The Business of Closing the Sale Without Killing It

You must be able to coordinate your sales talk to service whatever step in the selling process the customer has arrived at in their mind.

Remember, the five fundamental states of mind that comprises the selling process are curiosity, interest, conviction, desire, and decision and action.

While you are giving your sales presentation pay strict attention to how your prospect responds to your sales talk. Of course, if the prospect is already at the second or third stage of the selling process, you should move on to the next stage.

Always try to find out what the prospect wants most out of your goods. Some people will be interested in every aspect of your proposition. Some will choose one, or two things that are of the greatest value to them.

Say a salesperson is selling a popcorn machine and they have told the customer all the benefits of owning one.

Salesman:
"Mrs. Jones, this popper cleans up in a breeze. All parts except the stand can be immersed in water and dishwasher safe, so it will be easy to keep clean. This machine will leave few kernels unpopped. In fact, each tasty morsel will be plump and wholesome. Our little popper does the job of some of the more expensive brands on the market and at a third of the price. And it will not only produce the best tasting popcorn, it will save you time, energy and money."

Mrs. Jones:
"Did you say the popper comes apart and each piece can be immersed in water?"

Salesman:
"Yes Mrs. Jones, everything but the stand. All of the parts to the popper come apart for easy clean up. They can be washed in your kitchen sink, or dishwasher. This will do away with greasy build up since it only takes a little soap and water to clean it and no elbow grease."

Mrs. Jones:
"How much is it?"

Salesman:
"It regularly sells for $19.95, but we've reduced the price for our grand opening. Your price today is just $15.95."

Mrs. Jones:
"I'll take two of them. One for my mother and one for myself."

Salesman:
"You've made an excellent choice Mrs. Jones."

The salesman picks up two popcorn machines and goes to the cash register to type up the order. He stopped selling because he closed the sale.

In the above example Mrs. Jones was most interested in the easy clean up. The money she would save was secondary, or of little concern, if any. She was mainly interested in how easy the popcorn popper was to clean because that saved her time and energy.

How do you test to see if a prospect is ready to buy?

You must give the prospect a chance to show how he feels about your proposition. Some customers will make it known to you that they are ready to buy, still another customer may be ready to make a purchase, but hides this from you. The best way to find out if this type of prospect is ready to buy is to give a closing appeal.

Ask a question, such as, "How many of these can you use Mr. Smith?" or, "We can fill your order immediately." or, "What sizes will you be needing?" This tests the prospect's interest and gives them a chance to buy.

Don't make the mistake of asking the prospect how they feel about your proposition, or "Don't you think you should buy this widget?" The answer will probably be no.

If after all this, you discover the prospect is not ready to buy, no harm is done. But you have implanted the suggestion of buying on their mind. How this plays itself out depends on what you say next. The prospect's interest in buying could grow, or fall flat. Start the selling process again from the beginning. Because until the prospect is ready to buy, you are not through selling.

There is a danger in moving on to something else and not closing the sale at the right moment. The customer may get out of the buying mood and began having second thoughts about making a purchase. They may loose interest in what you say next because you didn't reel them in when they were ready. They may decide they can get along without the item, or they may remember they have a bill to pay.

When the customer is ready to buy give them the opportunity, or when you're ready to close, they'll be ready to quit.

Copyright © 2005 Gloria Whitehorn-All rights reserved

About the Author:

Gloria is an article writer, business owner, author of two books, salesperson and seasoned mail order pro. Visit her site for information on a great part-time, full-time-anytime business. She knows what she's talking about.

http://www.dovemang.com

*Attn: Ezine Editors/Site owners*
You have permission to reprint this article in your ezine or on your website as long as you print the complete article and leave all the links and resource box in place. You cannot modify the content in any way.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Less is More: Quick Tips to Improve Your Sales

I'll be brief. If not ? I'll negate my own... Read More

Knowledge is Power in Auto Detailing Sales

The most important thing for an auto detailer to do... Read More

Make More Sales By Creating How To Use It Product Updates

Do you have any idea what your customers have experienced... Read More

Humanize the Sales Process

Q & AQ. Sometimes when I'm presenting to clients, I... Read More

How To Write A Killer Sales Letter

I sit down and look at my notebook. Then, I... Read More

Positioning for Profits!

Last Friday, I was spending one last day of freedom... Read More

Sales Marketing: 5 Fantastic Secrets To Attract New Customers Now

If you have problem attracting new customers, the sales marketing... Read More

8 Must Questions to Ask in Every Sales Situation

Solving people's and organization's problems is ultimately what business is... Read More

Stop Selling! for the Million Dollar Contract

During the introduction of the "Stop Selling!" philosophy, we typically... Read More

Customers Want You to Ask for the Money

Many years ago, I was the one starting a small... Read More

Three Types of Salespeople

"There are three kinds of salespeople; those who make things... Read More

Pressure Washer Business; Cleaning Composite Decks

There is a new trend in the way wood decks... Read More

Leverage Avoidance Values for Irresistible Selling

What are values? Values are filters that everyone uses to... Read More

Invite Questions to Boost Your Sales

Do you invite your prospective customers to ask questions ...or... Read More

11 Proven Sales Strategies to Help You Close The Deal

There are a number of sales closing strategies that you... Read More

Marketing Vs. Sales

Marketing and sales co-exist and work in tandem beautifully if... Read More

Generate Sales with Lead Generation Marketing Tools

One of the best projects to undertake as an online... Read More

Sales Tips from Sales Masters

Dogs are great teachers of how to sell easier and... Read More

Sales and Closing Techniques

One essential criteria of being a successful salesperson is the... Read More

Prep Your Customer

When I first moved to Seattle, I worked for 9... Read More

How Do You Use Your Sales Commissions?

What do you do when you have a big sales... Read More

The Golden Week of Selling

Have you ever heard of the Golden Hour? I live... Read More

Sales Success ? The 5 Steps

It's a common question we come across everyday: why is... Read More

Are You Risking The Relationship for the Sale -- And Then Losing the Sale Anyway?

Losing a sale can be disheartening, especially if you lose... Read More

How Salespeople Can Create Immediate Believability And Credibility

It pays to be specific. I believe that statement is... Read More

Sales and the City

It's all about relationships!Here is how a popular TV show... Read More

Sales Lessons from Bob Vila

There's more to what he does than meets the eyeWith... Read More

The Ultimate Think Differently Sales Tip

Sales drive revenues, and revenues drive companies. Companies, then, are... Read More

Increase Your Sales in 5 Minutes

Increase your sales-in five minutes. This article is the third... Read More

Dramatically Increase Sales With The KISS Test

We've all heard the term KISS at one time or... Read More

Maximize Sales and Minimize Returns with Learning Styles

In the day-to-day operation of an online business we can... Read More

8 Sales Lead Generation Methods

I've been getting lots of email from my readers lately.... Read More

Sell Yourself, As Well As Your Product

When selling a product to a consumer, one of the... Read More