Salespeople who close reliably never rely on the promise of a discount to get the deal across the finish line. Price should never be the primary reason for buying right now, as opposed to next week, month, or year. Great salespeople find a legitimate, pressing problem or opportunity related to their deals.
They start by helping a potential customer understand that it's in their best interest to buy as soon as possible. They know they can work with that buyer to figure out the exact terms later — and if they get it right, those terms won't include a discount.
They gain acceptance at each step before vp technical email lists moving on to the next.
Great closers never risk their time making assumptions. They check to make sure they are aligned with their prospect before moving on to another discussion at each step of their sales process. That way, their final close – asking for the business – is much more likely to have a positive outcome as it becomes the natural next step in the process.
Define your potential customers' decision criteria from the beginning
Surprises and sales tend not to mix well; in that context, they are often the result of insufficient due diligence. The best closers make it a priority to understand everything a prospect is evaluating as early as possible, so they can provide value in these areas throughout the sales process.
They never get to what they think is the end of a sales process, only to suddenly discover that the buyer has three major concerns that they never previously considered or addressed.
They define the purchasing process of their prospects.
Is there a legal review process that will add a week or two to the sales process? Is your prospect required to evaluate a certain number of vendors (as government agencies often are)? Are there other procurement process requirements that require your input?
Great closers plan these steps as soon as that planning is appropriate. That allows them to prepare for a smooth buying process and keep a deal moving forward efficiently.
They bring all the interested parties together before the negotiation begins.
There’s nothing worse than thinking you have the deal in the bag and sitting down to negotiate, only to meet a previously unknown stakeholder who has significant objections you need to address. To prevent this from happening, ask, “Who else is involved in this decision that should be on our next call?” at the end of every sales conversation.
While it doesn't make sense for your point of contact to bring the entire executive team together in a first meeting, they certainly need to be integrated as the deal progresses, so that you're not suddenly faced with five different perspectives that you didn't realize needed to be accommodated at the eleventh hour.
They know how and when to be patient.
You're not going to close a deal on your first call with a prospect, and you'll probably get more than a few "no's" before you get a "yes." You need to know how to keep your composure and good humor during that process if you're going to be a great salesperson.
You need to be strategically patient, both on a personal level and when interacting with prospects. Hang in there through rejection and try to avoid sales pressure when engaging with buyers. That being said, you can't just let go when you're trying to close, either.