The One Way to Close Any Deal (And I mean Every Time)
Christopher Njokanma
Entrepreneur | Sales and Marketing Strategist | SEO Copywriter
He said, “Chris, how do you want to get paid?”
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I said, “Congratulations! Check or bank transfer is fine.”
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I’ve been fortunate enough to get to this part of the sale more often than not.
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The Root Cause: Lack of Training
Actually, perhaps I shouldn't use the word "fortunate," as it requires hard work and training.
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The truth is, most sales managers don’t train their people.
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Most business owners don’t train their people.
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However, they seem to be seeking increased sales from the same individuals they refuse to train.
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Sales: The Lifeblood of Every Business
A business may possess a CEO, COO, CIO, or any other C-suite executive position; without sales, it ceases to exist as a business.
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That company is the epitome of absurdity.
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However, there are exceptions, specifically the Facebooks and Amazons of the world.
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These companies didn't turn a profit for years before they grew into massive enterprises.
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But again, these are the exceptions.
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Sales are the lifeblood of every business.
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I strongly believe everyone must know how to sell.
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At this point, the reason is fairly obvious.
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There should be no more arguments about this.
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Invest in Your Salespeople
As a business owner, you should be the chief salesperson of your business.
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I don't understand how you can assign such a valuable position to a group of individuals who lack the necessary sales skills.
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Just because someone applies for a role in sales doesn’t necessarily make them good at selling.
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Some people are just looking for jobs to pay their bills, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
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I’ll never put the blame on the unskilled salesperson.
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I’ll always put the blame on leadership.
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They’re the ones who put them in that position without giving them the necessary skills to perform well at their jobs.
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A Never-Ending Journey of Improvement
I need to focus on leaders in this situation.
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Sorry, but I have to call you guys out on this.
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As part of our lifetime membership, my business partner and I continue to attend copywriting training classes virtually every week.
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We still buy courses and share them (sorry course owners).
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C'mon, don’t shame us.
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I’m pretty sure you share Netflix passwords with friends and family.
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But you get my point.
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This is not like attending a university, where you spend four years studying a particular discipline and then you're done for life.
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Even at your workplace, you likely continue to participate in various trainings and courses.
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But somehow, when it comes to sales, it’s not necessary?
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This mindset has got to stop.
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Sharpening Your Skills
Anytime I'm not performing well in sales, it's because I haven't been training.
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Sometimes even going off sales training for a few days is enough to get me rusty.
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And I see the same thing cut across the board.
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If I don’t train at the gym for a few days, I wouldn’t be in form.
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My strength will be down.
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Trust me on this one; I’ve been in the gym consistently since 2018.
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Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant (as Examples)
Michael Jordan is the GOAT in basketball for a reason, and you can say the same about Kobe Bryant.
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These guys were obsessed with being the best.
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This implied that their training was superior to that of others.
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So, could your salespeople get lucky when the economy is good?
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Absolutely!
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We see it happen all the time.
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But in hard times, especially like the ones we’re in now with through-the-roof inflation?
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It takes special skill to be able to close deals.
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Beyond Order Taking (and Ethical Manipulation)
Most salespeople are order takers because they let the customer take control of the conversation.
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They fail to understand that, even when done ethically, selling involves manipulation.
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I’d talked about ethical manipulation last year in this blog: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/ethical-manipulation-why-you-need-success-ingredient-njokanma/
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Feel free to check it out.
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Anticipating Your Prospects' Responses
Call it prescient or clairvoyant, but I can anticipate every possible response from my prospects.
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I’m prepared for any situation.
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I know what they're going to say before they even say it.
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Why?
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I’ve role-played the situation a gazillion times.
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When I tell my prospects, “I actually knew that before you even said it.”
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They look at me surprised.
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However, my current state stems from my training and study habits.
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The Three Levers of Communication
I understand the three most important levers of communication:
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You can even learn more from the things they don't say.
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Even silence is a clear-cut response.
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I don’t always need to hear a response from a prospect to know where they’re at in the sale.
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For instance, if someone is not responding to your calls or emails, that constitutes a response.
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Could it be that they were busy and just kept forgetting to respond?
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That’s possible, but not probable.
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No response, 98 percent of the time, means no current interest.
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A Food Delivery Analogy
I've never witnessed someone who is hungry turn down delicious food.
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Why do you think food delivery companies like Doordash, Skipthedishes, and Bolt do so well?
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These companies are profitable because hungry people want their food, and they want it NOW!
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Not tomorrow, not in a few hours, not in a few minutes, and not in a few seconds.
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Now is the only language they understand.
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So, if you have a prospect that’s not responding to you, the writing is on the wall.
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And I’m not saying completely give up on this prospect.
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Keep sending useful newsletters and information to stay ahead and ensure they'll contact you when ready.
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That’s a good strategy, and I use that too.
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But you don’t sit around waiting on a prospect who isn’t even thinking about you.
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You have a business to run, and that’s to find prospects who are qualified to buy.
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The Four Conditions for a Sale
Qualified to buy meaning:
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In my experience, if these four conditions aren’t satisfied, then you’re not in the position to expect a sale.
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However, these conditions don't just happen by chance.
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The salesperson usually has about 80 percent to do with this.
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And I say this because you’re not in control of their bank accounts.
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If they don’t have the money, then there’s nothing you can do about that.
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If they don’t need your solution, at least you can create desire (master salespeople do it all the time).
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If they think now is not the right time, at least you can make them see that there’s no better time than now.
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If they are not willing to buy from you and are considering other options, at least you can convince them that the competition is irrelevant and that you are the only option.
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Why Leadership is Everything
I hope you now see why 80 percent of the sale is dependent on the salesperson.
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Therefore, if your salespeople lack the necessary skills, you may miss out on a significant number of sales.
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Please don’t blame the economy.
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Master salespeople are closing deals left, right, and center.
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If your salespeople aren’t getting the deal closed, it’s YOUR fault.
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Who else is there to blame but YOU, the leader?
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Leadership must always take responsibility for the success or failure of any venture.
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Point. Blank. Period.
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As a master-closer, you must have responses in the form of questions that guide the customer to the results that you want.
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You don’t tell them what they should be doing unless you’re in a presentation.
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You ask them leading questions that get them to think it was their idea in the first place.
Sales Conversation Example
Prospect:
“The price is too high, and it’s beyond my budget.”
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Master salesperson:
“I completely understand where you’re coming from, as most of our best customers had budget constraints as well. But let me ask you: What concerns you specifically about our fees?”
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Prospect:
“The project has significantly exceeded our annual budget for the year. I don’t think we can take on this project right now.”
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Master salesperson:
“That totally makes sense. I can see how that can be a big challenge, especially when your team hasn’t planned for it. Let me ask you: how much do you think it’s costing you right now inside your business to not have this implemented? I'm referring to the lost time, potential revenue, headaches, and other associated costs.”
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Prospect:
“Urgh, please don’t even remind me. Just thinking about it gives me a concussion.”
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Master salesperson:
“I totally feel your pain. However, if you were to approximate the cost, what would you estimate it to be?”
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Prospect:
“I would definitely estimate it to be in the millions, especially considering the potential revenue we could generate if we installed this software. I’d say we should have done this two years ago. It’s beyond frustrating that we’re just discussing this now.”
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Master salesperson:
“Just to be clear, which would you say is better: having your team create a budget for this now, or waiting until next year to set it up?”
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Prospect:
“Are you not listening? We should have completed this entire task two years ago.”
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Master salesperson:
“Just between you and me, why would you even go to this length to get this software if it means creating a budget right now? I mean, you guys have never done this before. How can you even make sense of doing something of this scope? I guess I’m wondering how the rest of the team will respond.”
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Prospect:
“To be honest with you, it’s not like we have a choice. Leave the team to me. I’ll get them onboard.”
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Master salesperson:
“Congratulations on making the best decision for your company. This is a mark of true leadership. Welcome onboard!”
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Notice, the master salesperson in this example never said directly to the prospect, “You should buy from me.”
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That will only push the prospect further away.
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Instead, you pose questions that provoke thought.
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And when it’s their own idea to make a decision, they will undoubtedly make it.
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So, who better to decide with than you (the salesperson) sitting right across from them or on the other end of the call with them?
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The person who asks the questions in any conversation leads that conversation.
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This is how you become a trusted advisor.
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Remember the popular saying, “Show. Don’t tell.”
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You show by asking questions and using analogies.
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Conclusion
But how do you get to this level?
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You guessed it already: training.
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And that’s it.
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Let me make an appeal to you.
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If you believe your salespeople are competent, let's conduct a test.
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Place me in a room with your most talented individuals, and let's engage in some role-playing.
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Let’s see if they’re as skilled as you think they are.
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The results will play themselves out live, and right in front of you.
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This is my own example of “Show. Don’t tell.”
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Hopefully, that’s enough to make you consider training your salespeople.
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I believe there’s probably $250,000 sitting there in your CRM, literally begging to be collected.
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I believe that "training" is what's standing in your way.
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Your business needs that money NOW.
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Do you want it or not?
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This is Christopher Njokanma, signing off.
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Every week, I stay committed to providing value for you. Remember, my daring reader, to Like, Comment, and Share this article, for it might be the boost someone needs to become a master closer to never ever be in need of money again. Stay tuned for more awe-inspiring insights and discoveries in the captivating world of unconventional success.
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Christopher is the President @ Cloud 98 - We power your brand's growth by harmonizing content and conversion.