How to Close a Sales Call
blogs.hbr.org
How to Close a Sales Call
1–10 of 29 posts
Re: How to Close a Sales Call
#2Log on to the website www.piclovers.blogspot.com and clear the mis-understandings on Islam. Some important facts to know about islam
Re: How to Close a Sales Call
#3My own favorite sales technique to find out the upper range of a buyer is to casually ask 'up to' when they reveal their budget
Re: How to Close a Sales Call
#4Some people, (edit) men/women do this so much that I punish the behavior. Instead of then saying "I would rather you not do X" they come up with some cryptic encoded message that leaves you wondering why they said it and what they want. The one issuing cryptic messages often gets angry when things do not change the way they expected. When people do this to me, I go out of my way to not read their mind and not give them what they want. If you are going to communicate like a 6 year old then expect that you wont always get your way.
Re: How to Close a Sales Call
#5Some people, (edit) men/women do this so much that I punish the behavior. Instead of then saying "I would rather you not do X" they come up with some cryptic encoded message that leaves you wondering why they said it and what they want. The one issuing cryptic messages often gets angry when things do not change the way they expected. When people do this to me, I go out of my way to not read their mind and not give th…
And people wonder why women feel excluded from technical forums. Yikes.
(The edit makes it better, but the fact that this was written about "some women" in the abstract who need to be "punished" for doing it remains really disturbing. This was a complete tangent to the linked article, not a point that really needed to be made. How would you react if you pulled up a forum comment where the top post talked about how "Some geeks are so socially awkward that I can't understand them. So I punish them for it". See the point? What you did was deliberately exclusionary: it's just plain mean. Stop it.)
Re: How to Close a Sales Call
#6Ugh. Please don't read this and think you know anything about "closing" a sale. Closing techniques work well for small, unimportant, everyday purchases.
They do not work at all on sophisticated buyers. They might in fact cost you the sale.
The rule of thumb is: If there is any chance that the prospective customer might have heard of such a thing as a closing technique - DON'T USE THEM.
Re: How to Close a Sales Call
#7What's wrong with "Thanks for your time and allowing me to discuss product x with you. Is there any reason why you think this wouldn't be a good fit for your problem y? I want your business, and I look forward to working with you further."
Re: How to Close a Sales Call
#8Ugh. Please don't read this and think you know anything about "closing" a sale. Closing techniques work well for small, unimportant, everyday purchases. They do not work at all on sophisticated buyers. They might in fact cost you the sale. The rule of thumb is: If there is any chance that the prospective customer might have heard of such a thing as a closing technique - DON'T USE THEM.
I disagree. I've been in sales for 12 years and it all happened by accident. I took a sales job because nothing else was available, so I just acted like my overly polite, "nothing to lose" Southern hospitality self. My closing technique in many occasions was not to use a line at all. People expected me to "close them". When I didn't,m and just sat there with my mouth shut, people were eager to buy, if only because they didn't feel pressured.
Closing techniques simply place the customer in the mindset that "there are constraints to buying everything, and these are my constraints to buying this thing."
Closing techniques are used everyday, even by yourself. However, most are unaware (even users of techniques) that a technique has just been used.
Ever go to buy something at your local Apple store and the employee whips out their mobile payment device and says "I can check you out right here. Any employee can help you pay for your item at any time."? That's a closing technique. Your constraints are that you are free from finding a checkout and standing in a long line. Because you realize "Hey, these aren't really aren't constraints at all! Buying from Apple is swift and easy!" That's Apple's closing technique... embedding in your mind that buying from them is never pushy and always helpful.
The techniques listed in the article are a little cliche, but true nonetheless.
Re: How to Close a Sales Call
#9What's wrong with "Thanks for your time and allowing me to discuss product x with you. Is there any reason why you think this wouldn't be a good fit for your problem y? I want your business, and I look forward to working with you further."
Nothing is wrong with that approach. Your job in sales is to genuinely guide people. You are the expert and that's why they're talking to you... because they want to, and they want you to guide them. If you don't guide them (genuinely!) then you are not doing your job. If you think that they as a customer or the product/service is not a good fit, don't move things forward.
You are not an order taker... you are not a salesperson... you are a solutions consultant/provider. As far as setting a "time to follow-up"... absolutely, you should. If they drag things out, politely and professionally give them a "Sounds like you're looking at multiple options at the moment and our might be an option. How about you look at the competition, and give me a call if you need help with options... even if my product/service is no longer in the running." They don't feel sold at that point... they feel taken care of.
This is your livelihood and if they control your schedules, indecisive and stringing you along... no worries, there are simply others who need your guidance.
Re: How to Close a Sales Call
#10Ugh. Please don't read this and think you know anything about "closing" a sale. Closing techniques work well for small, unimportant, everyday purchases. They do not work at all on sophisticated buyers. They might in fact cost you the sale. The rule of thumb is: If there is any chance that the prospective customer might have heard of such a thing as a closing technique - DON'T USE THEM.
Last summer I spent a day on a motorcycle tour with two retired IBM salesmen. They reminisced sales stories all afternoon. I couldn't believe the amount of preparation and planned sales tactics they employed. A blue suit was required at all times because blue conveys trust and will result in a higher sale.