Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! Evan Signature
Evan Carmichael Top Header
Share for a Cause









A "Closing Sript" Is A Sales Myth

Written by: Virden Thornton

Article Overview: Sales closing scripts just don't work in the real world. Just another sales myth that many sales and service industry professionals believe and use.

Free Download - The "Cold Call Presentations" Myth By Virden Thornton
Name: Email:

A "Closing Sript" Is A Sales Myth

Many of the closing techniques that are taught in today's selling workshops, audio and videotapes, training manuals or in books on the subject of selling are often ethically questionable. Methods like the “forced choice close” or the “misstated higher quantity close” even sound unethical. And, what about the “puppy dog” close, the “pity” close or the “alternate choice” close? There are literally hundreds of them.

Not only is it difficult to remember a specific closing technique in the heat of a sales transaction, most of these closing levers actually fail to produce the desired result with today's sophisticated decision-makers. For the most part, these questionable methods were designed for an earlier age when “sales pitches” and “verbal persuasion” were the selling preference chosen by most sales or service industry professionals.

Using a well thought out consultative sales system like the one found in Building and Closing The Sale*, a best selling sales training manual published by Crisp Learning in Menlo Park, California, that facilitates in-depth probing and a series of trial-closing questions, reduces the need to use strong arm closing tactics. If executed properly, the logic of a consultative selling process will lead most decision-makers to ask, “how do we get started?” eliminating the need for you to learn and then try to remember dozens of closing methods for your sales presentations. My Sales Success Strategies (self-directed learning) manual is made up of 30 daily lessons that outline a proven system for closing sales.

The Huthwaite Research Group in Great Britain has done extensive analysis on sales success through the observation of 1,000 customer calls over a twelve-year period in 27 countries. Their research into training sales representatives on closing skills found that using closing techniques in a presentation are “inversely related” to the success of the sale. They found that most customers or clients were resistant to many of the closing techniques that were used on them. The research also suggested that the almost universal belief that the more you close, the greater your chance of sales success, is also a myth. High numbers of closing attempts are less successful than a low number of closings according to Huthwaite. Buyers clearly prefer sellers who do not use too many closing techniques.

Selling today is about asking questions that uncover a prospect's problems and buying motives and then simply offering solutions based on your products or services. Then to close, you simply need to ask for the order. The real close takes place while the prospect is answering your questions. In other words by asking questions, your prospects will often sell and then close themselves.

Related Articles
  The Close
  QuickBooks 2011: Improvement to Closing Date Functionality
  10 Greatest Pharmaceutical Sales Myths: Exposed
  7 Myths of Sales Success
  MYTHS ABOUT MARKETING TO OLDER PEOPLE

Home > Sales > Virden Thornton > A Closing Sript Is A Sales Myth
Article Tags:

About the Author: Virden Thornton
RSS for Virden's articles - Visit Virden's website

VIRDEN J. THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a 23 year old firm specializing in sales, customer relations, personal coaching and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Pilot, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success, Organizing For Sales Success, 101 Sales Management Myths, A Realtor's Success Formula, and two best sellers 101 Sales Myths and Building & Closing The Sale. He also has a video/audio tape training program entitled Close That Sale, published by Thompson Learning. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing and personal productivity training guides. To obtain a substantial discount on two of Virden's new manuals, 101 Sales Myths and Organizing For Sales Success, just go to http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/book1.htm Note: You can contact Virden at virden@TheSellingEdge.com. You can also see an expanded biography at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/bio.htm

Click here to visit Virden's website
Dashed Line

More from Virden Thornton
Your Extended Shadow And Successful Sales Management
An Ideal Selling Situation
How To Dramatically Improve Sales Closing Ratios
Whats Better Than WordofMouth
The Truth About Sale Success


Related Forum Posts
Is The E-Myth The Ultimate Franchise Guide? Is The E-Myth The Ultimate Franchise Guide? - Ever since the E-Myth made its way through to becoming one of the most popular books for entrepreneurs, the number of small business owners who have come to me discussing franchising has exploded. Is the E-Myth the reason why so many companies are now looking at franchising their business model? Are there any other resources you can suggest for new franchise owners or people considering it as an option?
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
E-Myth? What's That? E-Myth? What's That? - I second FranchiseBrief... What's the E-Myth? I've never heard of it, although I feel stupid saying so. Any insight available?
enRoute ads - 10 days with my new salesmen enRoute ads - 10 days with my new salesmen - Hi Guys, As some of you may know I hired a sales person for my business. I picked him amongst 50+ interviews, so I did do my due diligence. For any of you who have had experience with outbound sales reps in your company could you please shed some light on these statistics and let me know what you think: Days Employed: 11 Calls Made: 200 Average length of call: 3 minutes Sales: 0 Closing Rate: 0 Previous closing rate at Astral Media: 5% He is selling billboards instead of radio, for an unestablished company vs. an established one There seems to be large gaps in calling made in his daily log, on average he is making 20 calls a day. I am going to try to increase this by providing him with calling lists versus him creating his own. (I will keep you posted on this). I am just wondering, in your experience, what kind of regiment do you have your cold callers work on, 6 hours? 4 hours? 7 hours? And did you notice a curve occur with closing rates as time progressed and experience increased? If so when did you notice this begin to occur, I have him on a 1,500.00 NON-RECOVERABLE sales draw salary which ends in 6 weeks (approx).


Recommended Article for You close

  The Close

Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.



Featured Article


Bottom Footer
Share for a Cause












Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Popular Articles

Think Time

Avoid Burnout: Do the Limbo Regularly

Presenting Yourself With Impact at Work

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.