How to Close the Sale More Often

There are many ways to get the sale, and there are many ways to close. They are all valid and important. However, to increase your closing percentage you must step beyond your comfort zone and find ways to be close more assertively while remaining polite, needs focused, and value driven all while not appearing to be that "pushy salesperson" prospects want to avoid.

10 Ways to Close Assertively Without Being Overly Aggressive

1. Be a Natural Closer
Go in with the expectation that you will close. One of the greatest attributes of any top achiever is they expect a positive outcome and believe they will get it. If you go into a sales talk confident in your ability to sell your product, and truly believe you have the right solution for your prospect you'll have a better closing rate than someone who doesn't believe.

2. Trial Closes Work
The trial close is your gauge on if the prospect is ready to buy. Always test for the prospects opinions and make sure they are favorable before soliciting the order. Use trial closes throughout the sales talk to look for buying signals. It will be much easier to close when you have a better idea of what the prospect is thinking.

3. Use comparisons to tip the scale
Get the prospect to compare their reasons for buying with their reasons for not buying. The prospect is already doing this internally on their own, but when you get them to verbalize what they are thinking you get the opportunity to sway their decisions or handle objections. If they really like the product or service they will often convince themselves as well.

4. Ask for the order at various points in the presentation
There is an old phrase, "Always be Closing". Throughout the presentation get lots of little Yes commitments. You don't exactly need to ask the prospect to buy continually throughout the presentation, but asking them questions that require them to affirm the value on a smaller points get them comfortable saying YES in regards to the product of service. Getting a positive response on smaller questions makes it more likely that the prospect will say YES on bigger questions – including YES to the order.

5. Save a strong value point for the end.
Often times, a prospect might be leaning toward buying, but they just aren't aren't there yet. They just need a little something to push them past the tipping point. By saving the some points of value, leverage or additional benefit for the end, you should be able to help them commit and make their mind up by confirming the additional advantages.

6. The magic number of “no's” you should receive before accepting it.
The number is seven. Don't accept a prospect's refusal to buy until they have rejected you seven times. It is amazing how many reps accept the prospect firm no after hearing it once or twice. Few people ever push or continually follow up enough to hear a no three times. When you are willing to politely and respectfully follow up with a prospect to the point where you have heard "no" seven times you have joined the ranks of top producers. Often top producers close more because they asked for the order more frequently even after numerous "no" responses.

7. Always get back up and keep trying.
Top producers view "no" differently than other sales people. Don't let any prospect keep you down. Accepting rejection is tough in any situation, but if you want to be a great salesperson, you'll need to learn to adapt and move on to the next prospect. Rarely, if ever, does someone close 100% of the time. If you are closing 100% of your prospects most sales managers would say you are "cherry picking" or not seeing enough prospects.

8. Count the "no".
Most top producers no their ratio of "no's" to "yeses". Instead of counting the number of yes responses they count the no. They develop a mind set of each no brings them closer to yes. i.e. if the close rate is 20% they under stand they need 4 no sales before they get the sales. They also understand each sale (yes) comes with 4 no thank you replies. Know your numbers and work to improve your ratios but understand the no is part of the game too.

9. Ask for the order after an objection
Obviously we ask for the order at the end of a presentation because when you get the yes you have closed – other than at the very end of a presentation an often overlooked closing opportunity is after you have effectively handled one of their objections. If you have done so effectively and assuaged their fears, asking for the order is very appropriate. First get the little yes - meaning they agree with your explanation or solution to the objection. Then connect to the value your product or service gives and then go for the "yes, I'll take it".

10. Leave after making the sale.
After you have made the prospect comfortable and confident about your products value and closed on the commitment to move forward wrap up the sale and leave. Don't leave anything to chance, and don't give the prospect any time to change their mind. Complete the call, leave the premises, etc. If is so frustrating when the rep lingers after the sale and one extra question, one silly comment or the addition of a new "decision maker" suddenly causes the sale to unravel or puts it in question. Do whatever it is polite and appropriate to wrap up and get out. Don't prolong a presentation, call or meeting more than is necessary.

Regardless of a salesperson's experience, most rarely use all ten of these at the same time. The key is to read these rules, know these rules, and then apply these rules. Incorporate them into your next sales talk. Start by using one and keep pushing yourself out of your comfort one and thus begin to use each step to close more assertively. Each week push yourself to use more tools. Then the following week, try using more and more until all of these become second-nature.

To become a top closer requires doing more than the average rep does. Top closers practice skills and beliefs that are beyond the comfort zone of average producers. Continue to build your skills with training and then implement those tools to reach your full potential.

Mark Anthony is a sales trainer with 30 years of experience. He has helped reps on 6 of the 7 contents push beyond their comfort zones, help reps better uncover prospects needs and thus increase closing percentages. For information on interactive custom sales training programs call 888-792-5128 or email info@salestraininganddevelopment.com .