By Jim Hingst
Let’s
face it, most young salespeople are terrified to ask for the order. Many are
just afraid of getting a “no” and dread the feeling of rejection. Instead of
asking for the business, they take their chances and wait for the customer to
buy. That’s not a very effective sales strategy. While they are waiting, their
competitor is usually asking for and getting the business.
I
will admit that when I first started selling, asking for the order seemed
awkward. Frankly, for a while I fumbled for the right words. Luckily, I had the
advantage of learning sales skills at a time when they actually taught you how
to close the sale. In this article I will share some of the techniques that I effectively
used to sell fleet and building graphics.
The ABCs of Selling: Always Be Closing
One
of the common concerns that sales people have is when to close. The stock
answer is “Always Be Closing.” Everything that you do in selling should be done
for one purpose: to close the sale. The process begins as you identify the
prospect’s needs and problems. It continues as you propose a program to satisfy
those needs and solve his problems. It concludes when you ask the prospect for
the order.
Don’t confuse the sales commandment of
“Always Be Closing” for high pressure sales. No one likes the stereotypical
pushy salesperson. Instead, you can proficiently ask for the order utilizing a
variety approaches without being obnoxious.
Whoever Speaks First, Loses
Most
closing techniques involve asking the buyer a question. This is the moment of
truth. As a salesperson you need to learn that whenever you ask a question, you
should shut up and wait patiently for his or her response.
The
quiet period, after you ask a question, often seems to drag on unbearably. To
ease these uncomfortable moments, many salespeople interrupt the silence and
continue on with their sales presentation. This is the deadliest sin in sales.
When this happens, the prospect is off the hook. In the words of Jordan Belfort
in the movie, The Wolf of Wall Street, “whoever speaks first, loses”.
1. The Trial Close
While
it is always important to ask for the order, the timing of when to ask is
equally important. Before attempting to close a sale, experienced salespeople
“take the prospect’s buying temperature”. What you are attempting to do is to
discover the point at which your prospect is in the buying process. The way to
do this is to ask a question or ask for an opinion, which would reveal if the
prospect is ready to buy. This called the trial close.
The
standard answer to when should you ask a trial closing question is “early and
often”. Throughout the sales process you should take the customer’s temperature.
Here are some stock trial closes:
●
How does this program sound to you so far?
●
In your opinion, do these designs achieve your company’s marketing objectives?
●
Does this make sense?
●
Is this the look you want for your company?
●
What do you think?
The
answers to these questions should indicate when your customer is ready to buy. A good
way to discover how a prospect feels about a design is to simply ask them to
give the artwork a grade on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being a perfect score. If he
gives you a score of 10, you know that your design has satisfied all of the
criteria for the program. This tells you that it is time to close the
deal.
Anything
less than a 10 indicates that you have not satisfied all of the client’s needs.
It tells you that the buyer has some reservations about your proposal that you
need to address.
In
some cases, the buyer will hesitate when you make a suggestion or reject your
assertions. Many objections are simply a request for more information or reveal
that the prospect does not understand some part of your proposal. These
objections are easy to handle. You address the questions, making sure that the
buyer understands your explanation and you move on to the next step in the
buying process.
The
more difficult objection to handle is the excuse or alibi that is a merely a
disguise for the real objection. In these cases, you need to reevaluate your
understanding of the account and probe for additional information. Do you
clearly comprehend the prospects problems and unmet needs? Have you correctly
identified the decision-makers and influencers within the account? Do you
understand the relationship of the prospect to the incumbent supplier or
competitor?
One
way to root out the real roadblocks to moving forward is to make statement that
allows the buyer to correct you. You could begin the statement by saying: “It
seems to me that what bothers you about our program is its cost.” At this
point, let the prospect talk.
2. Alternate Choice Close
In
the Alternate Choice Close you present the prospect with a couple of options.
In selling graphics, the choices could consist between two different designs or
between graphics printed on standard vinyl film and reflective film. In
selling, you don’t want to get the buyer too many choices. I had most luck when I only presented two
options: “which package works best for you?”
What’s
nice about giving the buyer a choice between two options is that whichever he
chooses, it is a sale for you. You can conclude by asking when he needs the
graphics delivered.
3. The Assumptive Close
In the Assumptive Close, you proceed as
is if the prospect has already given you the order. The approach builds upon the buyer’s responses to the trial closing
questions that you work into your presentation.
His reactions will provide you with a cue to when you should ask for the
order. It forces the prospect to stop you from
continuing with the order. This is a great technique to use after a prospect
has indicated a preference for one of your designs.
At
this point, you can simply ask: “When should we schedule the installation of
the graphics?” Or you could just ask for the order: “To proceed with the
program, all we need is your OK.” Then, slide the contract in front of the
buyer; hand him a pen; and wait quietly and patiently for him to sign.
4. Contingency Close
If
your design or proposal has missed the mark completely, you should stop
selling. You need to discover where your designs or presentation has missed the
target. Did you misunderstand the prospect’s needs, problems and objectives?
You need to either modify a design or go back to the proverbial drawing board.
On
the other hand, if the prospect responds favorably to your designs or proposal,
your follow up is to make a recommendation. At this point, my favorite way to
proceed was the Contingency Close:
“To
ensure that all of the design elements look the way they should, what I
recommend is that we structure your order contingent upon your approval of
full-size artwork and color matches. If the artwork or color matches don’t meet
with your approval, there is no order. Fair enough?”
In
the Contingency Close, you recommend that you write up the order contingent upon
the prospect’s approval of full-size art and color matches. Let the buyer know
that if he does not approve the artwork or the colors, there is no deal. Put
these conditions in writing on the order. He is under no obligation and he has not incurred
any costs.
This
closing technique is effective in competitive situations. In many cases, once
the full-size art is taped to the side of the prospect’s vehicle, he often
wants to increase the size of the graphics or add a design element. This gives
you an opportunity to increase the prices and your profit margin.
5. Summary Close
In
the Summary Close, you summarize all of the benefits of your proposal. The
rationale of this approach is that by recapping the advantages of the program,
it is easier for the buyer to make a decision.
After
summing up the pluses of your proposal, you tell the prospect “all we need to
proceed with your program is your OK.” Then wait for his response.
The
Ben Franklin Close is a similar approach in which you list both the pros
and cons of your program. After tallying up the reasons for and against your
proposal, you ask for the order.
6. Never Give Something for Nothing
When
I sold graphics, I often had the highest prices. Discounting the installation
was one way to conclude the deal, but the downside was that I usually the one
stuck doing the work.
If
you must make a concession, remember the words of Rhett Butler in Gone with
the Wind as your guiding principle, “I never give without expecting
something in return. I always get paid.” In other words, when you must give the
buyer something of value in order to close the deal, immediately ask for some
concession of equal value in return. This approach works because when you
compromise or give a gift, the other person feels obliged to reciprocate.
In
one negotiation, I was selling 50 sets of trailer graphics. My price, as often
was the case, was a little high. I agreed to meet the competitor’s price, which
was equivalent to my 100-set price. The tradeoff was that the buyer would agree
to purchase the additional 50 sets within one year.
The lesson is to think outside the box. If you
are not sure that your company will go along with the deal, tell the prospect
that and then write the order contingent upon the acceptance by your shop. I
never had the shop turn down a deal.
7. The Objection Close
When I started in sales, I was taught the “get them saying yes
approach”. The premise for this tactic
was that you would lead the prospect into to agreeing on minor matters, such as
the color of the copy, or one design versus another. Eventually, agreements on
these minor matters would lead to an agreement on the graphics program. To a
certain extent, this sales approach has its merits. However, it is not the only
way to achieve an agreement.
Former FBI hostage negotiator and author of Never Split the
Difference, Chris Voss uses a different approach, which I have used
with success. Voss observes that when you
push for “yes” answers, a prospect’s defenses are alerted that you are driving
the narrative. Instead of gaining an agreement, when you push, the prospect pushes
back.
As an alternative, Voss advocates structuring your
questions that lead the prospect to deliver a “no” answer. By doing so, the
prospect feels more at ease and in control. Using this line of attack, the
buyer often divulges an underlying objection or problem, which
otherwise would remain hidden. If the buyer’s real objection comes out in the
open, you have a chance to deal with it.
You
could begin your question by asking, “would you have a problem in giving me a
trial order, a test case, so to speak, so we could demonstrate our
capabilities?” If he says no, start writing up the order. If he says yes, you
can probe for his reasons.
Another
way to draw out an objection is to make a statement that would give the
prospect an opportunity to contradict you.
By
getting the buyer to talk, you can learn about him and his business as well as
any reservations that he may have in doing business with you. Generally,
prospects also enjoy talking about themselves. If you are a good listener, your
attentiveness will put the buyer at ease, which helps build trust. What’s more,
when you are listening, your mouth is shut, so you can’t put your foot in it.
8. Now or Never Close
Many
closing techniques are extensions of a trial close. For example, as a trail
close, I frequently asked the prospect when he needed the graphics produced.
After he gave me his “drop dead date”, I would reply “I don’t know if we can
meet that date. Give me a moment to call the plant manager.” The plant manager
knew my routine and played along with my calls. I would then use the “Now or
Never Close”: “we can meet your schedule, but I need your OK now.”
The
ball is now in the prospect’s court. One reason that this closing technique is
so effective is that it creates a sense of urgency.
Conclusion: Always Ask for the Order
In my first sales job, I worked straight commission.
It was the best sales training to have. In the first place, I was keenly aware
of all of my costs, which, along with the cost of gasoline and the wear and
tear on my car, included the cost of my time. I was determined that someone was
going to pay for these costs and it wasn’t going to be me. For this reason, I
was never ashamed nor ever hesitated to ask for the order.
Some of you
may baulk at using my techniques because they smack of manipulation. On the
contrary, these are time-tested methods of persuasion that aid the prospect in
making a buying decision. As a graphics salesperson, you are usually
selling the owners of other businesses or top executives. These people know
that your job is to sell them something. How can they have any respect for you
if don’t ask for the order?
In the movie Jerry Maguire, Jerry’s fiancé succinctly
sums up the role of a salesperson, as she chastises him: “You and I are
salespeople. We sell. It’s not about ‘trust my handshake’…. It’s ‘make the
sale’. ‘Get it signed’. There should be no confusion about that.” Amen to that!
Here’s my point: if you can’t close, what are you
doing as a salesperson? Waiting anxiously by the phone for a prospect to
respond to your proposal is not selling. It is order taking.
The closing techniques that I described have worked
for me and literally thousands of professional salespeople. Practice these
sales skills until you are comfortable and they become part of your repertoire.
If some of these closing methods work for you, continue to use them. If they
don’t, modify them to suit your personality or try another approach.
Good Luck Selling!
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