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by
Jay Conrad Levinson
Author of
"Guerrilla Marketing"
 Closing
a sale -- getting your prospect to say yes -- can sometimes be as easy as
asking for it. Once you've laid the groundwork by qualifying your
prospect, uncovering their needs, and showing how your product or service
satisfy those needs, it's time to ask for the order. Here are five tips to
make this procedure simple and successful.
1. Lay the Foundation
As guerrillas you know that an essential element of your job is to
determine your customer’s needs and help them to understand that what
you are selling more than meets that need. If this is done successfully, a
"close" may not be necessary. However, if you are encountering
difficulties closing, you should probably examine your procedure for
revealing your customer's needs and demonstrating the benefits of your
product or service.
2. Qualify the Prospect
Does the person with whom you are doing business have the authority to
make purchasing decisions? Sometimes a person won't say "yes" to
your product or service simply because they're not authorized to do so. If
this is the case, urge this person to recommend you and your company to
the real decision-maker. To smoke out the gatekeepers from the decision
makers, ask for the order and see if she hems and haws. Other approaches
are to inquire about budgets or past buying decisions. Her answers will
help you determine whether or not she’s in the loop.
3. Establish a Deadline
If you have a customer who is indecisive, one way to close is to tell them
that your price or service is only available up to a certain date. For
example, if a prospect professes interest in utilizing your services but
cannot make a commitment, set a deadline date or explain that you will be
unavailable for a certain amount of time. Of course this is a risky
proposition and can result in a lost sale. But it can separate authentic
prospects from prospects who might keep you on perpetual hold without
making a decision. Forcing a decision, one way or the other, can be good
for your business. If they decide not to buy, it releases you to pursue
other prospects.
4. Threaten a Price Increase
If your company plans to restructure pricing in March, start calling
people in December to get them to buy before the price increase occurs.
Positioning here is crucial -- bear in mind that you are calling to
provide a service to your prospect, not to intimidate them into buying.
Your prospects and present customers will appreciate the advance notice.
This should help you close.
5. Discuss the Consequences of Sitting on a Sale
Ask your prospect to estimate what it would cost them NOT TO buy your
product or service, for example: the costs of doing business due to an
uninsured accident or a disastrous product launch due to insufficient
market research. The cost can be measured in financial terms, time,
reputation, among other things.
You might use one or all of
these tips when closing a sale. Get comfortable with these techniques and
try to work them into your discussions naturally.
Jay
Conrad Levinson is called "The Father of Guerrilla
Marketing,"
and is author of the Guerilla Marketing series of books
with over 14 million sold, now in 42 languages.
www.gmarketing.com
www.guerrillamarketingassociation.com
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