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Sales Techniques & Closing The Deal

You have just spent half an hour talking to a prospective customer, and it’s time to close the deal and win the sale. This is probably the most crucial stage of the selling presentation. After all, if the prospective customer does not sign on the dotted line, you have wasted your time.

Salespeople do not have to be ruthless to win the sale. In fact, customers are more likely to ignore the pushy salesperson, in favor of one who listens to their needs. A salesperson does not only want to close the deal and earn the commission for the sale.

Those who excel in the art of sales know that a winning closing sales strategy is one that results in repeat business and the chance of further referrals. First rate salespeople focus on building relationships that lead to future business opportunities, as well as closing the deal on this one.

There are many different techniques a salesperson can use to close the sale. Often, a combination of techniques will work best. You may even need to change your technique, depending on the flow of the conversation with the customer.

Every individual customer is different and will have different reasons for purchasing your product or service. Exceptional salespeople will use the lead up conversation to discover the clues as to why the customer wants the product. Then, when it comes to closing the sale, these reasons are used to reinforce the customer’s decision to buy.

Closing Clues
Generally, customers will give verbal and non-verbal clues about which of the many benefits of the product or service is most important. Remember, each customer will have different perceptions about the product. Paying close attention to what the customer is saying will help you to discover the closing clues. These are the clues that will help you to close the deal.

Questions are common verbal closing clues. If the customer asks specific questions, especially those focused on credit plans or payments, delivery dates, or warranties, it is a clue that they are ready to commit to the sale. Now is a good time to trial a close.

Recognition statements will also show the customer is ready for the sale to close. These are any positive statements that revert back to the relevant factor you have previously mentioned in your sales spiel. Examples of recognition statements include:
➢ “I like the quality control system on this product.”
➢ “You are the first person who can solve our problem.”
➢ “I’ve always wanted to own a car like this.”

The final type of verbal clue from the customer is a condition that must be met before the customer will purchase the product or service. This is called a requirement clue. If you are able to meet that requirement, it is a good time to try to close the sale. Customer requirements can vary, but could be focused on delivery time, monthly repayments, or even colour availability.

Non-verbal closing clues are subtle and you need to focus your attention on the customer to pick up on the hints the customer is ready to close the deal. Focus on body movement, facial expression and tone of voice. If the facial expression changes, eyes widen and the customer shows genuine interest in what you are saying, this could be the point to reinforce when you close the deal.

Other non verbal clues include nodding to show agreement, leaning forward and facing their entire body towards you and studying the sales literature or brochure intently.

When you observe these non-verbal closing clues, it is time to close the deal and make the sale. During modern sales presentations, these clues could surface at any time, so being ready for them is helpful. You don’t want to spend another 20 minutes discussing benefits of the product, if the customer is ready to sign the order form at that point.

Trial Close
A trial close is a closing attempt made at an opportune time during the sales presentation to encourage the customer to reveal how likely it is that they will purchase the product. It is an easy method to use to test the customer’s attitude towards the actual purchase. Often a trial close will be presented in the form of a probing question, such as:
➢ Which do you prefer, the red or the blue finish?
➢ Will a down payment be possible today?
➢ Did you want to include installation costs in the price, or would you want to install the product yourself?

Successful sales people may use the trial close several times during the sales presentation. After the salesperson introduces the customer to a feature of the product, getting the customer to agree on the benefit is important and can be done with a trial close question.

Assumption Close
Another technique thriving salespeople use to close the deal is the assumption close. Simply, the salesperson makes the assumption the customer is going to buy. Towards the end of your planned sales pitch, if you have identified the customer’s need for the product, presented an effective demonstration and negotiated buyer resistance satisfactorily, you can safely assume the customer is ready to purchase. In the assumption close, you assume the prospective customer has purchased the product, and ask one or more questions regarding minor points, along the lines of “Will next Tuesday be suitable for delivery, or did you need it sooner?”

You can even start writing up the order and then ask the customer for a signature at the bottom, or clarify specific details such as the color scheme being ordered. Some customers may feel pressured by this type of close, so you must do this with a positive mental attitude and feel confident that the customer is actually ready to buy.

Direct Appeal Close
This sort of closing is the most simple to do. Ask for the order in a straightforward manner. This style of closing is especially suitable for people who appear decisive. However, using a direct appeal close too early in the sales presentation will often lose you the sale. You must be certain the customer has displayed a definite interest in the product and gain the customer’s respect as a salesperson before you can successfully initiate this direct appeal to close the deal.

Summary Of Benefits Close
This technique is a subtler approach to the direct appeal and gives you a chance to reinforce the benefits of the product that the customer found particularly appealing. This is an effective technique when you have presented a wealth of information about the product. In the process of providing a summary of the benefits, you present a very positive overall picture of the product.

After the Close
Once you have closed the deal, using one or a combination of the above techniques, you will have established a relationship with the customer. Before the customer leaves, ensure all details related to the purchase agreement are completed. Confirm the sale with the customer and get the all important signature.

However, if the customer says no, you have two options. You can continue the presentation and hope to close the deal later in the presentation, or you can decide to let the customer go. Successful sales people will always discover what the ‘breaking point’ of the sale was for the customer; that is the reason why the customer has decided not to buy the product.

You may discover a point you have not covered about the product and will be able to change the customer’s mind. Even if you can’t change that particular customer’s answer to a yes, you can learn from the experience and can build on the relationship for future sales.

If the customer wants to look at your competition, you can emphasize the facets of your product or service that are better than your competition. Often a customer will return to make the sale with you after favorable comparisons.

Closing the deal is a distinct skill. Without it, you will not survive as a salesperson. With a highly developed aptitude for reading the customer’s closing clues and knowing when and how to close the deal, a salesperson will always be a success.

By Hayley Hunkin