Closing the sale is the only way you can succeed in your business or sales career. Period.
Nowadays, the ability to close a sale is becoming a lost art and unless you can learn the skill on how to be a better closer, then you may have an eye-opening experience.
Start by NOT Doing This
The basic thinking from salespeople is that they need to have a large number of tricky lines to spout out whenever they need to close a sale.
Why is it that people think that way? Is it from bad experiences themselves or a loud commercial trying selling you something?! I mean really, why is it?
On a very popular site about sales techniques, it says, “A great closer will have more closes than the customer has objections, stalls, and reasons not to close. That’s why I have over 100 closes in The Closer’s Survival Guide.”
One. HUNDRED. Closes. One of the book reviewers wrote, “I have never seen such a comprehensive guide on closing. A must-have for ALL Salespeople!”
Really?!
Now, I am not here to complain about another trainer. He is actually one of the best in sales training. But, I think he may miss the mark on how to be a better closer because there is no reason on earth why you need over one hundred closes.
Another coach, Ryan Stewman, is a tough cookie, and an amazing teacher of hardcore selling. He clearly explains, “It only takes two things to close sales. Empathy and confidence.”
I love that.
Ryan explains it this way:
The way to let your prospect know you have empathy for them is by asking questions to understand their situation and then letting them explain why they are there and what solution they think they need.
Once empathy is met it takes confidence to diagnose what they need and ask for the business. If you have empathy for your prospect and know what they need, confidence to close should come naturally.
Here’s another person who knows persuasion quite well, Tom Vizzini, who knows how to close. Here’s a question I saw on Facebook in a situation we all get in:
“What do you say to a customer who says that the other attorney is almost half my hourly rate? My rate is 375 and he is 250 per hour.”
The answers he got:
- “Not gonna lie, that’s a competitive rate. Just curious, why aren’t you going with him, then?”
- Would you rather save money or stay out of jail? Great, my assistant will take your payment upfront.
- I’ll apologize for my price all day but I’ll never once have to apologize for the quality of service you’ll receive
- You get what you pay for. Hell, I was thinking about raising my hourly rate actually…
- Some people just aren’t your customer and we have to work to realize that early enough in the transaction.
- If it is an easy client… maybe a returning customer… work with them.
- Price, Quality of Service. Which two do you want?
- McDonald’s is cheaper than Outback Steakhouse. Where would you rather eat?
- If the other guy loses the case where you would have won, then how much money is saved by paying the extra 125 an hour?
They break down into this:
- Scare him about the other guy
- The logic of the difference not being that much
- Debate them about the value and hope to win
- Make them feel stupid
- Negotiate
Not one of those will get the customer.
Instead, try this:
“If we take price out of the conversation then who would you want representing you?”
Why does this work? Because they want to talk about price and you changed the frame of the conversation. Now it is about who they feel comfortable with hiring.
If you even start talking about the price you will be stuck there. You will then be having a debate. You can win the debate and still lose the client.
When they answer that they want you your only response is:
“Well, let’s get started. All we need to do is X and I can get working on this.”
Then shut up.
Do you see how empathy and confidence in this situation is the way you help your client glide into the close? That’s how to be a better closer than most people who just argue their points and use a bunch of closes that do not work.
Let’s Fix This and Become a Better Closer
First, recognize that you need that your customer expects you to ask for the sale. So, asking for the money and closing the sale — knowing that you are expected to do just that — should take some of the pressure off of you.
Next, find out why they really do need your product or service. You would do this in the first part of your conversation, of course. Make the note of why they need it, how much they will benefit from it and what is it worth to them?
Finally, as I say this many times on this site — just ask. It’s just that simple. Ask for the sale, “So, since that this is perfect for you, just do X and you’ll go home with your new Y!”
Note, when you ask for the sale, and you are learning how to be a better closer, notice you are really telling them to buy.
Neat, huh?