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.

---

The Top 10 Powerful Tools for Growing Sales Through Creating Connection

Your mission as a business owner is to develop a... Read More

Getting Them to Buy: The Two Most Important Pieces to the Sales Pitch

Why are some sales pitches more persuasive than others? Are... Read More

Bite Your Tongue

Most people don't realize how powerful a negotiating tool silence... Read More

How To Write A Solution - Savvy Sales Letter to To Get Clients

Too many sales letters are shaped into paper airplanes and... Read More

Quiz: What Kind of Sales Shoe Are You?

Have you ever wondered what type of saleswoman you are?... Read More

Sneaky Sales Tactics

The reason why you have a job in sales is... Read More

Equal Chance of Winning The Sale? Bah!

Are you going to win this deal? With just less... Read More

Three Ways To Get A Prospect To Say Yes To Your Offer

Here are three proven ways that will increase your sales:1.... Read More

The Key to Driving Sales is Understanding What Not How

What does it take to make a sale lately?In Sales,... Read More

4 Reasons Why the Sale is Not Made

When sales are down, a salesperson must begin to take... Read More

A Sale in 30 Seconds? Its all in the Greeting

It has been said that a customer makes a decision... Read More

Achieving Sales Goals Requires Drive & Motivation

How did you do this past year on your sales... Read More

Successful Sales People Know Which Differentiators Matter

Know where to focus. Not everyone evaluates product solutions with... Read More

Elearning Is Dead - Long Live Blended Learning!

There is little doubt that eLearning has not achieved the... Read More

Nine Common Mistakes Salespeople Make

1. They talk instead of LISTEN. Too many salespeople monopolize... Read More

Invite Questions to Boost Your Sales

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

How One Simple Concept Can Increase Your Sales

We all want to belong. As humans we feel the... Read More

Boost Buyer Confidence By Assuming The Sale

I saw something in town the other day that just... Read More

How to Achieve Sales Goals by Focusing on Activities

When I broke into sales in 1986, I read several... Read More

Getting People to Buy Without Selling

In my youth I landed a job selling encyclopedias door... Read More

Direct Sales and the Use of Clipboards

Do you ever feel that when you are doing direct... Read More

Sales 101: Asking for the Order

"Ask, and you shall receive", a biblical principal that offers... Read More

Increase Your Sales With an Incredible Offer

What are you selling?Coaching? Consulting? Professional services? A product? Information?To... Read More

A Great Sales Technique: Be Aware of Sales Myth #5

A myth can best be described as somebody or something... Read More

Positioning for Profits!

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

TheTop 10 Reasons Why Salespeople Get Outsold

In my business, it has been an interesting and very... Read More

The Golden Week of Selling

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

Make Your Referrals Count

Just because we receive a referral, it doesn't mean that... Read More

Sales Tips from Sales Masters

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

5 Specific Questions Your Sales Letters Must Answer To Achieve The Best Results

Here's a surefire method to guarantee you achieve the best... Read More

Selling More Effectively as a Trusted Sales Professional - Thirteen Tips

Do you want to sell more successfully using an honorable... Read More

The Biggest Mistake in Sales Prospecting

Recently I received a prospecting voice mail message from a... Read More

How to Make Training and Development a Power Agent for Change

Does this sound familiar? With high expectations, you sent your... Read More