|
|
Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! |  |
|
Help my sales people can’t close sales
Written by: Sue BarrettArticle Overview: The biggest cause for people not being able to close sales it not the close itself. It often starts at the beginning of the sales call. Sales people need to be able to properly understand client's needs and discuss possible solutions that meet those needs with the relevant products and services before any close can take place. Once this has happened they can close the sale but not before. If a sales person cannot meet a client's needs with their products and services then it is a ‘no sale'.
 |
Free Download - How Your Procurement Practices Affect Your Sales and Brand By Sue Barrett |
Help my sales people can’t close sales
‘My sales people are not closing sales' is the most common complaint we hear.
The biggest cause for people not being able to close sales it not the close itself. It often starts at the beginning of the sales call.
Sales people need to be able to properly understand client's needs and discuss possible solutions that meet those needs with the relevant products and services before any close can take place. Once this has happened they can close the sale but not before. If a sales person cannot meet a client's needs with their products and services then it is a ‘no sale'.
Some people also expect every sale to be closed in one meeting.
Closing a sale as a ‘done deal' in one meeting can happen in a number of industries, particularly in simple sales, however with more complex sales it often takes more than one meeting to progress to a final close.
In some instances, however, even simpler sales are experiencing a lengthening to the sales cycle. We are seeing a trend with clients not wanting to make hasty decisions and needing to take a more time to make informed decisions. Does this mean if they do not say ‘yes' in the first meeting you have lost a sale? No, not necessarily. If you need to go an extra stage or two, make sure you get an agreement on the action that moves the sale forward to the next logical stage.
Where sales people often fall down in the actual closing of a sale (that is assuming they have understood the client's needs properly as stated above) is that they do not gain agreement from the client as to which solution is the best for them. They then fail to gain commitment from the client to move forward with the sale to a close.
In ‘pressure selling tactics', sales people are conned into believing that if you don't get the customer to sign there and then you won't get them back or get the sale. In most cases, this is simply not true. Some people like to take their time to make a decision and forcing them to ‘sign' will actually turn them away. The desperation displayed by sales people in these situations can be very unappealing and can be a turn off to prospective clients. At worst this behaviour becomes bullying on the part of the sales person, often at the expense of less assertive, confident customers.
Another common misconception is that you need to ‘ask for the sale'. If you have done a good job asking questions to establish needs, properly matched your solution to these needs, and then asked questions to check that this is what the client wants then closing the sale is easy. We should remember it's the client who makes the buying decision and the sales person who facilitates the process.
Top performing sales people stop asking questions here and they start telling the client what they are going to do for them. They take charge and ownership of the process. They are confident but not arrogant. The client should, and usually does, feel supported and happy to proceed
If you are in more complex sales and have several steps in the sales process, you need to make sure that at each stage you to get a commitment to move to the next logical stage of the sales process. This is a close as well - a mini close that leads to the final close.
So, what's stopping people from saying "Ok, this is what I will do for you. Let's get started."?
- They are being told that they need to keep asking questions.
- Many sales people do not know how to conduct an open transparent purposeful conversation. They do not take charge and they make too many assumptions leaving the client, and themselves in no man's land.
This assertive, positive approach makes no assumptions. Both parties are clear about what will happen.
Closing the sale should be the easiest part of the process if you do everything else right.
Happy Selling
Related Articles
Differentiation is the Key
Closing Sales Kindly and Efficiently
Why You Need A Sales System
CLOSING THE SALE - IT'S HIGHLY OVERRATED
Handling the Greatest Source of Failed Closes
Article Tags: first meeting, hasty decisions, informed decisions, instances, logical stage, possible solutions, relevant products, sales person
|
About the Author: Sue Barrett RSS for Sue's articles - Visit Sue's website  Sue is one of the leading voices commenting on sales today. Sue has a unique way of getting to the heart of the matter - she combines extensive knowledge, research, insight, and practical experience with a deep sense of compassion to bring forth a more enlightened way of thinking and participating in the world. This makes her stand out from the usual crowd of existing business commentators. Her ability to distill complex ideas and relate them to life's everyday challenges and opportunities has audience members and readers leaving with a stronger understanding of "self" and how they can begin to achieve excellence through purposeful action. Presenting and writing on a wide range of topics about the world of 21st Century selling Sue's presentations and articles include sales philosophy and culture, sales leadership and coaching, sales training, selling skills, resilience, neuroscience in selling and more. Sue's articles are some of the most widely read in Australia and she is gaining a following overseas as well. Besides publishing on Barrett Sales Blog site, Sue has been the lead sales writer for www.smartcompany.com.au since 2007, and is also regularly published on other highly regarded publications such as Australian Anthill Magazine, Niche Magazine, Marketing Mag, Business Chicks, and Business Deals. Click here to visit Sue's website   Should I fire my bad clients Watch who you let near your mind Does everybody live by selling something Getting prospects to talk to you What do your sales people really need to know and apply |
Related Forum Posts
How many sales people do you have working for you.
- I love this forum since it has such a large variety of members. It would be great to have a better understanding of the sales function (if there is one) in your company.
If you have a minute, vote in our poll and tell us about your sales department breakdown and sales efforts.
Review My: e-product sales letter
- Hello Forum members! We have a lot of sales and direct marketing expertise in here so I thought I would ask for a review of my sales letter for my newly launched e-workbook on how to write a business plan.
I'm working on a round of testimonials to include with the sales letter so I know that's a missing component.
I wrote the sales letter myself and I tried to lay the benefits out as clearly as possible but I'm not a professional copywriter so I'm open to suggestions!
Thank you in advance!
Re: Sales with no start up fees.
- Hey Mary,
Have you tried help wanted ads? There are a ton of IT & sales people out of work right now, if there is no cost to become a reseller, how about running an ad for a commission sales person that has sold advertising or software before?
Set them up with a reseller website, some business cards, provide some training and get them to get your leads onto a webinar using gotomeeting or one like that?
I have had success with this in other venues with sales, not software, but similar arena.
Re: How to Promote a MLM Business?
- I guess I was more talking about how to get leads to work. You could not just stop there. In-fact you would have to follow-up with everyone of those people that signed up.
MLM is hard and I think the people that are best at it have a big personality. It is sales in every way. You have to be a good sales person and a presenter.
Re: Just got laid off, new user
- Welcome! Sorry to hear about the lay off. Times are really tough right now for anyone who isn't extremely wealthy. If you want to be your own boss and are willing to try sales, I'd like to talk to you about a lucrative reseller position that you could start with just a car, a smile, and a phone. I know sales isn't for everyone, but if you're willing to give it an honest try, 2 -3 sales per month could be a very good income. Let me know. Otherwise, be creative with what you know you already have going for you and I know you'll figure out a way to be a great entrepreneur!
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.
by: 
February 2012 Top 100 Leadership Experts to Follow on Twitter
Please Stop Calling it Coaching!
Measuring the Quality of Your Hires
The fine line 
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Selling On Ebay The Good The Bad And The Ugly
Five keys to business success
The OLD Way of Advertising, May Not be so OLD
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.