PSSST Mr. Sales Evangelist: Closing is not the answer

WHAT? CLOSING IS NOT THE ANSWER! Karl, have you lost your mind?

Close deals, close deals, close deals! That is what you are always told to do. By your boss, your bosses boss, the CEO, your spouse.

“Are you a closer?”

“Coffee is for Closers!”

Guess what! Closing is a term of certain recognition, but honestly no one can consistently secure deals by merely asking for a sale at the end of the process. Clever sales closes, tricks of the trade, they all amount to companies passing on your newer options and sending you packing. That you can win a sale at the end stage is ridiculous. This is pure hypothesis thrown out there by a group of people who forgot or never knew how to sell.

SELLING IS ABOUT OPENING DOORS AND KEEPING THEM OPEN!

Early on:

Asking for clear understandings of what your client is trying to accomplish helps you start building a plan to convert them into a client. Rephrase what you are told and gain confirmation from the prospect.

“So, if I understand you correctly, you are trying to…”

Throughout the sales cycle:

Redefine and qualify the buying requirements and clearly knock off each with a viable solution. Constantly recheck is there is more to be done.

“Is there anything else you need to see?” “Is there anything else that might stop you from going with us?” “What else might stop you from going this way?”

If you fail to proactively request this information, get ready to start handling objections.

When you are in proposal and deal making stage:

Repeat back those conditions and requirements as you share how your solution is the right choice. One by one, knock them down by showing a path. When you go through a point that they made in previous engagements, confirm that you have addressed it thoroughly. Again;

“Is there anything else that you need to see?”

Finally, the time has come to reel in that PO. The quote was delivered with a clear understanding that the customer was getting what they need. Guess what, you need not chase this sale, and why? The deal was already done in the stages leading up to completion. If you get stalled at this point, you missed something and have to go back to the start. Your start that is, because for the customer the engagement really starts once the offering is bought. Although this is when most people drop their clients and move on to the next prospect, beware. If it is the beginning for them, and you continue to build their confidence, you will get everything from more business to referrals. There is no closing in the sales evangelist guide book, just opening after opening.

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Related posts:

1. The Sales Evangelist toolkit – Resources for Negotiation Education
2. Using the internet as a Sales Evangelist
3. Offer More Choices – Close More Sales
4. How to sell more by negotiating less.
5. Side Effects of Negotiations