As sales people we’re taught to “Always Be Closing” (ABC) and to an extent this is true, but some closing techniques like suggesting you are providing a one-time only offer to push for decision now can come across as pushy and insincere.
The idea of closing itself needs to encompass any and all incremental agreements you secure throughout a sales process, not just the moment of final purchase.
In a sales engagement, we need to discover the customer’s needs and effectively communicate how specific products or services offer an affordable and satisfactory solution to those needs. If these two requirements are properly achieved, then there should be no barrier to closure. The closing question can be asked directly at that point.
So here are some techniques you can use to avoid coming across as salesy.
1. Question Closes
To achieve these two critical goals, it’s imperative that we ask prospects probing questions. Effective salespeople focus on closing a sale as soon as a conversation with a prospect begins. Through a series of questions, they build a desire in the client and eliminate every objection to purchase.
For example: “In your opinion, does what I am offering solve your problem?” or “Is there any reason why we can’t proceed with the shipment?”
2. Assumptive Closes
This closing technique draws on the power of positive thinking. If you believe, from the first piece of email outreach, you will close this deal, it can have an incredible effect on the rest of the sales process.
What’s important here is to closely monitor your prospect’s interest, engagement, and objections throughout. After a call or meeting, ask, “Did this presentation meet your expectations?” If you’ve just provided them with new information about your product or service, ask, “Does this sound like something that would be valuable to your company? Does this meet a specific need or pain point?”
Assuming the prospect says “yes” to questions like these, we can close with “so when would you like to schedule delivery?” You’re not asking for the order, you’re simply assuming that the prospect wants to go ahead and buy.
3. Take Away Closes
If you have children, you’ve probably noticed that if you take a toy away from them, then they’ll want it more than ever. You can use the same technique on your prospects.
If they’re objecting on price, remove a feature or service and present the discounted offer to them. It’s likely, they’ll be thinking about the part you removed rather than the discounted price.
4. Soft Closes
The soft close is a way to show your prospect the benefit of your product and then ask a low-impact question to ascertain whether they’d be open to learning more. For example, “If I could reduce widget maintenance by 25% and increase widget productivity by 15%, would you be interested in learning more?” You’ve clearly stated the benefits without making any demands or sudden requests.
Being skilled at closing is arguably one of the most important techniques a salesperson can master. If you’d like to improve your closing skills, then maybe we can help.
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