5 Tips for Selling & Closing Deals

I was asked to write some tips on "Selling" or more particularly the closing of deals.

Here are my 5 tips and the full article link for more details below.

1. You don’t sell; you create an environment for people to buy.

2. Focus on the long-term client, not this sale/deal.

3. Listen to understand, not to respond.

4. Listen for buying signals & buying questions.

5. Do not over sell.

So you want to close more deals hey?

Think about you the last time you were in a sales situation where you were the buyer, were you closed, open or confident enough to buy,

So it is imperative to understand that clients and potential clients will go on a journey both up and down with their open and confident thinking. If you have a lead or someone contacts you then they must have an open mind. Depending on what you do or say next that will determine if they get confident enough for a deal or get loose confidence and close their mind meaning no deal.

Note: The below 5 tips assume you are “in conversation” with a prospect and want to close a deal.

1. You don’t sell; you create an environment for people to buy.

That’s right, you can’t sell anything and you can’t make clients buy what they do not want! You create an environment for people to buy in.

Be a believer and confident in your own abilities, your knowledge. Practice having strong answers, have people believe you are knowledgeable and/or an expert in your field.

Have strong examples of how your products and services have helped others to grow their business, how you have impacted on other clients similar to this client.

Use FAB when presenting your products https://www.scottyschindler.com/selling-with-fab-features-advantages-and-benefits/)

If your struggling with selling, stop it, stop selling and focus on the tips 2-4.

2. Focus on the long-term client, not this deal.

Clients will only care if they feel like they are actually one of your clients. Do not focus on a single sale as you really want to create long-lasting and rewarding clients. If you have a client who over time to grows and prospers, they will want more of your services and recommend other clients to you.

If you focus on a single today sale, closing this deal, you may miss the long-term opportunities to grow your business for years to come. Always have a reason for the next conversation and meeting. Have something for today and something for next time and the long run.

3. Listen to understand, not to respond.

WIIFM, clients will often tell you their hot spots, “What's In It For Me” (WIIFM) what are they really looking for and they don’t often spell it out. But you need to be looking for their WIFFM, it is written across the top of the head in big writing once you start listening.

Once your prospect is talking, let them talk. You have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them accordingly. The more you listen, the more information you have, the more they will explain what they require from you, why they were even having this conversation with you in the first place.

4. Listen for buying signals, buying questions.

People often close themselves; they start buying but it’s just wrapped up in questions.

For example harness questions, turn them into what they may really be asking.

How much is your service?

In other words, if the price is right or if the value is great, I will do this.

What do I get for that?

In other words, show me some value and I’m sold.

A question is a buying/selling opportunity, learn to harness them, write down the questions you get that may make you think you are losing a sale and analyse how it could be a buying question instead.

5. Do not over sell.

Once a prospect starts to get involved, focus on that 1 involvement, I’m sure you have a lot to offer, but let them buy the 1 thing they want now. Over time there are more services they may want, but if you try to sell them more now, you will confuse the (potential) client as to what they are buying.

If a (potential) client asks about your service C, talks more about your service C, focuses on your service C, they only want service C now so ignore everything else until they ask about your service A & B etc. Remember, if done well you want clients, not sales.

Conclusion

You can take someone from Confident to Closed by simply not listening.

Recognise where a client (or potential client) is on their thinking, then spend time listening to understand, once they get involved and they start asking questions, answer them with confidence and address or close only that opportunity.

Good luck.

Scotty

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