Thursday, November 27, 2008

Close the Sale

Closing the sale is perhaps the most stressful and challenging part of the sales process.
There are secrets that can unlock your very own selling skills.

Here are 3 closing secrets that can easily triple your sales.

#1: The Preference Close- Also called alternative close is based on the fact that people like to have choices. They don't like to be given an ultimatum to either buy it or not buy it. To apply this technique, you simply structure your close by saying, 
"Which of these would you prefer, A or B?"
You should always try to give the customer two choices. Even if you are selling a single product, you can give him two choices with regard to payment, or delivery. 
For example, 
"Would you like this delivered to your office or to your home?" 
"Will that be MasterCard or Visa?"

#2: The Secondary Close- Also called incremental Close, it is extremely popular. It is a way of helping the customer make a big decision by having him make a small decision first. Instead of asking the customer to go ahead with the product or service, you ask a question about a peripheral detail, the acceptance of which means a sale.
For example, you could ask, 
"Would you want this shipped in a wooden crate, or would cardboard be all right?" 
"Would you like us to include the drapes and rods in the offer?" 
"Did you want the standard rims or would you like the customized racing rims on your car?"

In each case, if the customer agrees to or chooses the smaller item, he has indirectly said, "yes" to the entire offering. People often find it easier to agree to small details than they do to making a larger commitment. You get commitment bit by bit to the entire offer.

#3: The Authorization Close- This is often used to conclude multimillion-dollar transactions. 
At the end of the sales conversation, the salesperson simply asks if the prospect has any questions or concerns that haven't been covered. If the prospect has no further questions or concerns, the salesperson takes out the contract, opens it up to the signature page. 
"If you will just authorize this, we'll get started on it right away." 

The word "authorize" is better than the word "sign."  
Offering to "get started right away" is better than sitting there hoping for the best.

Whatever you do, just be prepared to ask for the order.

I wish You Great Success.