Closing the sale
Let’s set one thing straight right from the beginning: it’s not the close
that gets the sale; it’s everything that comes before the close. The close
itself is simply a formality.
An example taken to the extreme may serve to illustrate. Imagine walking into
your favorite home electronics store in search of a new television. Just as you
enter, a well-dressed and smiling salesman approaches and asks what brought you
to the store. As soon as you tell him, he says, “We’ve got exactly the right
television for you. Shall I have that brought up to the cash register for you,
or would you prefer to have it delivered?”
Sale closed? Not likely! Of course, there are a lot of things you’d prefer to
cover, before you buy. What size television is right for you? Are you interested
in HDTV? What sort of peripherals – DVD player, stereo receiver, TiVo unit,
satellite system, cable box – can you connect to this television? Will you also
need a television stand with this unit? Clearly, from the buyer’s perspective,
something else has to happen before a close can be attempted.
And yet, many salespeople seem to hang on to the belief that “sales is a
numbers game.” They expect that all they have to do is get enough of their
prospects to the close, and they will be able make their quota.
Sure there are salesmen out there who make their living looking for the
lay-downs, the low-hanging fruit, the “one-in-ten’s” that know what they want to
buy and simply have to come in to pick it up. But why settle for being one of
those merely average salespeople? You’re better than that! And, with a little
planning, your income can be, too.
In past editions of my Sales Generator eZzine, we’ve covered topics such as
sales strategy, pre-sales planning and sales process execution. However, with
the caveat discussed above firmly in hand, let’s assume that you’ve managed the
selling process properly, and you’ve earned yourself the right to ask for the
order. We’ll zero in on 3 of the most popular ways to close the deal.
Alternative-choice close
This old favorite does not give prospects a choice of buying or not buying.
Instead, it focuses the decision-making on how much or which option to buy. The
common form of this close is, “Would you prefer to prepay half a tank or a full
tank of gas with your rental car reservation?”
Assumptive close
With this approach, the salesman simply assumes that the prospect will buy.
Any number of statements can then be made that might move the prospect quickly
past the close itself. Examples include, “All I’ll need is your signature on
this paperwork, and my crew will be able to start work this afternoon,” and
“I’ll have this shipped out this afternoon, and call you tomorrow morning to
make sure it got delivered and set up the way you like it.”
Summary-of-benefits close
This close, which is the most popular closing format used in most industries,
includes a built-in trial close to help you test the waters. A sporting goods
equipment salesperson using this method might say, “As we have said, this ball
will give you an extra 10 to 20 yards on your drive [advantage], helping you
reduce your score [benefit] because of its new solid core [feature]. That’s
great, isn’t it? [trial close]” Then, if the prospect’s response is positive,
the salesperson might close the sale with, “Will a dozen be enough?”
Puppy dog close
When was the last time you went into a pet store? Do you remember the tiny
puppy with the big brown eyes? Cute little guy. Remember how you didn’t want to
put him down, and how you pleaded with your parents to let you keep him? The pet
shop owner remembers the look on your face, and he knew from experience that if
he could help you convince your parents to let you take him home “just for the
weekend,” he’d never be the one to provide room and board for that puppy again.
The same thing can happen in all sorts of sales situations. Let your
customers “take your product home,” and they’ll find all sorts of reasons to
complete the sale.
Admittedly, this is more difficult for services sales. But it’s not
impossible. One way to make a services sale “stick” is to offer a money-back
guarantee. Once they experience the benefits of your services, only someone
terribly dissatisfied or tragically dishonest would ever think to ask for their
money back.
T-Account close
Also known as the Ben Franklin Close, this classic technique is about as
simple as it gets. To use the T-Account Close, draw a line down the center of a
sheet of paper. On one side, ask your prospect to list all of the reasons why
they should buy from you. On the other, have them list the reasons why they
should not buy. In most cases, if you’ve done your job effectively to this
point, there will be more reasons to buy than not to buy.
This technique works best as a secondary or back-up close. That is, if you’ve
tried an Assumptive or Summary-of-Benefits Close and the prospect did not bite,
this might be the close that gets the job done. The T-Account Close has a way of
helping prospects to see their objectives in the proper light; that is, as minor
issues compared to the many benefits of buying what you have to offer.
These closing techniques are nothing more than tools in your arsenal. They do
little on their own. But when combined with good customer needs analysis and
presentation technique, they can dilute the potency of buyers’ objections, and
put the odds of closing a deal in your favor.
Make these closing methods a part of your own selling process. Close early
and close often. Understand that closing isn't a one-time thing you do at the
end of the sales process; it's something you do several times throughout the
process. A close is simply a question that asks for some kind of commitment. It
asks for a decision or for a choice, and moves the sales process along to its
ultimate conclusion.
Now go on and sell something!
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