Why You Need To Close The Sale
17 Mar 2008
We often need to close a sale because customers often need help in making a buying decision. They find it hard to ask to buy and it is our responsibility to make it as easy as possible for them to do so.
I hear a lot of sales trainers and salespeople complain about the use of the term ‘closing a sale’. One of the criticisms often voiced is that the word ‘close’ relates to the end of something, whereas getting a sale from a customer should be the ‘start’ of a relationship. Others feel it is too harsh a word and reflects badly on their professionalism. Well I say ‘phooey’!
The term ‘close the sale’ is brief, to the point, and we all know what it means. It means getting an order or an agreement to move on to the next stage in the buying process. Unfortunately for them and the customer, salespeople often fail to close.
I repeat - Customers often need help in making a buying decision. This point was vividly illustrated to me some years ago by a shower salesman. My family and I had just moved to a very expensive neighbourhood. We had chosen a slightly smaller house than we really needed because of the high prices in the area and we decided to install a shower-room to ease the morning queue outside the bathroom.
A representative from a well-known company visited us late one afternoon. He was very presentable and knew his product well. I was impressed. He spent the first half an hour running through the various models that were available and the technical specifications of each. I mentally decided on the most appropriate one for our needs. After a tour of inspection of the house, and after taking measurements in various rooms, the most appropriate site in which to install the equipment soon became very apparent. Over a cup of coffee we ran through the technical specifications of the model I had already set my mind on and the costs of supply, delivery and installation. I was ready to sign the order. At this point, the super-salesman thanked us for our time and patience, placed a quotation and some literature on our coffee-table, and got up and left. His parting words were, “Have a think about it and I’ll wait to hear from you then.”
I was totally flabbergasted. I wanted the equipment. I wanted to buy it from his company and I was ready to sign an order form immediately, but he did not ask me to and I could not bring myself to ask to buy.
You may think this is an extreme example but I can assure you that thousands of times every day, in every country throughout the world, a salesperson fails to ask for the order. Even when there is an obviously willing buyer and where the sale is there for the asking, the same rule applies. If you don’t ask for it – you probably won’t get it! Customers need help in making a buying decision. They often find it hard to ask to buy and it is your responsibility to make it as easy as possible for them to do so.