If you don’t ask, The answer will always be NO.
Someone once told me that we should never try to close a deal; if you present the product or service properly the prospect will automatically buy.
Years and years of research have been conducted by our organisation. The results clearly demonstrate otherwise. We should always attempt to close a sale with verbal or physical actions. So, let’s review the sales process. Once the customer makes an inquiry, we use all our skills to connect. We start building a rapport with our client and we question the client to find out what criteria will trigger a transaction.
In fact, we should always ask prospects what their buying criteria is. Is it quality, specification, colour, availability, or price range? Once we have gained a clear understanding of the above buying criteria, then we should endeavour to match our product or service offerings to these requirements.
The next great piece of advice we offer sales people from all walks of life is to ask the prospect the following question. If we are able to “tick all of your boxes” ( meet all requirements ) is there any reason why you would not purchase this product or service from us?
This is the true qualifier to ensure that the client is ready to purchase. Some may call it a trial close, we call it a qualifying sequence. If the client tells us that they would not buy from Synergy for Success, although we meet their requirements, we would have to dig deeper. What is the reason that they are not prepared to buy? It could be that the inquiry is for a purchase in the future, maybe it is because they are purely price shopping, or they are just bench-marking their current supplier in the marketplace.
The “tick the boxes” routine will quickly allow you to get a better idea of where the client sits in the buying cycle.
If the client says that they will buy off of you if you meet all of their requirements, then it is time to ask for the purchase. Prospects often need to be “closed” – they are actually waiting for you to attempt to close the deal. Quite often, if you don’t ask for the order they will gladly walk away and engage with another supplier who will invite them to buy.
So, how do you ask for the order?
If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. Let’s take a look.
- Would you like to go ahead and tidy up the paperwork?
- Order a unit from the factory
- Secure a delivery date
- See what colours are available
- Ask how they will be paying for the goods or service
Take Action
Verbal is always one way of closing a deal, but there is always more than one way. Taking action, shows authority. When your trying to close a deal you can have a few choices.
- Walk toward the counter
- Put the items in a carry bag
- Start to complete an order form
- Start to key the order into a computer/Palm Pilot
We teach new sales people, that if they don’t ask for the order, then they are “working for the opposition”. This statement makes us think twice about not asking for the order on every possible occasion.
What is the worst thing that can happen if you don’t ask for the order?
The prospect can walk away and buy elsewhere? they can object about the price or give you another reason for not being ready to buy. For the latter 2 reasons you then need to be prepared to offer responses to their objections. If you are convincing enough in responding to their objections, then you will surely walk away with an order.
Successful organisations are the ones that ask for the order on each and every occasion. It makes perfect sense, and the prospects are waiting for you to do so.
So, do we ask for the order ? The answer is positively YES!
George Manolis is a speaker and author who delivers public and in-house training programs in sales all around Australia. Contact him at 1300 791 571 or via email: george@sfsi.com.au. You may also view the comprehensive range of sales tools which include training videos for download. Visit www.salesforce.au.com