Closing: How to Ask for the Business

Closing is just one part of the sales cycle but you don’t just close the sale right out of the gate. It is a process that you start building towards from the beginning of the sales interaction. If done properly you start developing the close from the very beginning and end with a sale. It is not an intrusive, bullying or pushy action but rather a process of leading the prospective buyer to a logical conclusion.

You should have it in mind from the time of introduction but if you skip through the process to the close too soon you will kill the sale. It is part of the discovery, presentation and finalization of the sale. This is done through questioning and “Trial Closes” which we will discuss more later. Remember, you are a guide through the sales cycle and a good guide does not seem like they are selling but rather consulting and offering solutions.

We have all been to a car lot and heard the familiar “what can I do to sell you a car today” line that gives such a negative stereotype to car sales people. Truth be told, the idea of salespeople brings that negative image to a lot of us because we have all had a pushy salesperson try to “close” us prematurely. When done incorrectly the salesperson shows “commission breath” and appears desperate or rude.

However, think back to a time when you had a salesperson help you through the sales cycle but seemed to genuinely care about your needs, helped you find a solution, answered your questions and helped you buy the product or service you were wanted and needed. Most of us will go out of our way to remember them so that we can ask for them personally the next time we need help. I have even seen customers of true sales professionals go out of their way to make sure their “rep” gets credit for the sale.

Trial Closing

Trial closes are simply a process of checking the pulse of the prospective client and getting feedback on how the sales interaction is going. Through asking probing questions you can uncover potential hot buttons and objections for later in the sales process. This will eliminate surprises, objections, or additional questions when it comes time to close. True Sales Professionals use this technique so that they can overcome potential sales killers along the way by consulting and advising.

Getting and resolving objections ahead of time is very positive to the success of your sale. Remember, you can’t sell against no information. For instance, if a client just says NO but does not give a reason you are dead in the water. However, if you find the objections along the way and are able to address and overcome those objections throughout the process then when the time is right the close is very fluid and for the most part the sale will close itself.

Some great trial closes are:

“Does that make sense?”
“Does that answer your question?”
“What concerns do you have?”
“Are there any questions that I have not answered?”
“How do you feel about what I have shown you?”
“Is that what you had in mind?”
“Did I answer your question?”
“Are there any other concerns that you have?”
“Does this solve your challenge?”
“Did I miss anything?”

Pay attention to more than the words that come out of your prospect’s mouth, look for reaction, body language, positive or negative non-verbal clues such as nodding or shaking their head, visible frustrations, etc. A rookie salesperson is afraid to ask questions or to bring objections to the surface because they do not know how to handle them and don’t want to hear anything negative. They are living in denial and find themselves wondering why the sale didn’t go through. Be a professional and find out along the way and you will close more sales and get more repeat business from your clients.

When to close

Opening after a close.

Referrals.