How often have you heard it? “You need to close more sales.”
Unfortunately, unless you have a strong leader, that is where the conversation begins and ends. You need to close more, but I am not going to shed any light on how it’s done.
You have come to the right place.
To close more business, you have to ascertain why business is not being closed. Far too often, we hyperfocus on various parts of our pitch, we try harder during the close or get frustrated when we just cannot get over that customer objection. The truth is, no matter how good you are at the selling game, you will not close them all. But you close more if you can determine the hurdles and scale them.
Why are your customers not buying? What reasons are they giving you? Is there a particular part of the sales call or visit where it goes south? Or are you pretty much dispatched from the get-go?
These are vital questions when determining where to begin your process of increasing sales conversion. Truth is, no matter what line of work you are in from a sales vantage point, you will come across easier sales to close than others. Many sales gigs have that “low-hanging fruit” whereby the customer either initiated the purchase or it was a slam dunk. Let’s call it what it is: that’s not really sales.
If you are privy to such easy revenue, great; however it is what we do with the rest of our business that will determine our success.
Sales is a process; it starts with introductory statements and building the relationship, asking questions and uncovering, discovering and/or creating needs. You must show the customer why they need what you have. You must show the customer why what you have is better than what they are doing right now. You must show the customer the grass is greener on your side and that any cost on their part is justified because of the ensuing benefit.
So – where are you losing the customer? If they balk early, your focus needs to be on building the relationship and developing better reactions. If they balk after you have pitched, your focus needs to be on fine-tuning that pitch to address the customers’ needs and developing better reactions. If they balk after your attempt to overcome their objection(s), your focus needs to be on weaving in their own words that you hopefully uncovered to ice the deal and make it a no-brainer… and on developing better reactions.
Spend a day or week just jotting down the customer objections you are getting: when do they shut you down? What do they say when they shut you down? What are you saying (or not saying) to address their shutdown?
Remember: if at any time a customer objects or hesitates, it must be dealt with. They may voice their concern early, but if you do not hear it or fail to address it and move forward, your likelihood at failure on that sale is high. Do not let it be the elephant in the room; ensure at all times that your customer is listening, understanding and on the same page with you. No better way than using their own words to brandish your pitch and ice the deal.
Sales conversion is not about trying harder to close. Increasing sales conversion is about realizing and acknowledging where and why in the sales process you are losing the deal or the customer’s buy-in. Creating, practicing and executing on a more effective reaction and response to the objections you are getting will result in better conversion. You are already getting the “low-hanging fruit.” You are already closing the sales that rely mostly on your knowledge and know-how. The ones tripping you up are the ones that require a quicker, zippier, more effective reaction and response.
Uncover that reaction and response, perfect your usage and delivery of it, and results and compensation will follow.
Carson V. Heady has written a sales/motivation/success book unlike any other, entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be. It is a how-to sell/career advice book inside a novel about the fictional author who practices what he preaches.
If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.carsonvheady.com/.
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The Life and Times of Carson V. Heady 