The first step is not to lose sight of what is most important to the client: Addressing their needs and adding VALUE.
It’s completely understandable why so many companies and sales professionals struggle with closing sales. We live in a
crazy, frantic, impatient world and sales professionals are no different. Everyone wants to get to “right to it” and start pitching and selling almost immediately after engaging a prospect. In many cases, the prospects are partially responsible for this as well. Everyone is stressed for time and wants things to move along quickly. Here’s one of the most important tips I can share with you:
If you want to close MORE, sell LESS.
So what exactly do I mean by that? Well, let’s break it down. Of course, you have to sell to win business. It’s
when you do it and
how you do it that are most important. It’s the age old battle. People want and need to buy, but they don’t want to be SOLD. So how do you do it then?
It’s very simple: You have to earn the right to ask for the business. How?
Simple: Do right by the client by following some basic steps. Here are things to remember:
1) Engage them professionally and sincerely. Always.
2) Ask impactful questions about their situation. Learn what is important to them.
3) Explore what is affecting them and their business and discuss it.
**
This ALL happens before you ever talk about yourself and what you offer!
4) Provide value and solutions that close the gap between where they are and where they want to be.
You earn the right to ask for the business by earning their trust and being sincerely interested in them. There are no short-cuts to this process. (Read the last two sentences again.)
The fact is this: If you want to be wildly successful in sales, you need to shift from being a “salesperson” to becoming a trusted advisor to the people you serve. That comes from being more interested in what they need than what you want or need to sell.
It may seem backwards, but to close more sales, you have to sell less.
If you are looking for ways to become a trusted advisor to more clients and ultimately close MORE sales, contact me at joe@thesalesactivist.com to schedule a FREE Impact Sales Strategy Session. Help is just a phone call away.
