MOST SALESPEOPLE ARE not good at closing. Most think they’re better than they are. Most try to close at the end of a presentation, not realizing they should have been closing the sale all along.
A lot of salespeople use statements thinking they are closing, like “That’s a beautiful diamond.” That’s not a close. But, all statements can be turned into closes. In this case, they could have said, “That’s a beautiful diamond; she’s going to love wearing it and you’ll be glad you gave it to her.”
Most don’t realize there is a plan, a process and a purpose when selling.
The Plan
Make your presentation all about the client. We’re in the relationship industry. Ask questions as a guide to take the client through to the sale. Talk less, listen more.
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The Process
The sales process involves asking relationship- and selling-specific questions. Ask relationship questions in order to make the sale about the client — not the money, not the product. A relationship question is, “When is your anniversary?” Selling-specific questions are about what product they want, like “Did she give you any hints?” Then you use the ask-listen-paraphrase close (and use reassurance closes throughout your presentation). Asking the questions shows the client they’re important. Listening shows you’re interested in them. Paraphrasing and reassurance gives them confidence to spend their money.
Here are a couple of examples:
YOU: “Is this for a special occasion?”
CLIENT: “Yes, it’s for our 30th anniversary.”
YOU: “Women love surprises on their anniversary. You’re in the right spot, let’s get started!”
YOU: “Did she say what she wants?”
CLIENT: “A 3-carat oval diamond.”
YOU: “Every woman wants a 3-carat oval, that’s a dream-ender right there.”
Every question you ask can turn into a reassurance close. But you must practice by roleplaying. Your closing ratio will go up, and you’ll be so smooth at closing that the client won’t even know you are doing it, but they’ll know they want the item.
The Purpose
Their purpose in coming in is to buy — and it’s your job to close the sale. The 30-second window is when the client has made up their mind but they don’t come out and say, “I’ll take it.” Use a close that fits your sales profile (that means it should fit your personality, style, comfort zone and vocabulary — if you think that a particular close sounds cheesy coming out of your mouth, you’re right). One example is to ask professionally, “Before we finish this up, do you have any questions that I’ve not answered yet?” By saying this, they know the presentation is over, but you have to make sure it’s totally finished before you say this.
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