Why is this important?

Successfully closing a sale is undoubtedly the most difficult part of a salesperson’s job. The task of closing a sale is daunting to even the most successful sales professional.

Depending on which sales book you read or which sales course you attend, you can often become confused about when to close and how to close a sale.

An observant man once said “People buy emotionally and justify their decision rationally.”

If you have been in the business of selling for a while, you will know how true that statement is. It also provides a good tip on how to tailor your sales process to achieve a positive result.

What to do

Selling is as much about people as it is process. All else being equal, people buy from people they like.

Your sales planning process gives you a clear path for the development of the sale by ensuring you tick off every aspect of the opportunity including your product and its suitability for the client.

Remember though that during the sales cycle, your prospective customer is analysing more than your product – they are analysing you and your company.

It is important to ensure that during the sales cycle you get to know the individual(s) and allow them to get to know you.

Developing relationships, which can then accelerate the decision-making process of your sale, means building trust, transparency and regular communication.

While the following tips may appear fundamental, they can bias your sale if they have not been addressed before you are ready to close the deal.

Consider how advanced you are with the statements:

• Do your prospects like you?
• Are they comfortable talking about their requirements, their business and themselves with you?
• Have they shared their concerns with you, and have you fully addressed those concerns?
• Have you responded to all their questions with honesty and integrity?
• Have you shared a joke or a laugh and talked about things other than the business at hand?

Covering these fundamentals and more, before attempting to close a sale will put you in a better position to sell successfully.

If you win the prospective customer emotionally and help them with their rational justification along the way, closing the sale becomes a matter of process.

See how it’s done

Your prospective customer knows and understands that you are a salesperson and that he or she is the buyer. Buyers expect to be sold to; however, they also like the decision to be entirely theirs, not yours.

Closing a sale with an individual

By this stage of the sale, you have gotten to know your prospective customer – you know whether he or she likes relaxed or formal discussions, prefers the coffee shop to a meeting room, and whether your premises is preferred to theirs. Close your sale at a time and place, and in a mood when the buyer is most comfortable and at their best.

There is no magic question or sentence to close every sale. Each sale is different, each product is different, each buyer is different and therefore each close is going to be different.

Pushing a buyer into a decision rarely works and, if it does, usually guarantees you a difficult customer. Even worse, it may undo all of the good work you have done in getting to the point of closing the sale.

Instead, communicate with your prospect as you have done throughout the sales process. Speak in the same tone and language that your buyer expects from you. Ask questions that will allow the buyer to indicate whether he or she is ready to buy, such as:

• Are you considering the standard version or the premier version?
• Would you like me to check on stock availability?
• Would you be looking for us to begin implementing this month or next?
• Would you like to meet the project team?
• Would you prefer we deliver or would you rather pick it up?
• Would you like to trial our product for a week, free of charge?
• Would you like to trial our service for a couple of days?

Questions like the above allow the buyer to indicate their readiness. The style of the questions is non-threatening and does not make the buyer feel as though they’re being backed into a corner. Listen to the answers carefully and respond appropriately.

If you receive positive indications that your potential customer is ready to buy, close the sale while allowing the buyer to continue feeling in control of their decision. Advance the close with action statements like:

• Would you like me to get the paperwork ready for this afternoon?
• Would you like me to pick up your order or would you prefer to fax it to me?

Closing a sale with a group

Sometimes you have to sell to a group. While there may be a single person representing the group through the sales process, undoubtedly, you are going to be called upon to address the group one or more times in the process. Here are some tips:

• Find out as much as you can about the group and target your presentation appropriately
• Always address groups with a well-planned and well-prepared presentation and/or meeting notes
• If you’re nearing the end of the sales process and you know that the presentation is a final decision-making point, ensure you encourage questions and address each one thoroughly
• After you’ve exhausted all questions, take the opportunity to address the group with appropriate closing questions

In some cases, a decision is given during a group presentation but, in most cases, it’s unlikely an immediate decision is gained from a group presentation.  Instead, you’re likely to get indications of where you stand against your competitors.

Contact your main relationship contact or buyer after the meeting and ask this person’s opinion of the overall meeting and/or presentation. Address concerns thoroughly and ask that the information be communicated back to the group.

Continue to work on closing the sale with the main relationship contact or buyer using buyer-readiness questions like those listed earlier in this guide. Remember that he or she, in turn, can influence and even guide the feelings of the group and the outcome of the sale.

Most importantly, don’t forget to thank your customer for their business.

Where to go for help

Do it yourself

Sales plan template

How to develop a sales strategy

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