Now before you say, “Oh, I don’t have that problem…” you may want to read on.

Below are three ways of NOT asking for the sale, followed by three ways of really asking for the sale.

Three Ways of NOT Asking For The Sale

#1. Wait For The Prospect To Make the First Move
One of the most popular closes, (or should I say anti-closes), is when the sales person presents the offer and waits for the prospect to say something. The sales person waits, hoping the prospect will say, “Ok! Give me a pen, where do I sign?” which usually does not happen.

Sales Person
“So Steve, the whole thing looks like this: We have the two dozen cases of the extra-wide widgets, two cases of the medium, and one case of the small. The whole thing comes to only £2,844, plus shipping.”

Silence.

Sales Person looks up at prospect, smiles, and then looks back down at order.

Silence.

I’m sorry my friends, but this is not asking for the order.

#2. The, “So What Do You Think?” Close
Sales people terrified to ask for the sale, often use this. Since they appear to be asking a closing question, the sales person feels as if he or she accomplishes something, without directly asking for the order and thereby avoiding the risk of direct rejection. The sales person does indeed accomplish something with this close…they make the whole situation much worse.

Sales Person: “Finally, Sarah, we will deliver, install and test the software. The total comes to £3,400 for the first year and then £425 per year in maintenance fees. So what do you think?”

First, asking the prospect what they think, is not asking them to buy. However, what is worse is that turning to logical thinking is the last thing you want the prospect to do at that point. People make buying decisions based primarily on emotion. They then back up those decisions with the logical thinking.

By asking the prospect what they think, you are invoking the wrong part of the prospect’s brain and you still have not asked him or her to make a decision.

Is it any wonder why the prospect eventually responds by telling you they want to THINK about it? You just asked them what they think!

#3. The Incentive Close
Another way that sales people can ask for the sale without clearly asking for the sale is to use some incentive in an effort to stimulate the prospect to action.

“So Steve, the whole thing looks like this: We have the two dozen cases of the extra-wide widgets, two cases of the medium, and one case of the small. The whole thing comes to only £2,844, plus shipping.”

“However Steve, if you place an order with me today, not only will we pick up the shipping costs, but we will give you an additional box of the small widgets…absolutely FREE!”

Silence.

You cannot wait for the prospect to snatch the contract out of your hand and close himself!

Posting Dec 28th, 2011:

Three Ways Of Asking For the Sale

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Bestselling Author, Sales Authority & Speaker On Modern Day Selling Methods 

MTD Sales Training

(Image by Jeroen van Oostrom)

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Cold calling

#1:  Don’t Take It Personally
You heard this one before.  You have people that hang up on you over and over, and you should just brush it off.  Just continue to accept the hang-ups as part of the process, and don’t take it personally.  “They are not rejecting you, just your services or products…” While this sounds like a sound and sensible sentiment; the fact is that it is impossible.  

This type of thinking is what causes burn-out in the telemarketing industry, and is one of the primary causes of phone-phobia.  It is personal.  Sometimes it is so personal, that the main culprit is the actual sound of your voice!

Instead of trying not to take it personally, understand that you need to make some changes in your telephone approach.  You may be suffering from the old Smile and Dial curse.  Either way, understand that if prospects continually hang up the phone on you, there is a problem and that problem begins with you…personally.

#2: You Often Have to Take Abuse
Many sales people believe that the only way to be successful on the telephone is to tolerate the abuse you may get from prospects in cold calls.  Many believe in the idea that you must “Endure the pain to make the gain…” philosophy. 

As in worst tip #1, if you often get overly rude and obnoxious prospects that tend to downgrade or humiliate you on the telephone, then there is a problem in your telephone technique.  As you upgrade and improve to solve the problem, in the mean time, you do not have to take abuse.  See tip #3.

#3:  Never Hang Up On a Prospect
While it is rare, there are times when you need to terminate the call.  Every once in a while you are bound to run into that truly horrible person.  No technique, skill or amount of kindness will stop this individual from lashing out at whoever it is on the other end of the telephone.  However, you do not have to sit there and spend your value time taking abuse.   

It is true, that you cannot lower yourself to their level, return like rudeness or just slam the phone down.  But you can “terminate the call with tact.”  

Firmly thank the prospect for his or her time, and then use a finger to disconnect the call.  Make sure the last words the prospect hears is you thanking them, and then use your hand so there is no sound of the telephone hanging up.  If the receiver touches the base of the telephone, it will sound harsh and rude. Instead use your hand to depress the button so the prospect barley hears a “click.”

If necessary, do this in the middle of a sentence.

Prospect:  “…And another thing!  I told you people to never call me again, and blah, yell, yell…”

Sales Person: “I really appreciate your time Mr Prospect.  Thank you!”  Click.

Stay professional, but don’t become a doormat.

Happy Selling

Sean

Sean McPheat
Bestselling Author, Sales Authority & Speaker On Modern Day Selling Methods 

MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

#1 – The situation is one that is common in the industry
#2 – The situation is not common or is an isolated incident

Now continuing with #2.

#2 – The situation is not common or is an isolated incident
What do you do when the prospect brings up a negative experience that is a total surprise, and still associates you with the problem? Of course, you cannot prepare for the problem and cover it early in the sales interaction. 

The usual course of action in this case is to side with the prospect in attempt to shift the blame to the real culprit; your competitor.   

Prospect:         “I’m sorry.  But I bought some of those widgets a few years ago from Old Fashioned Widgets and it was a nightmare.  I had nothing but problems that costs me a ton of money.  I can’t risk that again.”

Sales Person: “I understand Ms Prospect.  But I assure you we are not Old Fashioned.  We have the best, most up to date widgets in the industry.”

Prospect:         “Yeah, well, that’s what their sales rep said too!  Then they delivered widgets that didn’t work. ”

Sales Person: “They have been known to bend the truth sometimes…they are desperate.  I agree with you. Their work is often substandard…”

If this sounds familiar, then you know the eventual outcome.   As you attack the competition, you simultaneously degrade the credibility of your entire industry, which includes you and your firm.  The difficult task you have is to separate yourself from the competition, without degrading the competition.   

Defend Your Competition
Remember, as mentioned in Part I, if your competition is guilty of conducting slip shod business; as a professional you should know about it, and bring it up early in your sales interaction. 

However, if the situation is something that you have never heard of before, then let the prospect know that it is an isolated incident and defend the competition. 

Prospect:         “I’m sorry.  But I bought some of those widgets a few years ago from Old Fashioned Widgets and it was a nightmare.  I had nothing but problems that costs me a ton of money.  I can’t risk that again.”

Sales Person: “What?  I am shocked.  I don’t think Old Fashioned is the best widget company around, but they are a respectable organisation.  I mean, they sell a reasonably good product.   Of course, with our modern technology, our quality and performance tops theirs.  But I never heard of their widgets causing serious problems.  This is a reputable industry.  Can you tell me what happened?”   

With this approach, as you defend the competition, you defend your industry and yourself.  You separate yourself from the competition; not by pushing them down, but by raising yourself up.  You become an industry expert and an advisor. 

So, when the prospect wants to hold you guilty by associating in the same industry as the culprit, remember:

• If it is a common situation, you should already be aware and prepared to cover it in the sales interaction.   
• If it is an isolated incident, defend your competition and the industry and become an advisor. 

I rest my case.

Happy Selling

Sean

Sean McPheat
Bestselling Author, Sales Authority & Speaker On Modern Day Selling Methods 

MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

Poor Example # 1

“The Garden Centre Waffler”

My wife and I were looking around a garden centre when we were admiring a garden table and chairs for our patio. We have literally just walked up to and said to each “this is nice” when a sales person pounced! He then went on to talk about the features and benefits of the product for the next 5 minutes solid, I’m not joking here, 5 minutes of waffle! “It’s £1,495 and it’s got this and that, it’s made out of this wood and has a 5 year warranty”.

He went on and on and on and …..

At the end I said “Thanks for all of that but we have already got this table” (Sorry, me playing devils advocate. We hadn’t really) “You’ve just wasted 5 minutes when you could be selling to someone who needs it. Qualify me first and then ask questions”

All in all we must have spoke no less than 5% of the time and he never asked me one question. Not one!

Learn from that sales lesson and please do not just show up and throw up over me!

TIME OUT TIME OUT TIME OUT

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TIME OUT TIME OUT TIME OUT

Poor Example # 2

“The Business Development Manager Jinx!”

So there I am, interviewing for a BDM role.

“If they can’t sell me at an interview, they’ve got not chance out there in the real world!” I thinking to myself.

This is a funny story…

Jo (name changed to protect the innocent actually said this to me):

“Well, I started my employment in 1988 where I was Junior Sales Assistant with XYZ but they went bust in 1991 so I moved to ABC company and worked there as a Business Development Manager for 7 years until they had to call in the receivers. I moved across to Peugoet then in 1998 and worked there until 2004 before being made redundant and in the last two years I have held 2 sales positions”

My reply:

“So every company who you have worked for has gone bust right?”

Yeah, like I was going to employ that lady! There would be no more sales tips like these in 6 months time!

Honesty is one thing and I applaud her for that but “selling her skills” in that way was awful!

Next!

Happy selling and make sure you do not make the same mistakes that I mentioned above!

Sean

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Here are a couple of examples from my weekend…

1. Left Hanging With The Hanging Baskets

I visited BLOOMS GARDEN CENTRE in Rugby with my wife and 15 month old daughter to purchase some hanging baskets for the front of our house and also for our back garden. It was 4:30 on Sunday and it was almost empty with about 20 staff on show as I stood behind someone in the queue with my trolley loaded with hanging baskets and plants. She had a lot of queries and took 9 minutes while I just stood there like a lemon while staff (7 of them in my view) gossiped and were obviously “closing down” for the night. Still I waited until I had enought – I said in a raised voice “Is anyone going to serve me here or shall I just put the goods back?”. All of a sudden someone who was sweeping up just 2 feet away from me and another till said “Come over to this till” and she processed my order. No sorry, no nothing. It was awful.

They were just jobsworth people and after my outburst a couple of them smirked and commented on what I had said. Appalling.

2. We went for Sunday Dinner at our local pub. The menu said “Sunday dinner is a special time for friends and family to spend together with our traditional roast” Obviously not special enough as they had run out of the Sunday Roast come 4pm! This is the 5th time this has happened too. Do you think they know about the problem? Thing is, the roast is £9.99 each and everything else on the menu is around 5 or 6 quid so they are losing a lot of turnover!

Please please please take notice of the poor service I received. In your business, do you know what is going on? Do you have high standards? Do you actually give a toss about the customer? I mean, truly, madly care about the customer?

Make sure your systems are set up to deliver excellent customer service at all times and get rid of everything or anyone who does not contribute to this.

Like I say to everyone I meet “You are either part of the solution or part of the problem”

Sean Mc

Have you downloaded my latest report yet? “The Sales Person’s Crisis” has been downloaded by over 10,000 sales pros and entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this unique report that lifts the lid on modern day selling!

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…