The ABCs of Sales

The closing of the sale is by far the most important step in the selling process.

It should also be the most natural part of the process. Everything else you do leads to it.

But, the biggest complaint I hear is… that they don’t know when to start closing. They just don’t understand the simple fact that a true Champion salesperson is closing all the time. He or she is constantly trying test closes and will go into the final closing sequence anytime they sniff the sweet smell of success.

Believe it or not, there are potential clients out there who want to make a decision quickly. If you keep talking instead of closing the sale, you’ll run the risk of un-selling them just as fast. So, during every step of the selling cycle, you have to keep one eye on your buyer at all times watching for cues as to their readiness to go ahead.

The most common cues include:

1. The potential client starts talking about the product as if they already own it. “Wait ‘til Bob sees me in this new car.” “I can pick up more of the kids after soccer practice with this minivan.”

2. The client relaxes his or her body language. They may have been standing back a couple of feet with their arms folded, but are now leaning or reaching toward the product. Or, they may have been sitting back in their chair, but leaning forward over the paperwork.

3. Clients begin asking more questions or asking you to repeat information. They want to be certain they understand because they’re thinking ahead to ownership. These questions might include warranty information or about upgrade options available.

You clearly see that the time has arrived and you start filling out paperwork and getting the numbers. The clients have their own thoughts.

Most are thinking about how to finance the purchase. They’re getting anxious thinking about what the final amount will be after all the fees are added up. They wonder if they can truly afford the monthly investments.What kind of interest rate will they qualify for? They fear they won’t be good negotiators and won’t get a “good deal.”

During those critical minutes it takes you to transition from presentation to closing, you need to keep them focused on ownership. Do a brief recap of what they liked about the product. Keep them talking in the positive and thinking positively about the investment without making any promises.

Don’t say, “Our finance guy is great. He’ll get you a good deal.”

No, no, no.

You may have the greatest finance wizard in the business working with you, but just that little change in the client’s mind from “I love the color and the features” to “here I go writing yet another check at the end of the month” can quickly kill the small business sale.

The people who close small business sales and keep them closed remain focused on the present moment. They keep their conversation in line with the client’s thoughts and kept them excited about ownership while filling out the paperwork and finishing up the sale.