MoneyMaker #22: 99% of problems that occur during Closing can be traced directly to the Inquiry (needs analysis) portion of the sales call.

Many customers want us to cure their problem without knowing what ails them. We must find out the details of their needs in the Inquiry stage. If we don’t, we can’t sell them. All we can do is quote them. Quoting is not profitable, selling is.

If you ask your customer a pertinent question in the Inquiry process and they won’t give you an answer, or give you a vague answer, you must find out the answer to this question before moving on. This is what I call a “Mini-Close.” A Mini-Close is any information you will need at Closing that comes up before the actual Close. Many sellers let these Mini-Closes go. They are afraid of upsetting their customer. They are afraid of, or avoid conflict resolution during the Inquiry stage and then are shocked when they can’t resolve conflict when it comes time to Close!

Most often, for example, the question of price is left untouched because the seller doesn’t want to deal with it. Cover price and any other possible need areas in the Inquiry stage!

Money Maker #48: As sellers, we have control of our own beginning. We have a choice. The Closer’s Choice is for a positive start to conversations.

Negative Start

“Hi John, you probably already bought this, and I don’t know if this price will work for you but, …”

I would write the rest of the example, but it doesn’t matter what you say after this kind of negative start.

Positive Start

“Hi, John, I’ve got you taken care of on the truck of 4/4 FAS Red Oak we’ve been looking for. Quick shipment is important to us, and we’ve got the wood ready and the truck is idling in the mill yard, Just give me a purchase order number and we’ll get this shipment moving. Do you want to put on more than one?”

New or weak sellers think this kind of start is impossible. They think, “The customer will never go for that”. In some ways - the wrong ways - they are right. Many customers don’t agree to buy on the initial try, no matter how positive we are. But over time, they will. Sales is an ongoing process. If, over time, we give our customers professional sales calls, we will begin to reap professional results.
What is important is that the initial tone of the call is set. We are going to do business. This is a sales (not a quote) call. You communicate to your customer, “I have thought about your needs in advance and expect to get the business.” This initial, positive, attitude sets the tone for the rest of the call and in most cases leads to a sale.

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MoneyMaker:From your first contact with your customer, everything you say, do, and listen for moves you and your customer towards your Close.

The Close can be a smooth transition from a well thought out presentation. Experienced salespeople will tell you that customers will “Close themselves”. To those of us who have struggled for years in the selling trade, especially at the moment of Closing, this seems a fabrication if not an extreme exaggeration. Great salespeople do the pre-Close work so customers do Close themselves.

Because Closing comes at the end (not always the case) doesn’t mean it is the most or least important part of your sales presentation. It is part of the whole.

Buyer reluctance is often present before we even show up; therefore we have to make it easy for our customer to say yes. A good Closing presentation from beginning to end makes it easy for our customer to say yes.