When you’re in sales, closing deals is a fact of life. But how do you effectively close those deals, and get your clients to say yes? Should you write them an email or maybe custom sales videos can do the trick?
To be a successful closer, you need to have sound sales techniques. But sometimes it can come down to just people skills. How well do you know the client? Are they being honest with you about what they want? And are you able to adapt your behaviour to suit them?
Understand actually what the client is trying to achieve by buying from you
If a client wants to buy your product, they must have a problem. If they don’t have a problem, they will not buy your product. Understanding their problem is key because the solution to that problem is what you are selling.
To understand the client’s problems and goals, ask questions like:
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What do you want but don’t have yet?
- Why does this matter to you now?
Get to know the client or their company
You need to understand your client’s business and their goals. You should know who they are as a company, what makes them unique, and what they want to accomplish.
Understand their culture so you can position yourself as someone who adds value, rather than an outsider who doesn’t know how things are done around here (or worse, might make mistakes). And remember: everyone on your team counts as part of the client’s culture as well.
Ask your client questions
Asking questions is one among the most important skills to have. It’s also one that probably came easy for you in grade school. We’re guessing you were asked “What time is it?” often, or maybe “How much is 3 plus 2?”
As a salesperson, asking questions isn’t just about getting information. It’s also an opportunity to listen and understand what your clients want—and how they see themselves in relation to their purchase decisions. Asking these types of questions can help guide your sales process toward success:
- What do they want?
- How can they use it?
- Why are they buying from me?
Define the client’s style of communication – and adapt your style to suit them
- Define the client’s style of communication. What kind of communication actually works best for them? What is their preferred mode of contact? Email, phone or text messaging? In-person meetings or custom sales videos?
- Adapt your own style to suit them. Learn how to adapt your sales pitch and presentation style to the way they prefer communicating with their clients—and you’ll be able to close that deal more easily.
Never give up – and never stop learning
It’s important to be confident in your product and company, but you also need to be confident in yourself, as well. Confidence is key when it actually becomes time to close the deal. If you don’t believe in yourself and what you’re selling, why should anyone else? You have to believe that this sale is going to happen. You have something special there; they just don’t know it yet. That’s where YOU come in.
Conclusion
By now, we hope you feel more confident about your skills and abilities as a salesperson. It’s important to remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint so keep these tips in mind when you’re out there pounding the pavement with your client base. In the end, what matters most isn’t how many sales you get but rather how much value they bring to both parties involved: if they feel like they’re getting something worthwhile from buying your product or service then chances are pretty good that they will come back again next time around.