Closing Techniques That Deal With Objections Early, And Need Only A Few Changes To Your Sales Pitch
Stephen Craine
November 11, 2008
Are your closing techniques out of date? Learn how to close a sale by making a few simple changes to your sales pitch. Close the sale and get major objections out of the way early to make best use of your selling time. Working with my sales team we have developed sales closing skills that work effectively in real sales situations, not just in classroom role-plays.
If you make these simple changes to your sales process, you will only be faced with objections directly related to your products or service when you try to close the deal. These are objections that you can overcome. Objections to sales that are related to the buyer, or their company, are not in your control and can be very difficult to resolve. With this closing technique you bring these objections to the surface early and decide if it´s worth continuing with the sale. A great time saver that allows you to focus your selling time where it will be most productive.
This means you will make more effective use of your sales time because you will know from the start of the meeting whether the buyer can actually buy from you. What a fantastic difference that will make to your sales results. From your first contact with the buyer you will be in a position to decide if you are making the best use of your sales time, and if this buyer is a qualified prospect. My sales teams use these techniques everyday to earn their living. Their jobs, and mine, depend upon the results they achieve with these closing techniques.
In traditional sales training the sales person starts a sales process with an introduction of themselves, their company, and the reason they are meeting with the prospect. Click the link for more information on using an effective Sales Process. This is followed by questions to establish the customer´s needs. Once the needs have been discovered a sales presentation follows, and then finally sales person gets around to trying to close the sale, or gain agreement to the next stage of the process.
That´s a lot of work, and valuable selling time, and now you get the first hint that the buyer may have major reasons why they can´t buy from you. You can be hit with an objection to the sale that you have no control over, and no way of overcoming. These are sales objections that are related to the buyer or their company, not to you or your product. The customer related objections can be: There are other decision makers. The buying process involves their head office. The company is tied into a contract. Budgets are over spent, and many others that stop you closing the sale. Wouldn't it be great if you could bring out these objections before you did all that work?
I train my sales teams on how to close a sale by turning the traditional sales process on its head. They use sales closing techniques at the introduction stage of the meeting, and bring out the buyer related sales objections early in the meeting. When presenting sales training closing techniques I focus on gaining the strongest agreement near the start of the sales process rather than at the usual closing stage, which is after the sales presentation.
Right at the start of the sale explain to the buyer the sales process you would like the meeting to follow. Tell them how you will establish their needs, wants, and desires, and then present the best sales proposal you can offer. Then you will ask them if they are happy with the benefits of the proposal, and if they would like to do business with you.
When you present this sales meeting agenda to the buyer, pitch it as a win-win situation. Highlight the benefits of this agenda for the buyer. Explain how they can
relax, and communicate with you freely, because they know you´re not going to pounce on them if they show a slight buying signal. Your customers can speak freely and hold a conversation with you because they know what´s going to happen. You have mapped out the path the meeting will follow. You have even told them you are going to ask them for a decision on the sales proposal you will offer. You have told them you will try and close the sale. If there is any reason why they can't make that decision they will not agree to your agenda and you can address those issues now, before going on.
When you have presented your proposal, and you try to close the sale, there will be no need for linguistic trickery, or manipulative sales techniques. All it requires is a gentle direct question. You will find it easy to ask, and the buyer will appreciate your directness and honesty. Setting the sales meeting agenda is the important point on which you want to gain their agreement early in the meeting. You are asking, if they like what they see, are they are in a position to buy from you, or to agree to the next stage of the buying process. The strongest closing is done early in the meeting, not suddenly like a coiled trap part way through the meeting.
How strong should the closing techniques be that you use in your introduction? The strength of your agreement-gaining question will vary depending upon the type of sales you are making, and the industry you work in. When selling to one-time sale customers you can use strong up front closing, and agreement gaining, to the sales agenda. A prospect that may become a regular repeat buyer may need a bit more tact and consideration. This is where the real sales skills come into play. Selling isn´t about tricking people into buying something they don´t want, it´s about people skills, and reading the signs so you know what to say next. With all closing techniques there may be objections to the sale. When closing the deal in this way, the sales objections will be related to you, your company, or your product. And these are the objections you can answer.
If you like the idea of closing sales in this way, and can see how it may work for you, give it a try. Take a look at more information on these closing techniques and How to Close a Sale, and then decide if it´s right for you.
If you make these simple changes to your sales process, you will only be faced with objections directly related to your products or service when you try to close the deal. These are objections that you can overcome. Objections to sales that are related to the buyer, or their company, are not in your control and can be very difficult to resolve. With this closing technique you bring these objections to the surface early and decide if it´s worth continuing with the sale. A great time saver that allows you to focus your selling time where it will be most productive.
This means you will make more effective use of your sales time because you will know from the start of the meeting whether the buyer can actually buy from you. What a fantastic difference that will make to your sales results. From your first contact with the buyer you will be in a position to decide if you are making the best use of your sales time, and if this buyer is a qualified prospect. My sales teams use these techniques everyday to earn their living. Their jobs, and mine, depend upon the results they achieve with these closing techniques.
In traditional sales training the sales person starts a sales process with an introduction of themselves, their company, and the reason they are meeting with the prospect. Click the link for more information on using an effective Sales Process. This is followed by questions to establish the customer´s needs. Once the needs have been discovered a sales presentation follows, and then finally sales person gets around to trying to close the sale, or gain agreement to the next stage of the process.
That´s a lot of work, and valuable selling time, and now you get the first hint that the buyer may have major reasons why they can´t buy from you. You can be hit with an objection to the sale that you have no control over, and no way of overcoming. These are sales objections that are related to the buyer or their company, not to you or your product. The customer related objections can be: There are other decision makers. The buying process involves their head office. The company is tied into a contract. Budgets are over spent, and many others that stop you closing the sale. Wouldn't it be great if you could bring out these objections before you did all that work?
I train my sales teams on how to close a sale by turning the traditional sales process on its head. They use sales closing techniques at the introduction stage of the meeting, and bring out the buyer related sales objections early in the meeting. When presenting sales training closing techniques I focus on gaining the strongest agreement near the start of the sales process rather than at the usual closing stage, which is after the sales presentation.
Right at the start of the sale explain to the buyer the sales process you would like the meeting to follow. Tell them how you will establish their needs, wants, and desires, and then present the best sales proposal you can offer. Then you will ask them if they are happy with the benefits of the proposal, and if they would like to do business with you.
When you present this sales meeting agenda to the buyer, pitch it as a win-win situation. Highlight the benefits of this agenda for the buyer. Explain how they can
relax, and communicate with you freely, because they know you´re not going to pounce on them if they show a slight buying signal. Your customers can speak freely and hold a conversation with you because they know what´s going to happen. You have mapped out the path the meeting will follow. You have even told them you are going to ask them for a decision on the sales proposal you will offer. You have told them you will try and close the sale. If there is any reason why they can't make that decision they will not agree to your agenda and you can address those issues now, before going on.
When you have presented your proposal, and you try to close the sale, there will be no need for linguistic trickery, or manipulative sales techniques. All it requires is a gentle direct question. You will find it easy to ask, and the buyer will appreciate your directness and honesty. Setting the sales meeting agenda is the important point on which you want to gain their agreement early in the meeting. You are asking, if they like what they see, are they are in a position to buy from you, or to agree to the next stage of the buying process. The strongest closing is done early in the meeting, not suddenly like a coiled trap part way through the meeting.
How strong should the closing techniques be that you use in your introduction? The strength of your agreement-gaining question will vary depending upon the type of sales you are making, and the industry you work in. When selling to one-time sale customers you can use strong up front closing, and agreement gaining, to the sales agenda. A prospect that may become a regular repeat buyer may need a bit more tact and consideration. This is where the real sales skills come into play. Selling isn´t about tricking people into buying something they don´t want, it´s about people skills, and reading the signs so you know what to say next. With all closing techniques there may be objections to the sale. When closing the deal in this way, the sales objections will be related to you, your company, or your product. And these are the objections you can answer.
If you like the idea of closing sales in this way, and can see how it may work for you, give it a try. Take a look at more information on these closing techniques and How to Close a Sale, and then decide if it´s right for you.
Print
Share
Email
