How to Increase Your Sales With Closing Techniques in 5 Steps

From ancient times, mastering sales is one of the most desirables skill to champion. Legend has that many have tried, and most failed. There are many steps from start to close a sale, and skipping a single one could compromise the outcome. In this post will explain why sales is so important, especially for a small business owner. Sealing the deal could mean much success for you and your company.

A businesses need sales in order to continue running. Though we are in an online world, and it would be wonderful if all the sales were done through the internet, unfortunately that is not the case. Picking up the phone is paramount, and in some industries phone calls are not effective, a face-to-face meeting is the only way to go.

In order to master sales, much like any other skill, it requires practice. Reading and becoming knowledgeable on the subject is a good start. But polishing the artistry by rehearsing your pitch is irreplaceable. We will discuss in more depth different ways to fine tune your presentation.

As for me, the first biggest obstacle I had to overcome was myself. I had just started my first business providing painting services to apartment complexes. I had worked in the field for many years, and was very confident of the work. But sales was a new concept, and being a one man show, I had no option but to face the task at hand.

In an apartment complex, the decision maker is fairly reachable. For smaller properties the only person in the office is the target. For larger, there is a gate keeper, but the chances to speak with the manager are very high. Also, business cards are readily available for grabs, making it easier for follow-ups.

Having experience in the field helped me to develop a good approach. I was familiar with the problems a manager encounters, and could provide the solution. Being in the business, I was also aware that the best way to close a sale was by paying a visit. I build a list of all of the apartments in the area I was targeting, and using google maps I outlined the most efficient route.

The next day was time to fulfill the steps that I had created. On my drive to the very first stop I began to have second thoughts. I was somewhat familiar with the manager, and I hoped it would break my internal edge. I clearly remember pulling into the complex. I parked my vehicle near the office. It was early fall and the temperature was very pleasant, the lot was filled with dead leaves. Despite the pleasant weather, my hands were sweating, and my knees were bucking. The visit was very successful, and led to bid, which I eventually closed.

The outcome of that first visit gave me confidence and motivation for a second one. Then I was rejected a few times, but another good outcome, and more confidence was built.

Out of all my experiences, I learn a lot of different sales closing technics. The biggest secret to create a perfect closing to a sale is, believe it or not, listen to your prospect. Let them tell you their problem, and the solutions they are expecting. Based on the intelligence you gather, make your pitch. Listen again, and go for the closing.

Before jumping into the closing techniques, I want to cover a topic that is very important, yet it is overlooked by many salespeople. The sound of your voice.

 

Voice Development

Using a device, record yourself doing your pitch. Listen back, and you will be surprised to find that you are ineffective, and you often times your speech is monotonous. If you fall asleep during your own pitch, chances are, your audience will do the same. Change your presentation, make your sentences more concise. Continue to repeat the process until you are satisfied with the outcome.

In his book, Secrets of Closing the Sale, Zig Ziglar suggests that a person in sales should work on their voice inflection using one trick. Write down a phrase with no more than eight words. Record yourself placing the inflection in different parts of the sentence, implying different meanings. Repeat the it in different ways, with different intonations. Though the sentence is the same, you will notice that with an educated change of your voice inflection, those eight words can give contrasting meaning.

The ultimate goal of voice development is to listen and ask yourself if you would purchase from you. The good news is that inflection is a learnt skill, and practicing for fifteen minutes a day for a little over a week, you will have mastered the fundamentals.

Without further due, here are the steps in increase your sales.

1- Find the decision maker

This is a two folded challenge, and in my opinion the most difficult one. When contacting a company, try to get as much information as possible about their purchase process, which will eventually lead to the desirable decision maker. Ask questions like: Who is involved in the purchase process? What evaluation criteria is your company using? When was the last time you purchase a similar product? What was the process like?

Once you find the right person, the next step is even more challenging. Getting through the gatekeeper. Prepare yourself, as more times than not, it will be difficult to get through the them unstuffed. A lot of the salespeople will take their shot and stop right here. The gatekeeper os usually skilled to divert these types of phone calls. Do not talk too much in this step. Be courteous, precise, and work diligently to get to your target.

2- Overcoming price objections

This is the most common objection in the sales arena, and understand how to overcome will give you a leg up.

When the prospect is belligerent saying the price is ridiculous. Repeat the prospect’s sentence back inflecting as a question. This will put the customer on the spot to justify why they think that way, and will give you more intelligence to act on for the next steps. Ask the customer is the only problem is the price, if the answer is yes, then expand on the benefits and why it should be priced that way.

“It is unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing what it was bought to do”.

– John Ruskin

3- The Fear of Loss close

Establish with the prospect that they are safe dealing with you, and they won’t lose money or the product, but they have to act fast. People are more afraid of loosing than the desire to gain.

I have personally used this one very often. I would go visit my clients in the hopes of filling the schedule for the following week. If they were indecisive whether they should contract that far in advance, I would give the famous nudge “My schedule is all but full. I only have a few openings, and as soon as I am done here, I will be going to another client”. When they finally gave me a day, I would look at my agenda, and say “I will have to move things around to make it work for you, but it should be fine”.

4- The reverse close

This sale technique is when you let your prospect know, upfront that you are not trying to sell anything, but you are just presenting your product or service. This will put your prospect at ease, lowering their objections mindset. It makes a lot easier to finalize your deal at the end.

5- The take away closing

It is a psychological fact that we hate when things are taken away from us. Converting to the sales world, taking things away can actually help close the sale. When offering your product or service, present the top of the line, with the most features. When the prospect turns it down, then take away some features, offering cost savings. The psychological will trigger, the customer not wanting anything taken away, moves forward with the sale.

Conclusion

When comes to sales closing techniques – as long as you are ethical and delivering what you are selling – there is no right or wrong. You have to do what works best for you. I know many successful people who has never used a script. On the other hand, Jordan Belford – a very successful sales person – on his book, he swears by the use of scripts.

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