70. How can the customer do the closing?
When a customer has made up their mind that they are going to buy, they buy, they do the closing.
From time to time you should try to discover just how much you have accomplished in transporting the person in front of you to a state where he or she sees themselves using what you have to offer to their advantage. This can be done with "qualifiers" put in the form of questions such as, "where do you plan to put this, Mr. Brown?"
The psychology of the "close" has been so talked about by sales experts that it has frightened more sales people than it has helped. When a person has made up their mind that they are going to make their imaginary picture a reality, then they do the closing, they buy, you don't sell them except to make it easy for them to sign an order.
You started to close the moment you decided to call for the appointment. You are closing all the way through the process.
This magical key has infinite possibilities. It automatically solves the question of trying to make a complete presentation while the prospect is being constantly interrupted. When he finds himself - in his imagination - in tomorrow, he himself handles the job of shutting out interruptions. He, more than you, refuses to let anyone else spoil his "picture." He will tell the person at the switchboard to stop all telephone calls to his office for an hour, or ask someone else to wait on customers.
As your presentation proceeds it should include steps which apparently fit into the running story but which actually are used by you to anticipate objections. The time to answer most objections is before they are brought up, during the presentation.
Here is the TRUTH about closing...
If you don't build rapport YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
If you don't get them talking YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
If you don't gain their trust YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
If you don't make a great presentation YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
If you don't overcome their objections YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
If you don't make it easy for them to buy YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
If you don't fit your product into their future YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
If you don't follow up on your promises YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
If you don't ask for the order YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
Usually people who have never had to go out and ACTUALLY MAKE A SALE think that selling is all about closing. Trying too hard to close without providing the rest of the program will turn off customers faster than anything else you do...
Comments:
Each of the TURTH in closing must be done, or you will never close, but if I may, I would like to add one more that I believe would fall at the end of the list,
If you don’t recognize that it’s been sold YOU WILL NEVER CLOSE
We work so hard to get to the close, we have more ‘Yes’s’ than ‘No’s’ but for some reason we fear that closing ‘No’ - it seems so final that we keep right on selling.
I had a manager call me up and tell me about this new salesman he has hired about eight months ago, “He is a great kid, got the talent, but I just can’t get the closing numbers out of him. Could you find some time and work with him and see if you can see what I’m missing to help this young man sell more.” Well, I have never seen so many ‘prospect's’ eyes light up when Jerry stopped by to call on them. As one prospect told me, Jerrys a great guy, has really helped me out…. But he has never ask for an order.
David Vize
Closing a deal is difficult because a deal is never really closed. When we ask or receive an order that’s not the close of a deal that’s the end of the sell and the beginning of the relationship. If a deal is truly closed then there will be no more deals which mean no more orders. We want to keep the deal open and continue to service the client and be the go to source for all their needs. If we think a deal is closed because they place an order we are very wrong, that would be the same as if we went to a restaurant placed our order and the waiter or waitress didn’t come back, they got the order so why would they need to follow up. Because its never closed.
Brandon Sanchez
This article does a good job explaining how to “close.” Closing is not simply done at the end of a sale. It is an ongoing job. I like to think that my job with a customer is never done. The deal with a customer is never complete. Years of taking care of the customer in every way possible is still considered to be part of closing. I never want to take my clients for granted. The minute I slip up, they will move on to a “better deal.”
Cullin Hamm
"This is so refreshing to hear. I had to sit through a sales training seminar where we had to come up with ten closes. I could feel the tension in the room as we all tried to rehearse the prepared closes that everyone knows, including the customer, and few really use."
Mickey
Well this is one of the most important lessons and I have been waiting on it. Everyone has talked to me about closing. I have received information and guidance from my RVP, my VP and my Coach. Everyone has their own little style or way of telling me how to close. I truly guess that there is no certain way (set in stone) that a person closes. I have closed on the very first trip to the customer and walked out with a signed agreement and a work order. I have closed after spending 6 months stopping by every other week and leaving a pad and pen. I have been told that I have their business and the customer so much as telling me they are going to sign, but just not right then due to what ever circumstances they may be going through at that time. To be honest, I am not sure if I have developed “my style” for closing. It seems to me that it just happens in a natural way. Some sales calls I have been on last 5 to 10 minutes and some have lasted over 2 hours. It sort of depends on the customer and how much “they” want to talk. I have learned that the more they talk, the more you can find out what their “needs really are.”
My “Coach” has told me on several of our many talks that “I need to stop talking” as soon as the customer tells you he wants to buy your product. He told me the selling is complete and the next step is the order and the paperwork. He told me you do not have to keep selling. I believe that this is some of the best information I have ever received. As far as the 9 “if you don’t” areas go, I hope that I am practicing them faithfully with all of my customers. This is an area I will go back and examine just to be sure and be on the safe side.
Patsy "CiCi" Clements, Sales Manager
"If you have been successful in transporting the person in front of you to a state of incompleteness where he or she sees themselves using what you are selling, they will do the closing."