Closing the sale isn’t something that happens in the last few minutes of a sales call. Unfortunately, the traditional rep still doesn’t see it that way. They feel if they conduct a “needs analysis,” present their company’s offerings, and then ask for the business, this is the close that is needed to win the business.
There aren’t any real “tricks” when it comes to closing business. Instead there are crucial milestones that when achieved will greatly increase your chances of helping the prospect.
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Understanding what the real problem is: Too many times reps fail to truly identify what the real gap is for a potential client. Instead they hear one small potential challenge a prospective client may be having and they are off to the races, telling them how they will help with it and how much it will cost. If your people are caught in this trap they are only fulfilling an existing demand instead of truly creating it.
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Understanding why it is truly a problem: If you help people help their prospective customers to find their “why,” it will help them find their “way.” When a prospective customer does not have a compelling reason to change and fails to truly understand why their current situation is a problem, their sense of urgency decreases and today’s excitement turns into tomorrow’s backburner.
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Understanding the impact: Too many times it can be a challenge for prospective clients to know what to budget for help. By helping them discover the true impact of their challenges – and this impact does not always mean financial impact – it allows people to walk through an intellectual decision process after they have been emotionally brought in. Impact helps clarify wishy-washy budgets, helps potential clients tighten up timeframes to decide, and allows them to truly understand the impact you can have on their organization.
There shouldn’t be an obvious close, a drum roll, or pressure when it comes to the end of a sales call. Great closers are excellent qualifiers. By implementing these 3 key milestones along with the other key qualifier aspects, you will notice not only that more business closes, but that it also closes faster.
