You have looked at handling objections when selling and now you're going to look at how to use sales closing techniques.
In sales closing techniques, reminding prospects of products' benefits and asking for commitment is what you want to do. Once you have touched on one product, you move to the next one. After you have completed everything, you want to record and analyze the call before making the next one.
What you're going to explore in this article are:
- a) Closing sales techniques
- b) Bridging to the next product
- c) Follow up on a sales call
A. Techniques For Closing A Sales
Closing is merely asking for a commitment from prospects. You might have made this the goal of your sales call. You probably have been preparing for this from the start.
Of course, you do not always reach your goal.
Knowing when to close is essential. If you asked too early, it's hard to ask for it later. If you asked too late, it might not happen at all. It's important to 'feel' for the right moment and just go ahead and do it. You can observe the moment through checking for receptivity - listening, probing, and trial closing.
If objections occur, you already knew how to handle them, and you use a trial close again. Rinse and repeat until you gain a commitment.
A.1 So here are the 4 steps to closing:
- Summarize benefits
- Ask for commitment
- Thank the prospect
- Present sample (when appropriate)
A.1.1 Summarize the benefits
Summarizing the benefits of your product:
- a) Remind the prospect of the benefits you've discussed during your presentation
- b) Highlight the affirmative which reinforces their receptivity and prepares them to 'Yes.'
- c) Builds your confidence and conviction, preparing you to ask for a commitment
A.1.2 Ask for commitment
Commitment should be specific, results-oriented, and realistic. You want your prospect to do something.
For example, asking if you could leave samples is not entirely a result-oriented commitment.
B. Bridging
Many of us promote more than one product. Once you have effectively present and perhaps, close one product, you want to move to the next one. Making the transition is called "bridging." A simple way is to use the benefit of the product you've just close to connect to the other product.
What are some areas of commonality you can use to bridge from one product to another?
C. Follow up call
After completing the request, your task is almost done. One last step is to prepare for the next call - the follow-up.
Follow up call consists of two components:
- record your call
- analyze your call.
Follow upstarts with recording your call. There is specific info that needs to be registered, not all, but particular info. Analyzing a call works better if you have a system. It might be daunting, initially, but as time goes on, it will become second nature.
C.1 Recording a sales call
When you are preparing for the next call, you want to be able to gather info based on previous calls to the prospect. After a call is completed, record new input from that call to your existing record.
Your next call might be a few months away and recording the call will aid you in your call preparation. You're not guessing or relying too much on your memory, which could easily be mixed up.
You want to record:
- a) What you've discussed with the prospect
- b) What commitment they have agreed to
- c) Prospect perspective on your products and those of the competitors
- d) What prospect need to know to use the product
- e) The unanswered issue to be dealt with in the next call
- f) Any relevant idiosyncrasies
- g) Missing/incomplete prospect's background info
- i) Your next call objective
C.2 Analyze your call
To master a new skill, practice and feedback are essential. You can give your own feedback right after a call. You can capture the critical point by doing this immediately.
Here are a few pointers to help you with your analysis:
C.2.1 Preparation for the sales call
What was your objective?Did you achieve it?
How to better prepare for the call?
C.2.2 Presenting the product
Did you gain the prospect's interest?Did you start with a problem?
Did you focus too much on a feature?
Did you prove your sales message?
Did you use visual aid?
C.2.3 Check for receptivity
Did you probe for more info?Did you trial close?
C.2.4 Handling sales objections
What objection prospect come up with?How did you handle it?
C.2.5 Closing the sales
What commitment did you ask for?What was the response?
Did you bridge to the next product?
Did you get other commitments?