You're peddling your wares to the masses, but not getting any bites. If something's not broken, you might be asking yourself, why aren't my sales closing? The answer could lie with your sales process. After all, if you're following a certain series of steps there's a good chance that you can close some sales — right? Sticking to the script should help you, right? Truth is, there is no “right” in this scenario because every persona is different. However, it's helpful to know what works best for others who have been in similar shoes and followed the same steps that you are now following.
1. Learn about your client, get personal
The first thing you need to do when closing a sale is learn about your client as much as possible. This will help you gain an understanding of what they want, what their goals and challenges are and how you can help them achieve them. If you don’t know anything about their business or what they need, how can you possibly help them?
Get personal with them too — ask questions like “how long have you been doing this?” “How did you get started?” “What were some of the challenges along the way?” Ask questions like this so that they feel comfortable talking with you and sharing their story with you — it will make them more inclined to buy from you because they trust that
2. Don’t talk too much
When first meeting with a potential customer, don't go into lengthy explanations about how your product works or why it's better than your competitors' products. Instead focus on demonstrating its value through questions like "What problems does your business want solved?" or "How do you think our solution could help?"
3. Ask for the sale when you’re ready
Don’t wait until the end of the conversation or meeting to ask for the sale. This can kill momentum and cause anxiety on both sides of the table. Instead of waiting until you have nothing left to say (which could be too late), start asking questions that lead up towards making an offer at an appropriate time during the conversation. For example, if you’re selling health insurance plans and you know that premiums increase every year, ask “how do you currently pay for health insurance? Do you want me to give you an estimate for next year?” These types of questions will help move things along smoothly without appearing as though you’re rushing to close the sale.
4. Make it easy to buy from you
Don't make customers jump through hoops. The easier it is for people to buy from you, the more likely they are to do so. This means providing easy payment options (credit cards, PayPal) and shipping options (free shipping). If they have to come back and forth with you multiple times, they'll probably just give up and go somewhere else. So keep things simple and straightforward, and make sure there's nothing standing in the way between them and their purchase decision.
5. Make sure your solution is the right one for them
Understanding your customers' needs and wants is essential to closing a sale. If you're selling a product or service that doesn't meet those needs, then you're wasting your time (and theirs) trying to close the deal. Make sure you know what they want and what their pain points are before you start closing.
6. Give them time to consider your offer
Give them time to consider your offer. You don't want to be pressing them for an answer immediately after making one; let them think about it and come back with their decision. If you can, let customers know up front how long they will have to think about your offer and whether there are any "hard" deadlines for making a decision. If not, try to give customers at least 24 hours before expecting an answer.
7. But don't forget to stay in touch and follow up with prospective clients
This is one of the most important things you can do when trying to close a sale. Don't wait until the end of the month or quarter to reach out to customers; make sure that you're staying in touch on a regular basis so that they know that you're still interested in helping them solve their problems. It's easy for customers to forget about you if they don't think they need your product, so make sure that you stay on their minds by letting them know that there are still things you can do for them even if they're not ready to buy.
8. Build a rapport with your client to put them at ease
You want them to feel like you’re their friend and not just someone who is trying to sell them something. This will help them feel comfortable committing to a purchase decision with you. Be personable and friendly; if possible, get on a first-name basis with them before asking for the sale.
9. Ask questions, find out what they really want or need
It's important to understand what's really going on for your potential customer — why they're having problems, and how you can help. Once you know this, you'll be able to tailor your pitch to their specific needs. This will make them more likely to buy from you than from someone else who doesn't understand their unique situation.
10. Be honest and transparent when communicating with your prospects
This is a basic principle of business ethics, but it's also key to good salesmanship because honesty is the foundation of trust. If prospects don't trust you, they won't buy from you — period! Be genuine and tell them what they need to know about your product or service. Don't try to hide anything from them because if they find out later that you have been dishonest or deceptive with them, they may lose trust in you as a company.
11. Be enthusiastic and show them why they should buy from you
One of the most important things when closing a sale is to be enthusiastic about your product or service. If you don't believe in what you're selling, how can you expect anyone else to? If they can't see that enthusiasm, they won't want to buy from you!
12. Be responsive
It's important to respond quickly when someone reaches out to you, especially if they're a lead or potential customer. People appreciate knowing that their inquiries are important and that you value their time. If it takes you more than 24 hours to respond, most of the time they'll have lost interest and moved on to someone else by then.
13. Be confident and show that you know your product or service inside out.
You need to know what makes it different from its competitors, why customers should buy from you, and how it meets their needs. If you don't know this information by heart, how can you expect your prospects to believe that they need your product or service?
You should not be afraid to answer any questions they may have regarding the product or service. If you are honest and knowledgeable about what you are selling, then it will be easier for you to close all your sales because they will have confidence in you.
14. Don’t try to sell them if it’s not right for their needs. You could lose their trust if you do.
If they don’t need what you’re selling, don’t try to force them into buying it just so that you can make a sale. This will only create bad blood between both parties and may cause them to write bad reviews about your company or product online.
15. Offer something extra as an incentive for buying now.
If someone is really close to buying but hesitating because of price, offer something extra as an incentive for buying now — such as free shipping, an additional discount or other benefits like lifetime support — and it will be easier to close the deal. Your lead will feel like they are getting a good deal which makes it harder to resist.
Some of these may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people overlook them! One thing is for certain: every single person who buys something from you deserves to be treated as if they were a VIP. They’re paying for your product or service, and you owe it to them to provide the best experience possible. It's just good business, and those who don't treat their customers well ultimately find that their businesses suffer. A little extra time spent providing great service will soon pay dividends in customer loyalty (and repeat sales) and referrals, so don't overlook the small details. After all, people buy from people they know, like, and trust—so work hard to build that relationship with your buyers. You'll be glad you did!
