Close the Sale
Close the Sale
Once trust has been established, needs have been addressed, and relationships have been forged, all that remains to be done is for you or your salespeople to finalize the sale. Of course the sale might be made at any point in the entire process. Some people take time to warm up to a purchase while others are ready to move forward immediately. But in general, it is up to your salespeople to guide the process.
One way to tell when it is time to enter the closing phase is to listen for buying signals from your prospects. Buying signals are comments or questions indicating that their major concerns have been satisfied and they are now primarily interested in the details. If they don’t initiate the closing phase on their own, you can initiate it yourself by asking if they have any more questions. A “no” answer here is your cue to ask for their business.
Some sample buying signals are...
“Where do we go from here?”
“What is the next step?”
“How much is it?” (when all other questions have been answered)
“It all makes sense to me.”
“Do you have one in blue?”
“How many do you have in stock?”
“Do you take cheques?”
“How soon can I have it delivered?”
“When can you set it up for me?”
How do you know when your prospects are ready to buy? What are some key indicators that you or your salespeople typically look for?
Remember, the closing phase should be nothing more than the natural conclusion to a good sales process. Asking for the sale should almost be redundant. If you don’t know the answer, you shouldn’t be asking yet. Why? Because making a sale is your secondary goal. Your primary goal is making a customer.
Instead, ask a series of questions that narrow down your prospects’ purchase preferences until there are no more questions to ask. Ask about final options such as colour or quantity. For example, “What colour would you like it in?” or “How many will you need?” Then, once it becomes the obvious next step, move directly to the sales transaction. For example, you might ask how they would like to pay for it, or you might suggest some financing options for them to choose from. Done right, you can actually get through the entire sales process without ever asking, “Would you like to buy one?” Of course you really have asked for the sale, you have just done it less directly.
Many prospects get nervous when it is time for the money to change hands. They may have made poor purchase decisions in the past and don’t want to repeat the experience. Even with a money back guarantee, a sale seems final, so it’s your job to reassure them that they are making a sound decision. For example, the cashier at a clothing store might accomplish this by complimenting a customer on their purchase choice.
Use the space below to write your sale-closing questions. These questions, along with the buying indicators you listed above, will help you design the “closing” phase of your Sales System.