale or a concept.
The sales agent asks:
How can I help you?
Is there anything particular you are looking for?
-or is this the best approach :
What can I do for you?
( I think the latter statement, puts the sales approach on ready instead of the others. It assumes there is something the person wants to buy from you. )
In our last post, we explore the power of suggestion for various purposes. Here we explore it in a stronger way for sales people. It should not be that much different but it is since our culture expects it to happen this way. I sold by making a friend first and then selling a friend. There is a problem however that many sales pros do not want and do not use this method. If you make a friend and sell a friend, you are more obligated in the post sale support cycle.
Closing depends on who you are and everything has to be adapted to it. There is nothing worst than a fast talker who forces a deal and then rushes to the next prospect. They prompt alot of buyers remorse this way and invite more problems than other sales pros who first make a friend and then sell a friend. Most sales people are somewhere in the middle.
Supposedly, the longer one sells the more apt they are to know when to put on the closing statement. There are many signals to observe to make the closing statement. However, after selling for many years, and taking in all the prompts etc., I just forgot about all of them and started closing the sale from the begining of my presentation. It became a habit but most pros do not ever do it this way.
Normally, a good salesman sums up all the benefits and features before trying to close. During this process, the salesman watches for signals the prospect gives out. Their attitude, posture, expressions and words provide these signals. Then the close is put on. If it proves to be too soon, the salesmen retreats back to one of the selling points and waits for another opening. I always liked to find a way to use the either or approach which assumes the buyer is ready to buy something .
Here are some techinques to consider in any process in selling of in any advocacy:
1. You assume the sale or the agreement will happen and talk accordingly.
2. You keep adding extra ideas to induce the buyer with more selections.
3. You tell a story.... Example: I told someone yesterday about this and they told me etc etc. The story has to be real where the buyer wants to join the little club you presented.
4. You initiate an action where the buyer cooperates with you...Example- showing a brochure of the item and asking what the buyer thinks is the best part of the decription.
5. You expand on what the buyer brings up even though it may have nothing to do with the sale directly.
6. You directly ask for the order from the beginning and find ways to ask in different ways depending on the buyers responses.
7. You keep the door open even when there is a strong objection. Let the buyer know that they are in command and not try to force the issue.
8. Be ready for buyers remorse from the start. In most cases after you make the sell do not continue to sell any longer. Try to find ways to affirm their decision to buy. Depending on the buyer, try to get in touch with their reasons for making the buy but never in an obvious way.
9. A good salesman prepares like an actor going on stage. Before a big sale, I focused on just preping myself for it. I stayed off the phone or any other contact while putting myself in the role and imagining the coming event. Sometimes, after I covered all possilbities in my mind, I shut down and observe something little around me while I waited. I had a close friend who would stop on a highway on his way to a big sale and spent time bird watching.
10. There are actually really no formulas to follow on any consistent basis, however when I lost a big deal I immediately went to a smaller prospect and sold my heart out with everything that was in me. I used all the coin phrasing etc. At the same time, I was internally reviewing what went wrong with the big deal.
We explored sales techinques above but most of all of the above applys to any endeavor or advocacy. Just put your heart into it.
