A few years ago I completed some online forms to learn more about different learning management systems. A sales person for one of the companies ran me through the demo and did a pretty good job. He understood my needs, illustrated how his product met those needs and even went a step further a couple of times to offer his advice on how to solve my problems – which were better than my ideas in the first place. However, when the demo was over, he fell apart. He turned into the biggest cheeseball possible. Someone must’ve told him that he needs to read a book on closing. It was awful. He went into “So, did I show you everything you wanted to see today?” “Is there any reason you won’t move forward today?” “What can I do to change your mind so you will make a decision today?” … and it went on and on and on.
The most uncomfortable part of the sales cycle for everyone is the close - when the sales person is supposed to ask for the order and becomes some fake character. If you want to improve your selling skills and surprise the room, just be yourself. Continue to have a conversation and ask for the order like you’re asking a friend to pass the soy sauce. Be conversational, bold, and above all else – just be yourself. They expect you to ask, so ask – but don’t be a freak about it. Remember, you’re a pro and do this every day, so it’s not that big of a deal. (If you don’t do it every day, your prospect should think you do, so act like it.) It can be as simple as asking: “so, are you ready to move forward?”
There are thousands of more creative and manipulative ways to close (just search Amazon books for “how to close”), but make it this simple and you’ll be shocked at the results.
