by Ryan Camana on January 22, 2010
First of all, why is it important to know when to ask for a close. Asking for the close too early in a sales presentation may be seen as pushy. Even worse is not asking for the close at all. When you know exactly when to ask for the close then you’ll be perceived as friendly, confident, knowledgeable and definitely someone who can be referred to the prospects associates, friends and family.
The fact is the majority of sales are lost because of a sales professionals lack of asking for the close. Whether asking for the close too early or not at all, the result is the same. No sale. Knowing when to ask for the close definitely helps increase your sales.
Back to the answer, the correct time to ask for the close is once you have convinced your client of the value of your product or service. If you have established enough value your prospect will be willing to purchase anything you’re selling.
The easiest way to determine if the client is ready to be closed is by using a test close. A test close is a way of “checking in” with the client to determine if enough value has been established.
The easiest way to determine if you’ve established value with a prospect is to ask directly. Do you see any value in this product? Does our service resonate with you? Does it feel like this may be a good fit for you?
Checking in with a test close is a great way to determine where your client sees himself in the sales process. If you haven’t established enough value, you’ll know because your client will tell you he’s not convinced yet. At this point you need to go back and discover exactly what it is that your client wants solved.
Popularity: 11%
by Ryan Camana on January 13, 2010
Selling is a process. A process of communication. If you use this communication effectively and persuasively, your prospect will walk away with a problem solved and you will have gotten paid. A true win/win situation. If you fail to communicate properly, you may walk away with a commission but your prospect will walk away unhappy and with the problem not solved. When this happens, typically the customer will make your life miserable.
All sales are based on effective multi-level communication. By this I mean to truly be effective in sales you need to have the ability to develop rapport, know how to ask questions to discover a need, link that emotional need to your product or service, close the sale and find handle objections. All of these skills are developed from either years of practice or from modeling a communication process that works.
The most important skill to develop in sales is definitely the ability to communicate persuasively. Persuasive communication means first knowing that what you are saying is worthwhile, that it will make a difference.
One of the biggest mistakes that I made in selling was assuming my prospects already knew about my industry. I didn’t understand that my prospects were looking for an expert that they could take the advice of.
Often times in persuading your are teaching a prospect a new way of seeing what they believe they already know. Of course most prospects will never admit to not knowing about what you’re selling. Most of them will be terrified of being “SOLD.”
Educate your prospects. Teach them about your product or service so they have an understanding of what works.
I have often referred prospects to my competitors when I felt it was a better fit for what they were looking for. The funny thing is, those prospects almost always bought from me anyway. They valued someone who would give them honest advice over anything else.
Popularity: 17%
