The business of closing the sale without killing it
You must be able to coordinate your sales talk to service whatever step in the selling process the customer has arrived at in their mind.
Remember, the five fundamental states of mind that comprises the selling process are curiosity, interest, conviction, desire, and decision and action.
While you are giving your sales presentation pay strict attention to how your prospect responds to your sales talk. Of course, if the prospect is already at the second or third stage of the selling process, you should move on to the next stage.
Always try to find out what the prospect wants most out of your goods. Some people will be interested in every aspect of your proposition. Some will choose one, or two things that are of the greatest value to them.
Say a salesperson is selling a popcorn machine and they have told the customer all the benefits of owning one.
Salesman:
"Mrs. Jones, this popper cleans up in a breeze. All parts except the stand can be immersed in water and dishwasher safe, so it will be easy to keep clean. This machine will leave few kernels unpopped. In fact, each tasty morsel will be plump and wholesome. Our little popper does the job of some of the more expensive brands on the market and at a third of the price. And it will not only produce the best tasting popcorn, it will save you time, energy and money."
Mrs. Jones:
"Did you say the popper comes apart and each piece can be immersed in water?"
Salesman:
"Yes Mrs. Jones, everything but the stand. All of the parts to the popper come apart for easy clean up. They can be washed in your kitchen sink, or dishwasher. This will do away with greasy build up since it only takes a little soap and water to clean it and no elbow grease."
Mrs. Jones:
"How much is it?"
Salesman:
"It regularly sells for $19.95, but we've reduced the price for our grand opening. Your price today is just $15.95."
Mrs. Jones:
"I'll take two of them. One for my mother and one for myself."
Salesman:
"You've made an excellent choice Mrs. Jones."
The salesman picks up two popcorn machines and goes to the cash register to type up the order. He stopped selling because he closed the sale.
In the above example Mrs. Jones was most interested in the easy clean up. The money she would save was secondary, or of little concern, if any. She was mainly interested in how easy the popcorn popper was to clean because that saved her time and energy.
How do you test to see if a prospect is ready to buy?
You must give the prospect a chance to show how he feels about your proposition. Some customers will make it known to you that they are ready to buy, still another customer may be ready to make a purchase, but hides this from you. The best way to find out if this type of prospect is ready to buy is to give a closing appeal.
Ask a question, such as, "How many of these can you use Mr. Smith?" or, "We can fill your order immediately." or, "What sizes will you be needing?" This tests the prospect's interest and gives them a chance to buy.
Don't make the mistake of asking the prospect how they feel about your proposition, or "Don't you think you should buy this widget?" The answer will probably be no.
If after all this, you discover the prospect is not ready to buy, no harm is done. But you have implanted the suggestion of buying on their mind. How this plays itself out depends on what you say next. The prospect's interest in buying could grow, or fall flat. Start the selling process again from the beginning. Because until the prospect is ready to buy, you are not through selling.
There is a danger in moving on to something else and not closing the sale at the right moment. The customer may get out of the buying mood and began having second thoughts about making a purchase. They may loose interest in what you say next because you didn't reel them in when they were ready. They may decide they can get along without the item, or they may remember they have a bill to pay.
When the customer is ready to buy give them the opportunity, or when you're ready to close, they'll be ready to quit.
Copyright © 2005 Gloria Whitehorn-All rights reserved
About the Author:
Gloria is an article writer, business owner, author of two books, salesperson and seasoned mail order pro. Visit her site for information on a great part-time, full-time-anytime business. She knows what she's talking about.
http://www.dovemang.com
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