How does a salesperson ‘ask the customer for the business’ without sounding obnoxious? How does one close the sale without being or feeling like a jerk? How should salespeople conduct themselves at the crucial 'close' stage' of the sale, so that they do not inadvertently end up causing the customer to shut them out? This post examines the reasons the 'close' often turns into an unpleasant, if not an outright nightmare, situation for both customer and salesperson. It also suggests how salespeople can effectively close the sale.

1. how to
CLOSE
A SALE
(without being
obnoxious)
www.jersonjames.com

2. Closing a Sale…

3. It is the part of the sales
process that most salespeople
struggle to
execute effectively
.

4. It is also the part of the sale that
customers
hate most

6. They tend to use various
pressure tactics

7. Customers, needless to say,
resent this
They tend to view salespeople who
adopt this approach,
negatively

10. The challenge that
many salespeople face with
'asking for the business'
or
‘closing’
as it is traditionally known,
comes down to their very

11. They aren't there as the
trusted adviser
looking to

13. If it were the customer's
well-being that drove
them, then they
wouldn't hesitate to tell
the customer that
perhaps

14. If your sales
approach and focus
is on genuinely providing
your customers with
concrete benefits

15. then when you
'ask for the
business',
your act would merely be
which will get the customer to enjoy the
benefit that they are seeking

16. Most other (pushy) closing
techniques are
borderline trickery!

18. (If you haven’t done these, then barring a stroke of luck, fat chance you
will be able to close)

19. The best way to 'ask for
the business' is to first
check with the customer if
all their
queries, doubts or
reservations
have been resolved
effectively

21. If they answer in the affirmative,
then ask them if they wish to
proceed to the next step in the
sales process, which is the
signing of the
contract

22. If for some reason they say
‘no’ at this stage or are
dithering, it is an indication
that there still exist
doubts or issues
that have
not been addressed

23. Inform them
that there is
no
compulsion/pressure
for them to buy
(not until they are completely
sure that they want to do so)

24. Inform the customer that if they
want to back out of the deal,
they are free
to do so

26. Request them to be upfront
with you about the
reason for
their refusal,
since you have both invested
so much time in the
relationship up until this point.

27. and overcome
identify
This will allow you to
any residual doubts or
resistance points…

33. At no point should the customer feel
pressured to sign
on the dotted line

35. Instead, they will see you as a,
trusted adviser
who has their best interest at
heart, at all times
(that will make them want to deal with you, rather
than those other pushy salespeople)

36. You will never feel bad about
‘asking the
customer for
the business'

37. Importantly, you will end up
successfully closing
a greater number of
sales

38. For more resources on sales effectiveness, please visit
www.jersonjames.com
Sales Advisory
Sales Capability Creation
Mumbai, India
jerson@jersonjames.com

39. Image attribution
http://www.flic
kr.com/photos/
geishaboy500/21
0442017/
http://www.flic
kr.com/photos/
aussiegall/617628
6689/
http://www.
flickr.com/p
hotos/jonicd
ao/3221523809
/
http://www.
flickr.com/p
hotos/barba
rarich/517940
039/
http://www.
flickr.com/p
hotos/ragti
mescruffy/81
75110121/
http://www.
flickr.com/p
hotos/2848108
8@N00/164863
3814/

40. Or, perhaps, to advise the
customer that they
should not be
going ahead with this
purchase ,
(However, this is unlikely to happen at this
late a stage, since you would have invested
your time and energy in this relationship only
because you truly had a significant value
proposition to offer)