Do you think of closing the sale as something you do TO the customer, or something you do WITH the customer? If you guessed the former instead of the latter, you might want to read this Ziggets lesson with great care!
Closing should be the logical conclusion to the interaction you’ve had with your customer. So it’s not something you do TO the customer. It should not be a “push-pull” or a “me vs. them” struggle. Closing should help solve the customer’s problem and improve his or her current situation.
You close the sale when the customer is ready, and NOT when you’re ready. Do you know how to tell when the customer is ready?
Look and listen for buying signals or buying indicators.
Let’s say you have explained the benefits of your product- and the customer asks about the monthly payments, or asks if you have the model in stock, or if there’s a warranty. Those are buying indicators! At this point, you may want to pursue closing the sale.
Sometimes it’s not what the customer says, it’s what the customer does to indicate that the close is possible. For example, the customer may lean forward or walk to a display. He may make frequent eye contact, nod his head, or smile while you’re describing the benefits. She may show interest by handling the product or making calculations. These behaviors are buying signals!
Once you get the buying signals or indicators, then you move in to close the sale. Use whichever closing techniques you prefer, or whichever technique is appropriate for the situation. However, don’t treat the close as something you’re going to do TO your customer. By responding to the appropriate indicators, you can close the sale WITH your customer.
This approach usually sets up a long-lasting relationship that can produce many additional sales down the road.
Every business can use Training Ziggets. This series of training materials includes six modules: Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Personal Development, Management, and Team Development. You’ll be surprised at the affordability of this training series, and very pleased about the results you and your team can gain by using it.
For more on the subject of how to be successful, read Zig’s popular book, “Success for Dummies,” published by IDG Books. It’s at your bookstore, and it’s also available from http://www.zigziglar.com.
