Seal the Deal in 5 Minutes! A Solution to Closing those Sales…

How frustrating is it when you put in lots of hard work for little or no reward?

Perhaps you’ve been working on a tender for a big contract only to see it cancelled, or awarded to a competitor? Or you’ve given a fabulous sales presentation, only for the meeting to grind towards its end with no sign of a sale?

Maybe you’ve quoted and you just can’t get an answer no matter how often you contact them? What about when you think you’ve been fobbed off - they probably don’t want your products but they won’t tell you outright so you keep contacting them ‘just in case’?

We’ve all been there - it’s frustrating and time consuming. The dilemma - do you chase old ‘maybe’ business or spend more time generating new enquiries?

Closing a Sale in 5 Minutes…

The Issue
The meeting’s gone well. You’ve got a fabulous connection with your prospect. Rapport levels are high. They seem attentive. They seem interested. You’ve impressively answered some minor objections that came your way. Yet there’s something that’s holding you back from asking outright for the business.

What to do next? 

The Solution
Three Killer Questions. Before you embark on the first question, make sure you have good levels of rapport with your prospect. If there is any ‘edge’ present, these questions won’t work. With fabulous rapport, they always deliver.

So, back to your meeting. It’s coming to an end and you need to close the sale.

Question Number 1
At the end of your conversation, ask:

On a scale from 1 to 10 – 1 meaning “it’s over…don’t darken our door again” and 10 meaning “we want you to start straight away”…where would you say we are?

THEN…SHUT UP! This is critical to ensure you give the silence that allows your contact to think.

Give them time. Allow your prospect to respond. They will give you a number. Don’t be too attached to the number. The golden nugget is their response to the next question.

Question Number 2
Ask… What would need to happen to get us to a 10?

SHUT UP! Again…this is critical. Give them more time to think.

Allow your prospect to respond.

You have now identified the gap between what you’re offering and what your client needs from you before they can say ‘yes’. You now know how close you are to securing the deal.

If you are able to resolve the gap immediately you’ll be able to close the deal there and then.

Some answers will alert you that these prospects are unlikely to ever buy. Disappointing yes but good to know there and then not several weeks and many follow ups later.

Question Number 3
Open question.

What would you like me to do next?

Their answer is usually like all the jigsaw pieces falling into place. They are explaining exactly what the next course of action is - talking as if you’re already on board.

Agree on the next course of action and be sure to maintain your control by agreeing when you will get back to them.

Asking these questions will change your sales results! They identify how close you are to a sale, they identify how big the gap is - and exactly what you need to do to bridge the gap. And you both decide whether or not you have the means to bridge the gap. All usually in a few minutes.

By slightly tweaking these questions you can use the ‘out of ten’ technique in other situations - for example staff appraisals and job satisfaction surveys come to mind.

Hope this technique brings you lots of sales success.

All the best…

Leigh

www.sales-consultancy.com
020 7903 5426
leigh@sales-consultancy.com

For previous ‘Tricks of the Trade’ go here

The "MOT" you MUST pass!

How good is your company when it comes down to passing your MOT tests?  

 

MOT? Moment...Of...Truth.

 

Those occasions when you come into direct contact with your customers and potential customers. Those moments which, ultimately, determine what your customers think of you.

It might be an incoming phone call. It might be a chat on an exhibition stand. It might be at the very point you deliver your product. It could be when your products are returned to you, deemed unsuitable by your customer. 

These are the key moments when your customer or potential customer decides...are you any good at what you do?

You’ll know your MOT’s – and you’ll know that you should be wowing the customer at each and every MOT.

 

The ultimate MOT

 

And then there’s that ultimate Moment Of Truth for the customer...when they complain to you. Your company’s future could depend on how well you deal with those complaints. And with the onset of social media, whether you work for a multi-national brand or own the local cafe, if you don’t handle customer complaints and comments in the right way, you could be in trouble.
 

My thoughts about turning complaints into opportunities are not new, you’ll see them in many ‘how to’ guides. But, as we head towards the busiest time of the year for many companies, we’re heading for the busiest time of the year for complaints too.
 

So it's worth checking in...how good are you at dealing with complaints? Here are my thoughts... 

• Welcome complaints. What fantastic feedback they are. If something’s not right, surely you want to know about it? When you get a complaint it's not time to hide - it's time to spring into action! Treat it as valuable feedback on your product or service. Receiving complaints in the short run might save your company in the long run. It’s those that don’t complain and quietly ditch you that are the concern!  So...when clients complain, it’s not a nuisance; it’s an opportunity.

• Make it quick and easy to complain. Make sure that if ever your customers have need to complain – that they are QUICKLY able to speak to the correct person to complain to.  There’s nothing worse than being passed around the houses before getting through to the right person.

• Recognise a complaint when it arrives. A complaint can be subtle - they may tell you very calmly, rather than shown in anger, but they are giving you an important message all the same. They may not tell you anything at all - but their actions make it clear something’s not right. Better to find out there and then.

• Empathise. Think about the complaint from the customer's point of view - we've all complained at some point, or should have!

• Treat it as an opportunity. Individual complaints give you the chance to demonstrate your value the customer. See complaints as your chance to shine. Respond proactively and these customers will become your biggest fans. Make sure you get on the case quickly – and turn the whole thing around in a way that befits the image you want to create.

• Spot the trends. A complaint may well be a one-off. Maybe not! Record all of your incoming complaints even if seems like a one-off, you never know, a trend might be emerging which you’ll want to nip in the bud. 

And of course make sure you’ve developed a mindset which embraces complaints - you might have the best sales operations in the world, but much of that can be in vain if you don’t handle complaints properly.

It’s all about sales psychology.

 

Until next time  

Leigh

 

 Sales Mistakes you MUST avoid!

 

Get the complimentary download NOW or have the DVD posted to you.

 

results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426

www.sales-consultancy.com  

Forprevious 'Tricks of the Trade' go here

Closing a Sale in 5 Minutes

How frustrating is it when you put in lots of hard work for little or no reward?

Perhaps you’ve been working on a tender for a big contract only to see it cancelled, or awarded to a competitor? Or you’ve given a fabulous sales presentation, only for the meeting to grind towards its end with no sign of closing a sale?

Maybe you’ve quoted and you just can’t get an answer no matter how often you contact them? What about when you think you’ve been fobbed off - they probably don’t want your products but they won’t tell you outright so you keep contacting them ‘just in case’?

We’ve all been there - it’s frustrating and time consuming. The dilemma - do you chase old ‘maybe’ business or spend more time generating new enquiries?

Closing a Sale in 5 Minutes…

The Issue
The meeting’s gone well. You’ve got a fabulous connection with your prospect. Rapport levels are high. They seem attentive. They seem interested. You’ve impressively answered some minor objections that came your way. Yet there’s something that’s holding you back from asking outright for the business.

What to do next?

The Solution
Three Killer Questions. Before you embark on the first question, make sure you have good levels of rapport with your prospect. If there is any ‘edge’ present, these questions won’t work. With fabulous rapport, they always deliver.

So, back to your meeting. It’s coming to an end and you need to close the sale.

Question Number 1
At the end of your conversation, ask:

On a scale from 1 to 10 – 1 meaning “it’s over…don’t darken our door again” and 10 meaning “we want you to start straight away”…where would you say we are?

THEN…SHUT UP! This is critical to ensure you give the silence that allows your contact to think.
Give them time. Allow your prospect to respond. They will give you a number. Don’t be too attached to the number. The golden nugget is their response to the next question.

Question Number 2
 Ask…

What would need to happen to get us to a 10?

SHUT UP! Again…this is critical. Give them more time to think.

Allow your prospect to respond.

You have now identified the gap between what you’re offering and what your client needs from you before they can say ‘yes’. You now know how close you are to securing the deal.

If you are able to resolve the gap immediately you’ll be able to close the deal there and then.
Some answers will alert you that these prospects are unlikely to ever buy. Disappointing yes but good to know there and then not several weeks and many follow ups later.

Question Number 3
Open question.

What would you like me to do next?

Their answer is usually like all the jigsaw pieces falling into place. They are explaining exactly what the next course of action is - talking as if you’re already on board.

Agree on the next course of action and be sure to maintain your control by agreeing when you will get back to them.

Asking these questions will change your sales results! They identify how close you are to a sale, they identify how big the gap is - and exactly what you need to do to bridge the gap. And you both decide whether or not you have the means to bridge the gap. All usually in a few minutes.

By slightly tweaking these questions you can use the ‘out of ten’ technique in other situations - for example staff appraisals and job satisfaction surveys come to mind.

Hope this technique brings you lots of success.

Leigh Ashton
www.sales-consultancy.com
020 7903 5426
leigh@sales-consultancy.com