Sales Conversion & Closing

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Often the hard work and investment from Marketing with building the brand and awareness, and generating leads can be undone, and conversions lowered, if sales closing is ineffective.

Here are 10 methods and tips for sales closing:

  1. The Contract Close: “If I do this, then will you do that ?”. This can be used in cold calling and every stage of the buying process. For example; If I do a site survey, then will you introduce me to the CEO or FD ?”
  2. A Trial Close: This is to test the water and to see how much more work there is to close the order
  3. The Direct Close: just ask for the order
  4. An Assumptive Close: Assume that the order will take place. For instance: “Ok I will fill out the paperwork then…”
  5. Alternative Close: “If we go ahead then which day to we start ? Wednesday or Thursday ?” (give alternatives to choose from)
  6. The ‘Puppy Dog’ close: Give them something that they will not want to return. “If you do not like it then bring it back..”
  7. The Scarcity close: “We only have one left…”. This can be used even when there is no scarcity. It is often used for flight bookings, holidays and on-line shopping.
  8. A Reverse Close: this is when we ‘un-sell’ something such that the client does the buying and wants it more. For example: “It is absolutely great but probably not right for you…”
  9. The Emotional close: can be used when you have built up a really good relationship. “It would be really great if, by the end of the month, you could place the order as we are coming up to our quarterly performance targets. The client can feel obliged to help you due to your relationship.
  10. The ‘Ben Franklin’ close: Prepare two columns on a piece of paper; one for Reasons why to buy, and one for reasons why not to buy. Having previously thought about this you can have a long list of reasons why and write them down in front of the client, and then turn the paper round and ask them the reasons why not to buy. In the limited time to respond they generally can only thing of a couple of reason why not to buy. The long list of reasons why then outweighs the reasons why not.

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