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the sale is not complete until the order is signed, the merchandise is delivered and paid for, and the customer is happy.
Think about it this way. When the prospect says, “Too high,” or “Not interested,” he is merely saying or implying that he is not going to give you his “big” stack of money for your “little” stack of benefits. In those cases, be like my Redhead and become a little “hard of hearing.”
she took the extra amount, the eighteen thousand dollars, and broke it into such small units that it wouldn’t even require a financial Pepto-Bismol. The late sales trainer J. Douglas Edwards called this the “reduction to the ridiculous.”
In the world of selling you look for the opponent’s (prospect’s) weakness (need) so you can strengthen it by selling him your goods or services. Yes, the sales process is something we do for the prospect and not to the prospect. Conclusion: If you are truly professional, you will seek every legitimate means for persuading the prospect to take action for his or her benefit.
There are five basic reasons people will not buy from you. These are: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, and no trust.
People buy what they want when they want it more than they want the money it costs.
The “Bride” Close
Early in my sales career I learned to agree with the prospect, and it has been very productive for me.
The bride, white of hair, is stooped over her cane, Her footsteps—uncertain—need guiding. While down the opposite church aisle with a wan, toothless smile The bridegroom in wheelchair comes riding. Now who is this elderly couple, thus wed? Well, you’ll find when you’ve closely explored it That here is that rare, most conservative pair Who waited “till they could afford it!” From Timid Salesmen Have Skinny Kids by Judge Ziglar
In addition, I kept quiet while she was voicing her objections. This made her feel better and helped her “talk herself” into buying.
My good friend and fellow sales trainer John Hammond teaches salespeople to stand up, put their hands on their shoulders, and sweep away that little sales-killing devil who is whispering in their ears, “Your situation is different so this doesn’t apply to you.”
My good friend and colleague Mike Frank, who has made, by actual count, over 19,000 “warm” calls (negative folks call them “cold” calls), points out that the key to dealing successfully with averages is to (1) make enough calls or presentations; (2) be as effective as possible on every call; and (3) make mental and/or written notes on every call as to what you did right, what you could have done better, and how you can make your next presentation even more effective.
No, the prospect won’t change his mind, but he will be delighted to make a new decision, based on new information. Example: “Why didn’t you tell me the property was outside the city limits and I won’t have to pay city taxes?” He’s in the process of making a new decision based on new information. “Why didn’t you tell me we could print on both sides of the paper? Even though it’s a little more expensive per sheet, it saves us money because we double the usage.” He’s making a new decision based on new information.
Closes Should Be Educational Each close you use should be an educational process by which you are able to raise the value of the product or service in the prospect’s mind.
Closing Is Not Natural
Of all the skills we acquire, perhaps none is less natural than the skill of the closer. This is especially true for those of us who are part of another generation, and to a degree this is still true today. Almost from birth we have been told not to ask for everything we see or want. As children we were told that asking wasn’t nice and indicated concern only for self. We were conditioned to wait until things were offered.
As a salesperson you need to understand that every close you learn and use should give the prospect a reason to buy, an excuse for buying, or information so that he can act intelligently in his own best interests.
Voice Training to Close Sales
voice inflection is the most important single undeveloped skill you need to concentrate on in your pursuit of professional sales excellence.
Dealing with the Price Objection
You Justify or He Defends To the one who is dogmatic and says, “THAT PRICE IS RIDICULOUS!” you repeat, almost verbatim, what he said: “The price [pause] is ridiculous?” (Your voice inflection should make it sound like a question.) Inflection is important because in this example you are, as one of my mentors, the late Charlie Cullen, would have said, “audaciously” challenging the prospect. You’re creating a situation that forces him to defend his statement instead of you justifying the price. There’s quite a difference. One puts you on the defense and the other puts you on the offense. The
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Suppose the prospect says, “It seems to me the price is a little out of line.” The first thing you’ve got to determine is whether the price really is the problem or there is another issue. You make that determination by asking questions. Sales trainer John Hammond has successfully handled thousands of objections by asking: “If there were a way I could show you that the price is more than fair and the product is worth every dime we’re asking, would you go ahead and take advantage of our offer today?” This forces the prospect to make a commitment based on price when his real objection is color,
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The “Fear of Loss” Close Now you’re dealing with something which is very basic, so let me repeat. The fear of loss is greater than the desire for gain. You need to establish in that prospect’s mind the fact that he’s safe in dealing with you, that he won’t lose (either money or “face”) by buying from you, but that he will lose (product benefits) if he doesn’t buy from you. One effective way to do this is to say to the prospect, “Mr. Prospect, you’re going to be concerned about price one time. That’s the day you buy. You’re going to be concerned with quality for the life of the product itself.
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If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that then you will have enough to pay for something better.” That makes sense, doesn’t it?
The “Cost” Close Here’s a question you ask when your prospect talks about price: “Mr. Prospect, if you could convince yourself [don’t ever say, ‘If I could convince you,’ because he’s not interested in you convincing him of anything] that the price is more than fair, would you be willing to go ahead with a yes decision today?” If that question gets a yes answer, then you ask the next question, which is a very significant one. You eyeball the prospect and say, “Mr. Prospect, since you are obviously concerned about price, let me make certain we’re communicating. Are you really that interested in
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Seeing Is Believing You: “Well, Mr. Prospect, let me explain it this way.” (Now get your “talking pad”4 ready for use. Prospects are inclined to believe what they see. If you write it down, not only are they more likely to believe it, but chances are great they will understand it better as well.)
“Cheap” Costs More
“Now, Mr. Prospect, let me point this out. The price of the economy bicycle was considerably less ($34.95 vs. $64.95), but the cost difference was even more ($9 a month vs. $6.50 a year). So, Mr. Prospect, may I ask you again, is it price you’re concerned with, or is it cost? Price
Some companies can beat us on price, but, Mr. Prospect, when it comes to cost, we win that battle. Since you are obviously cost-conscious, doesn’t it make good sense to immediately start enjoying the lowest possible cost?”
Objection: The price is too high. You: “Mr. Prospect, our company had to make a choice between building our product as cheaply as possible and selling it as a get-by product, or building quality into the product for service, durability, and your long-lasting enjoyment. In short, for long-range value and benefit. With this decision facing us, we tried to put ourselves in your shoes. We felt you would prefer to deal with a company that puts everything possible into its product to make it the best and most useful, rather than a company that uses cheap materials and cheap labor to turn out a
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Mr. Prospect, many years ago our company made a basic decision. We decided that it would be easier to explain price one time than it would be to apologize for quality forever. [Slight pause.] And I’ll bet you’re glad we made that decision, aren’t you?” If you are selling that low-ticket item, this last one might be the only one you will use. In situations involving considerable sums of money, it can be the icing on the cake that moves the prospect into the buyer’s chair.
When your prospect makes the statement “You’ve got an answer for everything,” if you want to further your career, you need to lower your voice, look him in the eye, and slowly, softly say, “Mr. Prospect, I really appreciate that comment and I’m going to take it as a compliment. But actually I don’t have an answer for many of the questions and objections people bring to me. That’s the reason I’m excited about selling the product which is the answer to your problem. And that’s what you really want, isn’t it [nodding your head as you talk]?”
he delivers everything he sells. (I’m personally convinced our divorce rate would be reduced 90 percent if men and women delivered in marriage what they sold while courting.
Compliments Improve Competence
You’ve got to believe, because as Bernie Lofchick from Winnipeg, Canada, the greatest sales manager I know, says, ‘Believers are closers.’ ”
In a nutshell, closers own what they sell.
I urge you to read Russell Conwell’s Acres of Diamonds, which beautifully illustrates the fact that opportunity and “gold mines” are everywhere—including right where you are. You can and will find exactly what you look for in your life.
To be truly professional you must be able to move comfortably from the seller’s side of the table to the buyer’s side. If you know how your prospect thinks and feels, you’re definitely going to sell more of what you’re selling because you will communicate more effectively.
When we separate the word business into its component letters, B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S, we find that U and I are both in it. In fact, if U and I were not in business, it would not be business. Furthermore, we discover that U comes before I in business and the I is silent—it is to be seen, not heard. Also, the U in business has the sound of I, which indicates it is an amalgamation of the interests of U and I. When they are properly amalgamated, business becomes harmonious, profitable, and pleasant.
He looked the prospect in the eye and said, “Tell me, sir, in addition to those things, would there be any other reason you could not go ahead and protect the lives of your family by installing these smoke-and-fire detectors in your home?”
He took the reason the old boy was giving him as to why he could not buy and used that as the reason he must buy. I don’t care what you sell, the odds are at least ten to one that the prospect’s reason for not buying can be used as a reason he should buy.
As you explore what empathy and ego are all about, you’ll discover that what I’m really saying is, “Move to the prospect’s side of the table, identify the problem, get involved in the solution, and your closing percentage will increase.”
There’s an old adage which says, If you’re going to sell John Jones what John Jones buys, you’ve got to sell John Jones through John Jones’ eyes. That’s empathy.
One of my early mentors, the late Dr. Emol Fails of Raleigh, North Carolina, said you don’t build a business—you build people—and then people build the business.
I might also add that if a customer leaves disgruntled, he will tell an average of eleven other people about the problem. That can really be costly.
What the late Fred Herman titled his excellent book on selling is true: Selling Is Simple (Not Easy).
I Am a Salesman I am proud to be a salesman because more than any other man I, and millions of others like me, built America. The man who builds a better mousetrap—or a better anything—would starve to death if he waited for people to beat a pathway to his door. Regardless of how good, or how needed, the product or service might be, it has to be sold. Eli Whitney was laughed at when he showed his cotton gin. Edison had to install his electric light free of charge in an office building before anyone would even look at it. The first sewing machine was smashed to pieces by a Boston mob. People
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My favorite is The Aerobics Program for Total Well-Being by Dr. Kenneth Cooper. I jogged for nineteen years, but Dr. Cooper’s latest research reveals that over the long haul fast walking is even better.
As Vince Lombardi said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”
I urge you to read Behavioral Kinesiology by Dr. John Diamond to find out which music is good for you, which is bad for you, and why.
