WANT TO KNOW HOW TO MASTER THE ART OF CLOSING? READ MY TIPS BELOW!
If you want to get a prospect over the finish line, it’s imperative to have an arsenal of closes that you can remember and use. The more closes you memorise, the higher your chances are of making the sale.
If a prospect gives you an objection that you don’t know how to handle, you won’t close the deal. If you can’t handle objections in the moment, then it’s because it’s not instinctive. As a salesperson, you should know your closings as well as you know your alphabet. When your prospect gives you objections, you should be able to address them without thinking twice.
Sit down:
When you’re in a negotiating and closing situation, always make sure that both you and your client are sitting down. It’s also important to sit beside your prospect if you can. When you’re sitting down you can engage with each other, and you can go through the process of negotiating without anyone feeling uncomfortable. In this situation, your prospect will also be unable to walk away.
Use humour and innovative approaches:
Using humour is a great way to ensure that you close your deal, as people are more likely to make decisions when they’re more relaxed. While you’re going through the paperwork with your future client, share some stories that might lighten the mood a bit. If they are going to be spending money, then they’ll want this to be a good experience. However, be sure to steer clear of humour that involves politics, religion or anything offensive.
For example, I once sent a giant cookie to a prospect with a hand-written card saying, “Mr Prospect, I would really like to take a bite out of your business, but until such a time that I do, please enjoy this cookie”. The prospect found this to be a funny, innovative, and unique approach and he contacted me immediately so we could do some business together. Appealing to a prospect’s emotions will often result in a positive outcome.
Don’t take no for an answer:
The difference between a good salesperson and a great salesperson is that when faced with an objection from a prospect, a great salesperson won’t give up and will ask again. They don’t let it go and will say something along the lines of: “Mr Smith, we’ve spent a lot of time with each other and I know that we’re not over the line yet, but can I get just ten more minutes of your time so that we can go through this again? I promise that it’ll be worth it”.
A lot of salespeople will give up when they can’t get their prospect over the finish line. But you’ll often find that if you ask one more time, you will be able to close the deal. Remember that your prospect has invested their time already – they’ve done their research online, and they’ve come to meet with you. This means that they want to do business with you; they just need to find the correct way of doing it. If you give up after the first objection, then everyone’s time is wasted and nobody wins.
Don’t leave your prospect alone:
The moment you leave your prospective client’s side is the moment that you lose control of their thoughts. There may be situations when you leave them temporarily in order to fetch paperwork, or to ask your boss a question – such as the possibility of a discount for this prospect – but I would encourage you to remain seated with them until you’ve closed the deal. If you need something, send a text message, but never leave their side!
Control their thoughts and the situation by walking your prospect through the sales process and staying with them.
Top tips: Common mistakes made with closings
Below are some common errors that people make at this stage of the sales process. It’s really important that you avoid the following:
- Not greeting people properly: Make sure you always greet people appropriately. You should shake your prospect’s hand firmly and have a big smile on your face.
- Misinterpreting their fears: It’s your job to understand exactly what their fears are and why they have them.
- Not being optimistic about challenges: See every problem as an opportunity.
- Selling someone with a “no”: Never tell someone no and never tell someone to wait. Always remember that people are on tight time schedules and they want to deal with someone who treats them like a priority.
- Do not give your prospect numbers until you know exactly what they want: Avoid mentioning figures and data until you’re sure of their needs; it’s just going to confuse them.
- Telling your prospect “I don’t know”: Make sure that you know your subject well enough so that you always have an answer. You need to be an expert in your field.
- Not giving your prospect hope: They want to be reassured that they can get their situation resolved.
