8 Proven Closing Techniques

By Jim Hingst

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Let’s face it, most young salespeople are terrified to ask for the order. Many are just afraid of getting a “no” and dread the feeling of rejection. Instead of asking for the business, they take their chances and wait for the customer to buy. That’s not a very effective sales strategy. While they are waiting, their competitor is usually asking for and getting the business.

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I will admit that when I first started selling, asking for the order seemed awkward. Frankly, for a while I fumbled for the right words. Luckily, I had the advantage of learning sales skills at a time when they actually taught you how to close the sale. In this article I will share some of the techniques that I effectively used to sell fleet and building graphics.

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The ABCs of Selling: Always Be Closing

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One of the common concerns that sales people have is when to close. The stock answer is “Always Be Closing.” Everything that you do in selling should be done for one purpose: to close the sale. The process begins as you identify the prospect’s needs and problems. It continues as you propose a program to satisfy those needs and solve his problems. It concludes when you ask the prospect for the order.

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Don’t confuse the sales commandment of “Always Be Closing” for high pressure sales. No one likes the stereotypical pushy salesperson. Instead, you can proficiently ask for the order utilizing a variety approaches without being obnoxious.

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Whoever Speaks First, Loses

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Most closing techniques involve asking the buyer a question. This is the moment of truth. As a salesperson you need to learn that whenever you ask a question, you should shut up and wait patiently for his or her response.

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The quiet period, after you ask a question, often seems to drag on unbearably. To ease these uncomfortable moments, many salespeople interrupt the silence and continue on with their sales presentation. This is the deadliest sin in sales. When this happens, the prospect is off the hook. In the words of Jordan Belfort in the movie,?The Wolf of Wall Street, “whoever speaks first, loses”.

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1. The Trial Close

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While it is always important to ask for the order, the timing of when to ask is equally important. Before attempting to close a sale, experienced salespeople “take the prospect’s buying temperature”. What you are attempting to do is to discover the point at which your prospect is in the buying process. The way to do this is to ask a question or ask for an opinion, which would reveal if the prospect is ready to buy. This called the trial close.

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The standard answer to when should you ask a trial closing question is “early and often”. Throughout the sales process you should take the customer’s temperature. Here are some stock trial closes:

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● How does this program sound to you so far?

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● In your opinion, do these designs achieve your company’s marketing objectives?

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● Does this make sense?

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● Is this the look you want for your company?

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● What do you think?

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The answers to these questions should indicate when your customer is ready to buy.?A good way to discover how a prospect feels about a design is to simply ask them to give the artwork a grade on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being a perfect score. If he gives you a score of 10, you know that your design has satisfied all of the criteria for the program. This tells you that it is time to close the deal.?

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Anything less than a 10 indicates that you have not satisfied all of the client’s needs. It tells you that the buyer has some reservations about your proposal that you need to address.

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In some cases, the buyer will hesitate when you make a suggestion or reject your assertions. Many objections are simply a request for more information or reveal that the prospect does not understand some part of your proposal. These objections are easy to handle. You address the questions, making sure that the buyer understands your explanation and you move on to the next step in the buying process.

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The more difficult objection to handle is the excuse or alibi that is a merely a disguise for the real objection. In these cases, you need to reevaluate your understanding of the account and probe for additional information. Do you clearly comprehend the prospects problems and unmet needs? Have you correctly identified the decision-makers and influencers within the account? Do you understand the relationship of the prospect to the incumbent supplier or competitor????

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One way to root out the real roadblocks to moving forward is to make statement that allows the buyer to correct you. You could begin the statement by saying: “It seems to me that what bothers you about our program is its cost.” At this point, let the prospect talk.??

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