The number one part left out of any presentation is the close.
It really is no surprise when one considers it’s human nature not to seek out rejection.
That is exactly what too many salespeople expect to get when they ask for the order.
This blows my mind.
Why should anyone be afraid to ask for the order?
I think it comes down to one simple fact: Too many salespeople don’t believe in what they’re selling. Go ahead and argue otherwise with me. They may believe in what they sell, but for one reason or another, they don’t believe in it enough when it comes time to close.
Developing a value propsotion for the customer is fundamental to closing the sale, but not just for the customer. I believe when we go through the selling process with the customer and help them see the value proposition, we are also helping ourselves.
We must sell ourselves to close the sale as much as we need to close the customer.
When I share this with salespeople and sales managers, it is amazing the “aha moment” it creates.
Think about this and situations you’ve found yourself in. There have been times when you know what you have is a no-brainer for the customer — in those situations, closing the sale is easy.
On the other hand, we’ve all been in situations where we’re not as optimistic as to what the outcome could be and thus we’re more hesitant in our closing.
Approach each sale with two objectives.
First, sell yourself. Second, sell the customer.
If you don’t first sell yourself as to how your propsotion will help the customer, there is little chance you’ll close the sale.
What it comes down to is the simple realization that to sell the customer, you first must believe in what you offer at the price you offer it. You must sell yourself first!
Copyright 2014, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
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One Response
Mark, your question and answer highlight some of the fundamental problems with sales as a profession. In my experience, even deeper fears of basic self-confidence, beliefs that money money is and that it’s “too pushy” to ask for the business cause salespeople to freeze like deer in headlights when the opportunity to close presents itself.
During the hiring phase, candidates economic philosophies are rarely explored. There’s too heavy a focus on personality types and not enough on views on free enterprise. Properly educating one’s sales team about what good selling really before teaching and coaching tactics, strategies, process and activities builds confidence in being a sales professional and their employer. Work on what causes salespeople to balk at asking for the business rather than the symptoms builds winning sales teams who run circles around myopic sales teams.
I hope you run some followups to your post.
Regards,
Gary