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How to Close a Sales Call

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Re: How to Close a Sales Call

#21

Post by larrys »

drumdance wrote: post #15

IME the key to closing a sale is to open it in a way that makes the buyer comfortable saying no. If you get them to commit up front to the idea that no is acceptable, even desirable, and that "maybe" is a waste of time (and really just a polite way of saying "no"), the "yes" will be obvious. Example: [At beginning of sales meeting] "I'm going to show you my product and I hope it's a good fit for you. But our product…

"Sandler Sales Institute" (see my other comment).

""I'm going to show you my product and I hope it's a good fit for you. But our product isn't a fit for everyone. So, if you decide that we are not a good fit, are you comfortable telling me no?""

Patronizing to tell anyone with a brain this. Might be good if you are selling home improvements to senior citizens though.

My advice to anyone (edit: who is reading HN, advice in a different forum might differ) who wants to learn how to sell is either to spend actual time in a sales job learning or if you can't do that spend time with experienced but not professionally trained salespeople and learn from them.

Re: How to Close a Sales Call

#23

Post by philwelch »

ajross wrote: post #17
philwelch wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I did find a comment like that, complaining about a predominantly male behavior on a forum for some female-dominated hobby/profession/interest, I wouldn't be surprised or outraged. Some patterns of behavior are more common among one sex than the other; some of those patterns of behavior bother the opposite sex; sometimes people complain about things that bother them.

Which is what I'd expect you to say to your peers on the predominately male-dominated forums you frequent. :) I suspect (based on my own personality) that your personality isn't nearly so confident when you're out of your comfort zone. Now picture a world where that zone outside your comfort is an important part of the career path. To tickle the startup thing: picture a site where a bunch of VCs sit around talking ab…

> just stay silent until you have something "serious" to say

That's my MO on any new forum. I only stopped following that rule on HN as HN itself got increasingly sillier.

And really, your VC example, in reverse, is in full display on HN. There are always articles complaining about unfair shit that VC's pull, and VC's probably talk about unfair shit founders pull. The proper response, assuming you're a VC that doesn't pull unfair shit, is to say "yeah, I hate that shit and I never do that." Look at how Peroni (a recruiter) contributes to the perennial complaining-about-recruiters threads.

The OP is about using indirect, passive-aggressive communication techniques to close sales. I think it's fair game to complain about indirect, passive-aggressive communication techniques and the people who use them, and if someone observes that it tends to be women more often than men, so be it. If you're a woman who doesn't use indirect, passive-aggressive communication techniques, you come into this thread in the same position that Peroni comes into the multitude of threads about how useless recruiters are.

Re: How to Close a Sales Call

#24

Post by helen842000 »

drumdance wrote: post #15

IME the key to closing a sale is to open it in a way that makes the buyer comfortable saying no. If you get them to commit up front to the idea that no is acceptable, even desirable, and that "maybe" is a waste of time (and really just a polite way of saying "no"), the "yes" will be obvious. Example: [At beginning of sales meeting] "I'm going to show you my product and I hope it's a good fit for you. But our product…

I agree that giving people a "get-out" clause allows for more honest answers. It pays off because you don't waste your time chasing the 'maybe' that turn out to be a 'no'.

I think that builds up more trust and pushes more towards a yes than any other technique.

Re: How to Close a Sales Call

#25

Post by rdl »

mstroeck wrote: post #6

Ugh. 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.

Read SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham instead of this (crappy) article, if you're selling "major sales".

http://www.amazon.com/Major-Account-Sales-Strategy-Rackham/d... is good, but SPIN Selling itself is a better intro.

Re: How to Close a Sales Call

#26

Post by barkingllama »

philwelch wrote: post #12
barkingllama wrote: post #7

What'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. But without having coded languages and competing to manipulate each other, sales and business folks wouldn't have much left to do. They call it "people skills". And while being direct and honest might be a good way to communicate, it's not nearly as challenging, so it's not a "people skill" and the Harvard Business Review would have nothing left to write about.

So frustrating that you have to virtually manipulate people to accomplish a goal that ultimately both of you want.

Re: How to Close a Sales Call

#27

Post by ajross »

philwelch wrote: post #23
ajross wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is what I'd expect you to say to your peers on the predominately male-dominated forums you frequent. :) I suspect (based on my own personality) that your personality isn't nearly so confident when you're out of your comfort zone. Now picture a world where that zone outside your comfort is an important part of the career path. To tickle the startup thing: picture a site where a bunch of VCs sit around talking ab…

> just stay silent until you have something "serious" to say That's my MO on any new forum. I only stopped following that rule on HN as HN itself got increasingly sillier. And really, your VC example, in reverse, is in full display on HN. There are always articles complaining about unfair shit that VC's pull, and VC's probably talk about unfair shit founders pull. The proper response, assuming you're a VC that doesn'…

(late reply to late reply, but I couldn't let this one go)

'I think it's fair game to complain about indirect, passive-aggressive communication techniques and the people who use them"

Good grief. No. Just no. Not when the "people who use them" are generalized (maeon3 didn't even hedge with "tend to" like you did) to half the species.

Sorry, that's not objective argumentation, it's plain bigotry.

Would you have stepped up in the same way if he had jumped into to say the darkies are lazy and dumb? That the muslim faith is evil?

I'll just repeat my original "yikes" and leave it at that. People like you make me sad for humanity.

Re: How to Close a Sales Call

#28

Post by philwelch »

ajross wrote: post #27
philwelch wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> just stay silent until you have something "serious" to say That's my MO on any new forum. I only stopped following that rule on HN as HN itself got increasingly sillier. And really, your VC example, in reverse, is in full display on HN. There are always articles complaining about unfair shit that VC's pull, and VC's probably talk about unfair shit founders pull. The proper response, assuming you're a VC that doesn'…

(late reply to late reply, but I couldn't let this one go) ' I think it's fair game to complain about indirect, passive-aggressive communication techniques and the people who use them " Good grief. No. Just no. Not when the "people who use them" are generalized (maeon3 didn't even hedge with "tend to" like you did) to half the species. Sorry, that's not objective argumentation, it's plain bigotry. Would you have step…

I don't think he implied anywhere that all or even most women (mis-) communicate that way, but rather that most people who mis-communicate that way are women. That is a fair observation, and similar comments about men largely pass without comment.

Re: How to Close a Sales Call

#29

Post by ajross »

philwelch wrote: post #28
ajross wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(late reply to late reply, but I couldn't let this one go) ' I think it's fair game to complain about indirect, passive-aggressive communication techniques and the people who use them " Good grief. No. Just no. Not when the "people who use them" are generalized (maeon3 didn't even hedge with "tend to" like you did) to half the species. Sorry, that's not objective argumentation, it's plain bigotry. Would you have step…

I don't think he implied anywhere that all or even most women (mis-) communicate that way, but rather that most people who mis-communicate that way are women. That is a fair observation, and similar comments about men largely pass without comment.

The original post has been edited, but the phrasing was "some women [do this], so I punish them for it". And he went on to use the female pronouns throughout. It was a rant, not an argument. And there wasn't even a tiny nod to the idea that anyone other than a woman would be so afflicted.
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