What does it take to be a great closer? If sales are key to your career then improving your numbers is important progress to make. However, there is an art to closing more sales and it’s often much more subtle than many people think.
Don’t get too hung up on closing
That’s right, if you want to close more sales you need to stop focusing on the closing. Instead, look at this as a process of encouraging the customer to take a series of steps, overcoming their objections and helping them to move towards an end goal. If all you’re doing each time is helping them to take another pace forward, the pressure is off and it’s easier to perform.
Be ready to make your product relevant
You may know all the benefits of your product and the USP of your brand but the secret to being successful at sales is to make what you’re selling relevant. Ensure you’re able to show the features and functions that are the most relevant to customers if you want to get them to engage.
Put the customer first
Your motivation might be to sell because you need the sale but it’s the customer’s interests you need to focus on if you want to close more sales. Think about why the sale should be important to the customer, as opposed to you, to achieve that essential perspective shift.
Make sure you know your customer
You’ll struggle to make your product relevant or to understand what the customer’s needs are if you don’t know anything about the customer. There are many different ways that you can research your customer today, from reading press releases and browsing a company website to going on LinkedIn to look for information and updates.
Avoid the sledgehammer approach with your competitors
It’s often a good idea to ask the customer whether they are speaking to a rival business. However, it’s important to avoid trashing that company’s product or reputation. Say something positive about the rival and then don’t mention them directly again. Instead, subtly work into the conversation the ways in which your product or service is the better choice.
Be a valuable resource
As soon as you become a valuable resource to your customers then you go beyond a straightforward selling relationship. This is what helps to build trust, especially if you’re able to use your knowledge, insight or connections to make the customer’s life easier.
Ensure you’re well connected
The reality of closing a sale with a larger organisation may be that you’re dealing with multiple approvals at different levels throughout the business. Where you know that there is more than one decision maker involved try to make connections at various different levels so that you can have more influence over the eventual outcome.
Closing more sales is often much more about understanding and supporting the customer than driving them towards your own goals. Our
Closing The Sale & Dealing With Objections course is designed to analyse the way that you currently handle the process and identify opportunities for improvement.