HOW TO CLOSE THE SALE.

SELLING TO A CLIENT When selling a product to a customer or client, the most difficult aspect a sales representative faces is the moment of getting the clients approval to buy or purchase his/her product or to be able to close the sale or deal.

SELLING TO A CLIENT It always sometimes gets discouraging when after explaining and thorough conversation, the client feels reluctant or refuses to buy your product. Even though it is to be expected in the selling business, trust me, it does take the wind out of your sails and leaves you deflated.

Do you ask the client for closure? If you do, how? Everything boils down to one question; Do you ask the client for closure? If you do, how? Remember this, if you don’t ask, you will never get. There are a few tips which have worked for a lot of sale representatives in helping them ask the important question and in so doing closing the sale.

Determination is the key here Determination is the key here. The following techniques which have been tried and tested will get you that signature but it comes with determination and the will to close the deal. The purpose of every closing technique is to bring you to the closing question which is, one to which a positive answer commits the customer to buy and the most straight and simple way of getting to that order is to;

1. ASK FOR IT. With this technique, you just come right out of it with a direct closing question. Such as, “Well, that seems to be the one so when should we deliver it?”, “Can I have your approval to go ahead?”, “That is agreed then, so you will take it?” etc. A lot of customers are just waiting to be asked but there are a lot more who simply have this fear of committing themselves. That is where the next technique comes to play.

2. ORDER FORM With the Order Form close, you still ask the closing question but you disguise it in a subtle way. For example, Instead of a tough question like “Will you buy it?”, you can ask an easier one like, “Could I have your initials please?” or “Your postal address is x, y, z right?” Note that whenever your customer answers your question, he/she is confirming that he/she will buy your product. After all questions have been answered you just give the client the document to append his/her signature by saying, “So if could just okay it” not “sign it”.

3. EITHER / OR This technique is another way of disguising the closing question. You can ask, “Would you rather have the lump sum at age 60 or annuity?”, “in rubber or steel?”, “manual or automatic?”, “Large or small?”, “Pay in cash, debit from account or credit card?” Here, the customer finds it welcome and easier to choose from these alternatives than “Will you buy it or you won’t buy it?”

4. HALF NELSON. Sometimes the customer or client wants the product to suit a specific style or even the same version but in a different style or would want the benefit of a product to serve a different purpose other than the stated purpose, or has doubts as to a particular feature of the product you selling.

4. HALF NELSON. For example, “Even though this product is clamped to the work bench, can I have a free standing one?”, “Can I use this endowment policy as security for a bank loan?”, “I get you but I just cannot believe that claim about the miles per gallon of this car.” Etc. When this happens, you just hit them with the Half Nelson: “Do you want a free standing version?”, “Do you want it if you can?”, “If I can prove that it is true, do you want the car?”. This way, the customer has committed him/herself to closing the sale already.

5. DUKE OF WELLINGTON Named after how the Duke used to make a decision, this technique is used for customers who cannot seem to make up their minds. Wanting everything but not courageous enough to step up for it or talking much and highly about the new product but not willing to leave their old product for it.

5. DUKE OF WELLINGTON In making a tough decision, the Duke would take a sheet of paper, use a pen and ruler to divide it into two write Yes (Merits of the decision) on one side and No (Demerits of the decision) on the other and compare the two. Tell the client this story and do the same thing and hand it over to him/her making sure the Yes column comes first. Assist them in answering the Yes part (which is what they want) but with the No part, they are entirely on their own.

5. DUKE OF WELLINGTON Trust me; they will not do very well because you have got them thinking about the benefits of your products so much so that they cannot find any demerits to it. You then go ahead and pop up the “Either/Or” or “Order Form” technique to close the sale. Do not worry about whether the story is true or not just use it.

6. CAUTINARY TALE. This technique is normally for the indecisive customer or client. Let them know about stories of other people and how their life became difficult after an incident occurred and how the difficulty could have been avoided, if they had a policy. Give them somebody or somebody in a company they can identify themselves with.

7. THE LOST SALE. This technique is for the adamant clients. After saying all you can and the client is just not interested, just apologize for wasting his/her time and; find out why or what you did wrong? or what you did not say or include? in your sale of the product, that he/she the client wanted.

7. THE LOST SALE. For example, “I would be glad if you could help by telling me where I went wrong in selling this profitable product in order not to lose my next client or prospect like I have lost you?” If the client comes out to tell you his/her objections to your sale, it gives you a chance to close on the objections because in doing so, the client tells you what he/she wants. You can then use the Half Nelson as a booster to close the sale.

8. THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION. This closing technique is for the customer who will not tell you what is worrying him/her. Therefore you ask your client a series of questions for him/her to answer. If the client or customer answers in the negative, he/she actually means positive.

8. THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION. For example, “Is it the integrity of my company that worries you?” or, “My personal integrity?” Or, “The way I have dressed?”

8. THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION. If the client answers in the negative, he/she is actually letting you know there is no problem and will be cornered to come out with what actually his/her objections to your product are. Then you can close on the objections. If there are none then that means there is no problem hence the client will have to commit him/herself thereby, closing the sale.

9. THINK IT OVER. This is a closing technique for clients or customers who do not want to commit themselves to the sale and hence would always cowardly say, “I’ll think it over” when actually they mean “NO”. First of all, do not look dejected when you hear that phrase but let the client know that you are enthused that he/she has decided to think about the benefits of the product because if he/she was not interested, he/she would not want to think about it.

9. THINK IT OVER. So in order for the client to have the benefits fresh in his/her mind when the client is thinking about it, go over the benefits with him/her again but use the Elimination technique. At the end it is either the client has a genuine objection or he/she will certainly have to admit. You then hit the client with an ‘either/or’ or ‘Order Form’ closing technique after the client has admitted. Remember, you can close always close the sale on an objection as well.

9. THINK IT OVER. NOTE: After you have asked the closing question, there is one important thing you need to do and that is to keep absolutely quiet or be totally silent after you have asked the closing question. Don’t say a word, make a gesture or even move or flinch. This is because there is no pressure like the pressure of silence and one sure thing is that if you do not speak first, he/she must. The client will either say yes or give the reasons for saying no. This brings us to the final technique:

10. FINAL OBJECTION CLOSE. First of all, listen to the client’s objections very closely right through to the end. Make sure you fully understand it and ask the client if that problem or reservation he/she has about the product outweighs all the importance of the product you selling? If the client answers in the affirmative, kindly ask the client to go through the benefits or what you have said in order to find out why the product is not good enough.

10. FINAL OBJECTION CLOSE. When the client does that, it begins to sound a little bit silly, even to him/her. The client either submits or sticks to his/her story thus it becomes the only objection to the sale therefore; you apply the Half Nelson technique to close the sale. Note that you only start the final objection close if you know you can answer the client’s objection and when you have answered it, you ask the closing question.

Lastly, these techniques are there to be used when the atmosphere deserves it, that is, if one technique does not work, use the other and the other and the other, till you get your closure for your sale. Do not give up continue till you close your sale. Take into account the buying signals of the client as well when selling.

close the sale sooner rather than later. They are signals that the client gives when he/she is ready to buy; For example, they may touch the product as if it already belongs to them, Say something that shows what it will be like to own the product, or repeat something you have made clear just to reassure them. Pay attention to these signals and close the sale sooner rather than later.

Thank You.