Warning: Don’t Read This Post Unless You Want to Turbocharge Your Close Rate
Why do some salespeople outperform others? There’s actually about a million possible reasons why.
Sometimes, it comes down to just a few key actions leading up to the close.
Speaking of closing…how do you make it happen at the highest possible rate?
Well, it really depends on your personal strengths and weaknesses and the circumstances of your situation.
But if you follow these tips, regardless of your situation, your close rate skyrockets:
1. Identify Your Fears & Strategize How You’re Going to Deal with Them
Every sales professional has fears and obstacles during the sales process.
Maybe it’s overcoming objections. It could be asking for the sale. Prospecting? That can be a real nightmare for some too.
Do you tense up when it’s time to ask for the sale?
For some salespeople, and maybe you too, all you need to do is retrain your brain. View closing as a natural part of the sales process. Recognize you’re helping your customer buy what they need to make their business or personal lives better.
Maybe you have to change the words you use to ask for the sale. Certain words, even “sales,” conjure up images of the obnoxious used-car type of salesman.
You might like to “provide solutions” instead. Think of what makes things most comfortable for you and go with that.
2. Know the Reasons Your Prospects Won’t Buy
Now you can get into all sorts of elaborate discussions as to how to overcome objections. However, they all boil down to a few things:
- Your prospect doesn’t believe they have a problem
- If they do have a problem, it’s not a priority to fix
- They know they have a problem, but they don’t believe your solution works
So, it’s up to you to figure out which of these 3 is going on and do everything possible to assure your clients they have a problem they must fix, and that the solution you have works.
3. Come to the Meeting Armed with Stories
The more relevant you are to your clients, the better. Ideally, you have another company in the exact same industry that you gave a very similar solution. Tell, in excruciating detail, precisely how your solution saved the day for them.
But don’t just stop with a single story (although that’s usually enough to convince). Instead, have at least 3 ready.
What more evidence will they need?
4. Use Measurable Metrics as Examples
And be precise with these numbers – that makes them more credible. If you cut annual expenses for your customers by 9.8%, use that exact figure.
Nothing convinces sensible business people like precision results you deliver.
Understand You Can’t Close Every Prospect!
At the end of the day, you can only do so much to close. But unless you put out superstar sales numbers year in and year out, there’s something you can always do better.
Figure out how to improve your closing process, and you’ll be astounded when you see the year-end numbers.
