Now that you know the basics, you need effective closing strategy, here now are the step-by-step ways to properly end a sale.

Deliver your closing

Choose the right closing technique and deliver it well. Always aim for a close, even though the deal is very unlikely to end as a sale. Anyway, you can always use the practice or the amusement even.

Pause for a few seconds

After delivering your spiel, give your customers a few seconds to throw in any last minute questions at you or to say, “yes” to the deal. Don’t keep on talking that you missed the consent that you have been meaning to hear all along.

Observe your customer’s emotions

As you talk, observe at what part of your sales talk your customer usually responds or interrupts. And when they speak, listen to them and watch the emotions that come with their words. Use the same emotions to lead you to a sale.

Finish the sale

If you have said the right words to go with the right responses, your customer will be signing the sales slip easily. But sometimes, the deal cannot be closed in a day. A big budget deal would take weeks, months, or even years to complete. Whichever the case, just be prepared with your closing. Be armed with the right tools and the right equipment. You don’t want to lose a sale because of mere irresponsibility on your part.

Thank the customer

You have to thank the customer for the purchase. And along with that, wish him the best with his new product, offer support, and give additional pointers to do when he gets to use it. You might be the one to congratulate here for your good work of completing the sale, but the least you can do is to share your success with your customer by simply thanking him.

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Sales closing means taking the customer into the stage of commitment. This is where they actually buy – where they put out their hard earned and the not-so-hard earned cash for that matter, to buy your products. Therefore, to ensure you of a tightly sealed deal, here are some closing techniques you can take advantage of:
There are many types of close, which I will go into detail below, but here are the three common ones you should practise first, before moving on to the others:
The Trial – Check if the customer is ready to buy, be offering a limited trial period.
Assumptive – Here you literally assume the customer accepts your proposal, by asking them to “Just sign there and we can get the ball rolling”.
Alternative – Here the customer accepts the proposition and you discuss alternatives. Eg, “Would you like it to be delivered in the morning or afternoon?”
Once you have asked a closing question what is the next step.
Shut up……………..Silence is the end point.
Do not ask any smart questions or apply any pressure. Closing is a process that starts with selling you to the customer. This means you should show empathy.
Don’t take a first NO as the final answer or leave without gaining an action. Therefore, use closing as your ultimate Objective.

Using the Power of Assumption Technique

Act like your customer have decided to buy already. Speak confidently that what you are saying is what you believe you have understood from the conversation with the customer. Ask him directly as to how may items he would like to purchase and when he would like them delivered. If you say it properly enough, your customer will actually answer your question in complete detail. And when he does, be prepared to document the sale and complete it.
Sample Spiels:
So, where would you like to place these shelves once it gets in your apartment?
Which of these two sizes of bed should I process for delivery?

Using a Testimonial to Close the Deal

A happy customer is always your best advertisement. If you customer needs a little more pushing, you can state the name of one of your rather popular and highly satisfied clients, with their permission of course. Don’t forget to mention the details of the sale, like what he purchased and why he was particularly happy. Sometimes, a customer need not know who exactly became satisfied with the product. Most of the time, hearing a good story about it from any user is enough to get them to buy. And this especially true if they trust you as a salesperson.
Sample Spiels:
You know Mr. Johns, the Vice President for Purchasing of ABC Company, regularly buys from us. You can ask him how he finds our products.
We have many regular customers up north. If you like, you can ask about our products from one of your friends there. They surely have heard about us.

The First-Hand Experience Technique

To finally get your customer buying, show them your product. Let them experience actually owning it, even for a few minutes. Just make sure that you do it in such a way that they would feel attached to the product even after that short moment. Show them the features that would astound them. Give them the evidence that what you are selling all along is real and accurate. With the product in their hands, they will have the opportunity to test it and eliminate any doubts that they may have about it.
Sample Spiels:
Try one of ours and see for yourself. Let me demonstrate what this thing can do for you.
I was amazed myself the moment I knew about this product. Hold it. Feel how light it is.
Take this home with you and return it if you feel it’s not right for you.

Showing them The Better End of The Deal Closing Technique

This is the traditional deal closer. What a salesperson does here is that he shows the customer what other stuffs and bonuses he will be getting the moment he buys the product. Along with that are all the other values they are going to enjoy along with the purchase. This closing is going to be effective only if all the right good-sounding words are used. You can go down further, enumerating all the details. Your goal here is to impress the customer. And impressed they should be, not bored with your droning on, about features and user’s instructions. All you really have to do is to repeat all the important things that you might have already said. This will give your customer the impression that you are summarizing what both you have talked about and the only thing left to do is for him to take out his wallet.
Sample Spiels:
So that means you will get to enjoy the product and all its features, plus we will deliver it to you for free. And you are entitled to an all-inclusive lifetime technical support at no additional cost to you.
The whole package comes with an easy-to-carry duffel bag where you can store the product or take with you anywhere. An extra set of batteries and a cleaning device are also included.

Using the Emotions Technique

If there is anything powerful in a person, that will be his emotions. To get your customer to a successful close, aim at his emotions. Specifically stir up some deep-seated sentiments that would move him the most. Observe if he is going to react positively or negatively to it. Act according to your observation. It is always safe to go for positive emotions; but in odd circumstances, going for the negative ones can benefit as well. Whenever in doubt, don’t proceed. Keep in mind that your customer’s buying decision depends upon what he feels. He would buy if he feels the need or even the want for your product. He won’t buy at all if he is harboring no important feelings about what you are selling. So early on the deal, try to check out every now and then what your customer feels, and see how you can use it in your closing later on.
Sample Spiels:
My previous customers told me their self-confidence increased because of the great effects produced by this machine.
Other customers are calling me, saying that they should have bought this sooner.

Using the Short-Term Offer Technique

As a last effort to close the deal with your customer, offer them some get-it-now-or-never deals. Give them discounts that hold only if they make the purchase before a certain period. Give them freebies to go with their product when they pay for it now. These are good baits to a customer who is having difficulty deciding whether he should buy or not. If they feel the urgency, and that they need to decide now if they want to get the offer, they would find time to do so. You will be amazed that some would even purchase your product even before you finish your sentence because they’re afraid of missing something.
Moreover, if you make them believe that the product is scarce or limited, you increase the value of the product you’re selling. You must try your best to give him a deal that anybody would be a fool to let go of.
Sample Spiels:
Take the product today and I will slash an additional 5% discount. I should get approval for that but since my boss is out for a short break, I think I can let that offer through. What do you say?
This is the last day of sale. Tomorrow, the products are going back to its original prices. I say you take advantage of it now while the offer’s still here.
Only one more model 9850 is available. This must be your lucky day. If you miss it, it can take months before we can get new models.

Focus on the Quality Technique

This particular technique is going to work if your product’s main selling point is its quality and not anything else. This means that the product may be priced considerably the highest in the market, and you can’t possibly compete nor argue when it comes to that area. Therefore, the way to close the deal is to always emphasise the product’s superiority, in contrast to all other factors. Affirm to him that quality matters most and that its price and all the other factors associated with it are not important factors after all. Show customers how quality will work for them and how well the company keeps its promises when it comes to the product’s performance. What you are really focusing on is the product’s long-term value. That is exactly what the customer is paying for.
Sample Spiels:
You only have to pay for the product once, but you get a lifetime guarantee.
This is the product with the best quality out in the market today. You won’t regret it. And you will soon realise that its cost is such a small price to pay.

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Closing

What is the most common reason for lack of sales? It is failure to close. You should therefore close often and early. Also do not accept the first NO. The average is 6-7 no’s before a YES!
The principle of all Sales and Marketing can be summarised by the term AIDA:

• Attention
• Interest
• Desire
• Action

Action is closing the sale.

Closing the Sale

A sales deal is composed of three parts. The first part is the introduction of products to possible customers. The second is the customer’s acceptance of the product. And the third part, and the most important part, at that, is the closing. With that said, closing is the hardest part of every sales transaction.

The work is done and the pipelines are filled in the first two parts of the selling process are where. But if your closing is rather weak, all that time spent in building the sale will be lost. And so, to become a good salesperson, you have to develop a strong closing technique. This part of the sale is so critical that some companies actually hire two sets of salespeople – the prospectors and the closers. But if you want to be a rounded salesperson , you should be the embodiment of these two. It means that you can initiate, develop, and close a sale in one fluid action. Before we go to the different techniques you can use to close a sale, you have to know first the five basic principles of a sale.

Timing is important.

Once you feel that the sales agreement between you and your customer is reached, you have to act swiftly. Let them sign the necessary forms and supply the necessary information needed to process the sale. Treat the moment that they say “yes” as a bell chiming, which signifies that you are just a few moments away from success.

Learn the proper timing in closing the deal

If time is important, then timing is of paramount concern too. As a good salesperson, you should act at the right instant. If you act too soon or too late, you might lose a sale before you know it. And to keep yourself from guessing as to when the right time to pounce on the deal will be, always try turning the tables around to your favour. Instead of your customers dictating the pace of the transaction, you take over. But before you can do that, your sensitivity should be at work all the time. If you feel that your customers is only half-decided, encourage them towards the right path.

You can negotiate by giving more discounts, offering freebies, extending warranties, and things like that. You have to lead your customer all the way to the end of the sale. If they seem to be really backing out, try one or two different moves; not desperation moves but persuasive moves. You still have to maintain the dignity of your products. Remember that you don’t have to go too low for a sale. You are offering your customers a good product. If they won’t buy, it is really their loss. But because of your concern for them, you are still offering them a last chance to buy the product. A chance that may not be offered to them some other time.

Scarcity sometimes work.

While this may be true, don’t overdo it. If you are selling a prime property for example, you are not supposed to tell your customer outright that you might as well call somebody you know who is also inquiring about the property and is probably more than willing to accept what you just offered him. The instant they thought they were regarded unimportantly is the moment they walk out. Using the threat of their possible competition would show who among your customers want the product that you are selling more. Use scarcity as a tool to gauge your customer with. The customer will, more often than not, respond honestly to this. Above all, don’t lie.

Know what to say after they made the decision to buy.

The smart thing to do is ask them if they would be interested in an “advanced” or “deluxe” version of the product (if any) or if they would like a product that compliments the main product. (Example: Would you like this cool pair of socks that match perfectly with your shoes?)

Not all sales deals lead to a close

The sales figures of almost all companies would show that the ratio between the number of potential customers and the number of closed deal are miles apart. But this doesn’t mean that you have to succumb to the numbers. As a good salesperson, you have the power to raise the percentages to considerable heights.

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