Is Your Attitude About Closing All Wrong?

BY Kathy Crosett
Featured image for “Is Your Attitude About Closing All Wrong?”

The end of the year will be here before you know it. And the accounting will begin. You know what I’m talking about. Your manager will be adding up the accounts you closed and the ones that are still hanging. You might be tempted to resort to some old-​school tricks to close the accounts that have been putting you off. Or…you could think about closing the way Amy O’Connor does.

Connor outlined ten closing myths that many salespeople believe. Here are three of those myths and new ways of looking at them.

Urgency

Sales reps think they need to create a sense of urgency to get buyers to make a decision. That’s why so many sales are promoted as limited-​time offers. And that’s also why some reps will tell potential buyers there’s a limited quantity of an item.

O’Connor reminds us of the reality. If a client or prospect has been listening to what you’ve said so far, chances are they have an urgent problem they want to solve. Have you asked the right questions to discover what the problem is?

Product and Price

How many times have you told your manager than you lost a sale because the company across town has better prices? Or, maybe you’re hesitating to ask a big prospect to sign a contract because you’re worried someone else’s product is better? You’re missing the key issue here: value. There will always be competitors. Their products will have some features that seem appealing. Their products might also be lacking key features.

Your job is to discover the problems that give your prospect the most trouble. Then, you can explain how your product or service will help them take care of those problems. Once they see the value in what you’re offering, they’ll want to do business with you.

 Agreement

Have you fallen into the trap of believing that customers must always agree with you? It’s time to leave that mindset behind. During the discovery process, your job is to get the prospect to explain what they’re looking for. Ask them to describe how the solution they envision will solve the problem they’re having. Don’t tell them what you think they need. Most people don’t want to be dictated to. They want understanding and help. When you repeat what you believe you heard and propose a solution, ask, “Will that work for you?” If they say yes, O’Connor points out, they are agreeing with themselves. At that point, they're ready to buy from you.

Check out O’Connor’s entire list and then start changing your attitude about closing. You’ll be bringing your manager more contracts to approve before you know it.


Share: