Selling Skills Training | The Process of Closing a Sale
The sale is measured by the close: the close represents how well you identified and met your customer’s needs. Salespeople always want to talk about closing. However, many salespeople are hesitant to close. Some fear being rejected. Others don’t want to close down communications. And others don’t want to seem pushy.
The one thing that most salespeople who are reluctant to close have in common is they view closing as an all-or-nothing process. They think they have to wait until the end—when everything is at stake. With this approach, the risks are high.
Salespeople who are really good at closing handle it as a process. They are more confident because they approach closing in phases:
Phase 1: They set a measurable objective before the call.
Phase 2: They use checking questions throughout the call to gauge where they are and make adjustments.
Phase 3: They end each call with a specific action step to maintain momentum or ask for the business.
It is up to you to ask for the next step or the business. However, when you listen, question, position to needs, and check, the closing question may become unnecessary, with the customer asking, “How do we get started?” When this does not happen, it is up to you to close.
Your close can be a “next step” action close such as meeting the economic decision maker, scheduling a demo or pilot program, bringing in a specialist, or whatever comes next in the process before you ask for the business or get a signature on a contract.
By setting an objective before each sales call, you know what you want to achieve by the end of the call. That gives you the focus and guidance to close. Your measurable objective is the action step you want to reach by the end of the call. It helps ensure you maintain momentum and it lets you realistically gauge your success.
Most salespeople go into a call with vague objectives, such as “get closer to the deal.” But if you ask yourself, “What will I see at the end of the call?” you can develop measurable, actionable objectives that keep the sale moving.
Checking is a part of the closing process because it gives you a read on how the customer will respond to your close. Before asking for your action step, do a final check to find out how the customer feels about what you have discussed relative to satisfying his or her objectives. This final check will pave the way for you to ask for your action step or help you reset your call objective.
If your customer rejects your close, make a second effort. Acknowledge to find out why the customer is saying no, address the obstacle, and, as appropriate, close again.
