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ABC’s of Selling - The Art of the Close

Do you know how to close a sale?
When we think of sales, it usually conjures up images of a used cars
salesman and being pressured to buy. If you have ever seen the movie Glen
Gary, Glen Ross you get to take a peek into a sales world of the
stereotypical sales person. In this movie there are pressures to close the
sale regardless of the customer's needs and they are willing to go to any
length, ethical or not, to make sure they hit their sales targets. When it
comes to selling our own products or services, many of us have gone so far
the other way. If we do not feel comfortable closing a sale and our
businesses may be suffering because of this.

There was a concept from this movie that I have used in to train clients how
to sell, feel confident closing and increase revenues to their business. The
concept is A-B-C which stands for Always Be Closing. Selling is a process
with stages and if you follow a process, you will simply be closing your
prospect to the next stage in your own individual sales process. Each
business can take the blueprint of the sales process and customize it to
their product or service. Here is a sample of a typical sales process:
. Prospecting. Sales is a numbers game. Be sure you have a steady
supply of new prospects from multiply sources.
. Qualification / Needs Analysis. Confirm your product or service will
meet the needs of the prospect through a series of questions to uncover
whether you and the prospect are a good fit.
. Presentation / Proposal. Create your unique value proposition and
pricing to meet the needs of your prospect.
. Negotiation. Be prepared to be flexible, within reason, with your
new clients.
. Close. Listen for buying signals and do not be afraid to ask for the
sale.
. Follow Up. This is one of the most important steps. Your new clients
will turn into your new sales force if your follow up is flawless.
To use the Always Be Closing strategy means you are looking to simply close
your prospect to the next stage in the sales process. Your individual sales
process could be short or long depending upon what type of product or
service you are selling. Outline your own individual process for your
product or service then use it with your new potential customers. This takes
the pressure off of you and the prospect to make decisions quickly and
reduces the risk of making the wrong decision.

When you feel comfortable with your process, you will be amazed at how easy
it will become to close a sale. Your new clients will be happy you took the
time to make sure you are the right fit too. The bottom line is you will
confidently be able to close your sales and increase revenue to your
business.