How To Sell and Close a Deal

In this post we take a look at how to Close a Deal.

What is Closing and Why is it Important when you Close a Deal?

Business makes the world go around. The economic engine that drives progress forward, provides for creature and material comforts and makes civilisation possible is fired by the dynamics of business. This is all well and good, but it does raise another question. What is it that drives business?

Some people might point to products and services as the power that moves the business world forward. In some ways, they would be right. Innovation and quality in products and services are extremely powerful market forces that shape the world’s economies. Without that drive and creativity, business as we know it would be moribund. Yet, the question remains unanswered. If products and services aren’t the full motive force, what is?

Some people might point to sales as the main force behind the business machine. In very many ways, they would be right. Sales are important to each and every business out there. Without sales, there would be no business, since all those innovative products and services would remain on the shelf, un-purchased. Yet, if you think about it, the original question is still unanswered.

One of the most important elements in the business world is the skilled salespeople who move the innovative products that businesses produce, thus generating profit. Without the closers in the salesforce there would be no sales. Without sales there would be no profits. Without profits businesses themselves would dry up and the world’s economy would grind to a halt.

So, if the closers in the salesforce are so important, what exactly are closers? That is another excellent question. Understanding what closing entails is the first step towards building a stronger, more profitable business.

Closing, at its most basic, is the art and science of convincing a potential customer to purchase a product or a service. Closer refers to those salespeople who are able to perform this task, over and over, on a regular basis. The closers in the salesforce are the superstars of the sales world. They are envied and grudgingly admired by salespeople who secretly wish they had what it takes to be considered a closer.

Closers are the rock stars of sales and they are treated the same. Any and all sales forces would consider them an important asset in their sales arsenal. They are the people who get the job done when everything is on the line. 

So, the next time you consider the business world, remember the closers. Without them the world would be a poorer place.

Why are you in business?

That may seem to be a slightly personal question, but it’s one every entrepreneur need to ask themselves. Why? Well, the answer to the question reveals quite a lot about the outlook of the person answering. You see, some people might say “Well, I’m in business to provide the highest quality products to my customers.” While that’s a noble sentiment, it’s also just that – sentimental. It’s also dead wrong. Other people might say “I’m in business to help my customers find solutions to their problems.” Again, that’s a wonderful thought that’s also completely wide of the mark.

You see, there is only one correct answer to the question of why you’re in business. If you ask the question why at least 6 levels deep you will get to the truth. You are in business to make money so you can live life the way that allows you to be your best. That’s it. If you require that thought to be elaborated then let me say that you are in the business of making money. That’s what you do, no matter what product or service you physically provide. Money is the blood of any business and without sufficient cash flow, the business is dead.

If you’re a successful salesperson you already understand this blunt fact. If you desire to be a better salesperson, then it is in your best interest to gain a better understanding of this fact. How efficiently you sell what you sell to your client base has a direct and immediate effect on your business’ bottom line. If you’re competition is doing a better job convincing the public to buy their products over yours, you lose. If you’re customers don’t believe, trust or like you enough to buy what you’re selling them, you lose. It’s a zero sum game with only one winner.

That’s where motivation comes into play. In order to win at the sales game you have to want to win. You have to desire to win. You have to need to win so badly that you’d do anything in order to win. You’d forego sleep. You’d forget to eat. Heck, you’d give up breathing if it meant that you could close a sale over your competition.

If you think that is an extreme position, guess what? You’ve already lost to the guy or girl who believes in their heart and soul that closing a sale is about giving it everything they’ve got to give. The very best salespeople are highly motivated individuals. They are driven to excel at what they do and to exceed all expectations. They know that if they don’t make an effort to achieve their personal best, then any effort they have made is wasted.

Dress for Success

There is one very important, yet simple rule in the worlds of sales. How you look is how you are perceived. In other words if you want to be seen as a consummate professional who is on top of their game, then you have to dress like one. Likewise, if you look like you could care less about your appearance, then your customers will, very likely, care less about what you are trying to sell them. Your appearance and demeanour are your calling card. It is how you are known. You need to make very sure that you are being seen the way you truly intend to be seen.

We, as people, rely very strongly on our sense of vision. It is the most acute of our five senses. There is a straightforward and easily understandable reason for this – our vision helped us to survive.

We evolved in an environment that was rapidly changing, in an evolutionary sense. A wet climate that supported jungle was becoming drier. Therefore the jungle was receding and being replaced by savannah. Our ancestors were living in the tension zone between the dense growth of the jungle and the relatively open space of the savannah. In this type of environment, acute vision became paramount for survival. You needed to be able to see a threat or an opportunity from a distance in order to avoid it or capitalise it, depending on the circumstances.

As a result we developed wide angle, stereoscopic vision, along with an enhanced ability to perceive pattern and colour. This superior vision brought us to where we are today. In fact, each and every one of us still depends upon our vision to make important decisions each and every day.

We unconsciously use our eyes to make thousands of minute determinations. We are experts at quickly sizing up a situation or a person based on these determinations. Facial features, body posture, tone of voice and adornment, including clothing, all play a part in helping to make a snap judgment, usually with a few seconds of meeting a person.

For the closer, this means that you have one chance, and only one chance, to make a good first impression. If you miss that chance, there is little you can do to regain the high ground on the eyes of your potential client. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that you look and act like the sales machine you intend on becoming. Anything less and you will greatly decrease you chances of closing the dea

Stop, Look and Listen

The Cardinal Rules of a Sale

We’ve all heard the saying “You are what you eat”. Well, in sales the rule is “you are how you act.” What this means is that your potential customer is judging you, your company and your products or services each and every time you open your mouth or, more importantly, fail to close it.  If you want to be a closer and make the sale, then you have to act like a closer who regularly seals the deal. It’s really that simple.

In this regard, one of the first things to remember is that being on time is of extreme importance. If you schedule an appointment for a specific time, then make certain you are at that appointment at least ten minutes before it is scheduled to begin. No one likes to be kept waiting, least of all you potential customer. Also, nothing says “I could care less about you and your business” more strongly than showing up for an appointment late. Closers are prompt.

In addition, once you are at the appointment make sure that you approach the client in a professional manner. A smile, direct eye contact and a firm handshake, along with your appearance, go a long way towards establishing confidence in you and your product or service in the eyes of your potential customer. No one wants to trust someone who is shifty eyed and has a limp handshake. Don’t be that guy. Use the first few seconds with your client wisely and establish that bridge of trust quickly.

Another important point to keep in mind is that the sales call you are on is not about you. Your potential client is the star of the show. It is their business that is important to your livelihood. Therefore, focus your attention in then from the very beginning. An inflated ego has no place in the world of top notch closers.

Given this, also remember to listen first and talk later. Don’t let your ego take control of the sales call. Your potential customer is there, meeting with you, because they have a problem they need solved or a need that requires attention. Your job, your only job, is to quickly and clearly determine the nature of the problem or need and find the best solution for the client.

The only way you can accomplish this job is by using your ears and not your mouth. If you let your client take center stage, and if you listen to what they say, you will soon find yourself closing the sale.

Focus on the Customer And Solve A Problem

It can be tricky being a successful salesperson, but something worth having certainly takes work. One thing that all good salespeople know is that you have to keep your eye on the ball. The problem is that the ball is constantly on the move. Often, there is more than one ball in play at the same time.  Sometimes, the ball goes missing for days at a time. During all of this the professional salesperson has to keep their cool and keep their mind in the game. The only way they can accomplish this is through the use of focus.

Focus is an extremely important mental trait for any salesperson to develop. It’s so necessary that it can be said that no up and coming salesperson can reach the top echelon in their field without it. So, if focus is so important, what exactly is it?

In a nutshell focus is the mental ability to ignore what’s unimportant and concentrate on what is important, to the exclusion of everything else. Picture yourself looking at one object in a field of objects very intently. That intensity is mental focus.

A potential customer is someone with a problem that they need solved or a need that they want met. Your job as a salesperson is to determine what that problem or need is. Once you have that information, you are going to be able to sell them the product or the service that will solve the problem or meet the need. The question is, how do you figure out exactly what the potential customer wants?

This is where your mental focus comes into play. Yet, before you can use that focus, you need to decide what is more important, the potential customer’s problem or need or your personal desire to make a sale?

The answer, of course, is the customer. In sales, the customer is kind and nowhere more so than in the situation where you need to know what the customer wants in order to close the sale. The answer, of course, is to focus on the customer to the exclusion of everything else.

When you focus on the customer first, you can begin to see what it is that they want. When you ask them questions about their problem or need, what needs to be done becomes clear. All you need to do to accomplish this is to put the customer first, behind your personal need for gain.

Believing That You Can Close the Deal

The business world is a cutthroat, dog eat dog environment. Each business in any given field is competing with every other business in that field for a finite amount of customers. Those customers represent sales and the sales convert into profit. If a business isn’t profitable, it starves and dies. The choice of words here is intentional, since the similarities between survival in the natural world and in the business world are remarkable.

In both the natural world and the business world, the law of natural selection is at work every day. The entities that are smarter, more efficient, quicker and stronger live to see another day. The entities that make mistakes, are afraid to take initiative, forget to protect their backs and simply can’t run fast enough become the fuel for the entities who do survive. If this sounds ruthless, it is.  To survive you have to want to survive. More so, you have to believe that you can survive.

If you fail to have enough confidence to believe in yourself, you will never survive in the business world. It’s that simple. In addition, if you have no faith or confidence in the products or services you are selling you will also fail. You need self-confidence, as well as a belief that what you sell is the best available in order to succeed.

People, like your customers, can sense confidence. As human beings, we have evolved to understand a myriad of non-verbal cues that operate on our psyches on a subconscious level. We used these cues in the past to survive. They helped us to determine who was a friend or who was an enemy. They are still operating on us today. Only know instead of helping us determine ally or foe, they help us determine who to trust and who not to trust.

When you believe in yourself and in what you do, people see it without you having to say a word. This self-belief then helps them to judge you positively as a person that they can trust. This trust, in turn, then becomes the basis for building a bridge of confidence that leads, in the end, to a sale.

Every successful salesperson understands this subconscious form of communication. They also understand that if they fail to believe in themselves, their potential customers will sense this and interpret the information as a reason not to develop trust. The end result is lost sales.

Closing a Deal the Right Way

If you’re reading this article, it’s likely that you are interested in honing your sales skills. You probably have a desire to take your sales game to the next level, by improving your ability to close a sale. If so, congratulations are in order. The desire to improve your skills is one of the key traits all real closers share. The truth is that the process of closing a deal the right way is very straightforward. There’s no magic or sleight of hand involved. Nevertheless, the close is the one part of the sales process that defeats many otherwise successful salespeople.

The key element in closing a sale is understanding when the time is right to stop the sales pitch and ask for the potential customer’s business. There is no sure and fast rule for when to decide that the moment is right to close. Because there are too many variables involved in each discrete sales process, there is no way to definitively apply a set of standards to cover each one. What can be said though is that your instincts will tell you when the time is right. If you trust your instincts, your timing of the close will become impeccable. 

Also, don’t be afraid of asking for the customer’s business. After all, the primary element of any salesperson’s job is to sell things to people. Despite this, a surprisingly large number of salespeople flinch and balk when it comes to the actual moment of truth. 

One of the reasons for this is poor preparation prior to the close. A poorly prepared salesperson has no confidence in their presentation. This potential customer senses this lack of confidence and, as a result, feels lukewarm about the whole process. The salesperson, in turn, senses the customer’s apathy and becomes fearful of losing the sale. The flinch is a result of the salesperson trying to avoid this result.

A properly prepared salesperson has no problem with the close. This is because he or she has done all of the necessary work beforehand that’s required to bring the sales process to a successful conclusion. They made the customer the center of attention by remembering that the sales process is not about them. They have listened to the customer and determined the nature of the customer’s problem or need. They have explained to the customer how they can solve this problem or meet this need. Therefore, asking for the customer’s business becomes a done deal.

selling against the competition and Value

If you’re in business, you obviously want to make sales. Sales equal profits and without profits you soon won’t have to worry about sales because you’ll be out of business. If sales are so vitally important, then it is equally important that you decide the best way to approach your customer base with offers. Depending on the customer and the product or service on offer, deciding on the correct approach is often the difference between closing the sale and losing the sale.

One of the most well-known, as well universally loathed, sales approaches is the hard sell. We’ve probably all been subjected to the hard sell at one time or another. A pushy salesperson that won’t take a hint and won’t back off is no one’s idea of a good purchasing experience. No one wants to be treated like a commodity or an idiot. Unfortunately, the hard sell salesperson does both to their customers. Why mention it here? It’s only to warn you never to employ the hard sell approach on your customer base.

So, if not the hard sell then what is the proper approach? Well, the opposite of the hard sell is the soft sell. Now, the soft sell is a legitimate sales approach. In the right hands, through the use of careful suggestion and comment, it can gently persuade the customer to buy.  Be careful of the soft sell though. With the wrong product or in the wrings hands it can fail miserably.

A sales approach that has stood the test of time is selling against the competition. It’s still being widely used today because it works. You probably encountered this approach the last time you went grocery shopping. To sell against the competition, you simply price an item you sell lower than the price your competitors are charging for that same, or similar, item. Customers love to save money and if you can beat your competitor’s prices and still remain profitable, then those customers will be beating down your door.

Selling on value is another time honoured sales approach. When you sell on value you don’t stoop to getting into price wars with your competitors. Instead, you keep your prices higher and let the customers see the value of your items over the value of your competitor’s items. With high ticket products, this approach is very successful. This is so, mostly because these types of products don’t lend themselves to “bargain” sales. After all, who wants cut rate caviar?

3 Things That Can Cause You to Lose a Sale

Becoming a successful salesperson involves a lot of work. You have to be a technician who understands the specifications of the product you sell as well as the engineers who designed it. You have to be a psychologist who can read and understand a customer’s needs and wants better than the customer themselves. You have to be a social host who can entertain the customer and help them relax. It’s a complex job. 

Yet, much of the information out there that helps you learn this job is focused on the positive steps you need to take to become a better salesperson. This article takes a different approach and will focus on the three things will cause you to lose a potential sale every time.

First, always remember that it is you that matters to the customer, not your sales materials. Many salespeople make the mistake of relying on brochures, handouts and specification sheets instead of their own personalities. This is lazy salesmanship. The customer is going to be influenced by you, not some glossy publication. Likewise, no handout or website can take the place of human talent and contact. Your sales materials are simply a way for the customer to begin to understand the products or services you offer. They are not a substitute for you.

Second, you put a lot of effort and time into each and every sales call. Make sure, at the very beginning of the process that you are talking to the person who has the authority to purchase you products or services. A very great number of salespeople waste a very great amount of time spinning their wheels as a result of not taking this simple step. Don’t waste your by making this same mistake. Make sure that you’re pitching your product or service to the right person.

Third, there are a lot of misconceptions among average people when it comes to sales. One of the biggest of these misconceptions is that successful salespeople are aggressive, hard sellers. Nothing could be further from the truth. The most successful salespeople are actually the ones who have taken the time to hone their game and do the prep work necessary to close a sale. Yet, the misconception continues, largely due to inexperienced salespeople thinking that they actually do have to be aggressive, hard-bitten and callous in order to make a sale.

Don’t buy into this myth yourself. There isn’t a single customer in the world that enjoys or responds positively to a hard sell. The only person you’ll hurt if you do is yourself.

How to NEVER Feel Slimy When Selling

On or off the internet, you are always selling something to someone.

Maybe you’re selling your parents on why they should pay for your college.

Or you’re selling your spouse on why they should let you take that trip with your friends.

Or you’re selling your boss on what a great employee you are, and how you should get a BIG raise starting NOW.

We even sell little things, like getting our kids to go to bed, getting the newspaper carrier to deliver our paper where the sprinklers won’t get it wet, and selling the new cashier on bagging our cans at the bottom of the bag instead of on top of the bread.

“But these types of selling are different,” we tell ourselves. This isn’t selling someone on something they don’t need or want (it might be) This isn’t taking advantage of someone (depends on the point of view) or ripping them off (I hope not).

We’ve learned to equate day to day selling of our friends and relatives on agreeing to our point of view or requests as something other than selling.

And we’ve also been conditioned to think that OTHER kind of selling – the one where you take money in exchange for something – is sleezy, slimy and something no good person should ever do to someone else.

You and I know people don’t like to be sold but they love to buy. And people are afraid – really afraid – of being taken advantage of by a scam.

Yet our job as online marketers is to SELL something. Maybe we’re selling ideas, products, services or whatever. But we are most definitely selling. Even if all you do is blog, you are still selling your visitors on reading your stuff and your advertisers on buying ads from you.

Even social media mavens without a business are selling others on ‘liking’ their posts so they can get the momentary thrill of feeling, “They Like Me!”

How are we supposed to go against years – decades – of being brainwashed to think there is something painfully sleezy about selling?  

How do we get up in the morning EAGER to sell something to someone?

The answer is so simple, and yet so profound, that I’m going to bet you already heard it but forgot it…

Never, ever, ever sell anything you don’t believe in, aren’t excited about or goes against your moral compass. And never, ever make claims that aren’t 100% authentically true. 

When you create a product or service with the intention of helping people, you will never feel bad about selling what you have. You will be able to speak of the value and importance of your product without an ounce of shame.

When you are being totally true to your goal of helping others, it will never even occur to you that you are somehow being a pushy salesperson. Rather, you’ll be able to passionately talk and write about how great your product or service truly is. 

In fact – and here’s the amazing part – if you do this right, you won’t even feel like you are selling at all. 

And this gets even better. Remember when we said that people hate to be sold to, but they love to buy?

When you’re passionately honest about helping others with your product or service, the person being sold to won’t feel like they’re being sold to. That’s because when you’re offering them the thing they want – or more specifically, the benefit they seek – they’re not being sold. Instead, they’re BUYING.

Everyone thinks that advertising doesn’t work on them. “I don’t fall for that malarkey,” they’ll say. But in reality, when someone responds to advertising, they’re not making the connection that they’re being sold to. They were LOOKING for that thing (that benefit) and then they make a rational, educated decision to buy it after reading or hearing about the benefits and features.

So the simplest way to not feel like a slimeball sales person is to only sell things you believe in to people who actually WANT what you’re selling.

Don’t sell hamburgers to vegans.

And don’t sell hamburgers if you are a vegan.

If you’re a vegan, then offer the best vegan burgers possible to vegans, and you will never feel like you are selling a day in your life.