Unfortunately, many average salespeople leave the closing of a deal purely to chance. Sure, they make some sales but if you compare their end results with those of a professional you will find there will be a massive gap. Professional and successful sales people always have a plan in place before they start the sales process. They use S.M.A.R.T goals which in case you don't know are...
Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely
They leave very little to chance so their positive results are far, far higher.
The key here is to know what you want and how you are going to get it, that way you are constantly leading your prospect to exactly where you want him to go.
To start with you must always make sure you are asking questions about your prospect and the company they are representing.
You must always be on the look out for any tell tale signs and keywords when the prospect is answering your questions.
This will allow you to plan your next step of the sales process. Step back and listen to what he has to say about what his company requires and also what he has to say about who the key decision makers are.
Gently probe to get an idea about how much they have to spend and use this opportunity to make an appointment so you can conduct a demonstration of your service or product.
What is prompting the customer to buy, you may find you can offer other products or services as an up sell further down the line. It is entirely up to you to recognise your customers needs.
If you find yourself in an awkward quiet moment during the selling process just get the prospect to talk about themselves. This is a proven way to get the conversation back on the right track.
At this point try an get them to verbalise their commitment to buy from you with an expected quantity and date.
This can be the tricky part but remember your goals and strategy, stay relaxed and you will soon get there.
You will find that your prospect will only agree to the deal when they are assured that all of their worries and concerns have been answered.
If you are paying close attention to what they are saying and looking for the signs you will be able to reassure them before they even ask the questions.
This really is the difference between a professional and anyone else, be sure to master these listening skills and you will soon find yourself at the top of your profession.
I always tell people to imagine that you are the prospect and what would it take you to agree to the sale, what would impress you, what would the salesperson have to do to gain your trust.
I think you would agree that if he made you feel at ease, more like a friend, then this would go along way to easing your initial fears.
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