One of the best parts of being an entrepreneur is when you secure a “Yes!” from a prospect who will benefit from your product or services. The feeling of closing a sale -- that moment when you achieve your desired outcome and money changes hands -- can be one of the greatest sources of validation.
Sales may not typically be a solopreneur’s favorite thing, yet feeling that close is. But before you can jump to the close -- you need to make sure you’ve done the basics of selling:
- Start with the potential customer's problem. How does the problem that you’re solving typically show up in your prospects’ lives? What are the symptoms of this issue? What accomplishment is this problem preventing your people from reaching?
- Get clear on your benefits and be able to articulate them to your potential customers. This is where much of the selling actually takes place. You need to not only be able to talk about what will be different as a result of your product or service, but also paint a picture of why that difference matters to your prospect.
After you understand these two things about what you’re selling, you’re ready to have a sales conversation you can close.
These five strategies are Authentic Selling® (my signature sales system) approved methods to close the sale with prospects on your list that will leave both you and your client feeling like a million bucks. Please note: All of the following solutions take place after you have a customer on your list or as your prospect.
1. Follow up
The first -- and often overlooked -- way to close a sale is by following up. Statistics show as much as 50 percent of all sales are closed in follow-up communication. Most people don’t take the time to follow up because they fear being too pushy, yet 80 percent of sales require up to five follow ups. Get over the fear and develop a way to follow up that feels authentic to you. It’s a closing technique you can’t ignore.
2. Be of service
This is one of the easiest ways to close a sale and one of the least “pushy.” Ask your prospect what questions they have while coming from a place of genuinely wanting to help them make the best choice at this time. Be honest if you can’t help them, but show them how you can. By doing this, you show the prospect you’re willing to put what’s best for them over closing a sale.
You can’t give too much away, and you’re not wasting time by being of service. With every opportunity to help, you are selling the prospect on yourself, your product, and/or your service. A potential client is never going to close until they know, like, and trust you. How can you be of service? Host free webinars, book free consult calls, or offer a valuable, free opt-in. You are closer to closing the sale every time you give something away for free that is of service.
3. Nurture relationships
Simply put: Friends buy from friends. In fact, stats show that nurtured leads make 47 percent more purchases than non-nurtured. You don’t have to make someone your best friend, but you do need to follow the golden rule and treat others the way you want to be treated.
Get to know your prospects. Call them by name. Ask them about relevant events going on in their lives or cities. With today’s technology, it’s not tough to find ways to show you care. Three ideas for nurturing a lead are: sales funnels, free webinars, and engaging on social media in an authentic way. Ask yourself, if you were a prospect, what would make you feel nurtured and blow your mind? Once you have an answer, implement it.
4. Create a raving fan with every interaction (even the “mistakes”)
In my business, this has landed almost as many clients as following up. When you screw up -- and we all make mistakes -- ask yourself how you can turn those who witnessed your error into raving fans.
Recently, I sent out a marketing email that wasn’t ready to be sent. It was full of typos and errors. To make matters worse, I sent it on Mother’s Day. I had two choices: ignore the mistake, or acknowledge it and create raving fans. I sent out a second email with a genuine apology and offered free coaching to anyone who had a sales issue, as a thank you for accepting the apology. The result was incredibly thankful prospects rather than annoyed subscribers, and five new customers.
5. Never, ever give up
This is going to mirror the no. 1 item on this list a lot -- but it’s necessary. It sounds cliché, but never, ever give up is great advice for closing a sale, for running a successful business, and for life. At some point, your offer will be rejected. It’s going to happen. Make peace with it and realize it has nothing to do with you. Also understand that a “No,” might simply mean “Not right now.” It could mean, in the future, after some follow up, the very same prospect that told you “No,” could be saying “Yes.” Things change day-to-day, and month-to-month. Don’t give up.
As mentioned above, statistics show 80 percent of sales require five follow ups or more but only 44 percent of people follow up more than once. It’s not about pressing the same people over and over; it’s about checking in with them. One way to do this is to simply email a prospect who originally said no and let them know you’re thinking of them. Provide them with a book, blog, or resource to help them along their way. When they’re ready to purchase, you will be top of mind and they will be raving fans because you were the one person to check in over all the others.
Overcoming objections
Now that you understand the foundational steps to having a sales conversation and five ways to close a sale, let’s discuss one other very important part in closing any sale: Overcoming objections.
Anything that prevents the close of a sale can be considered an objection. It could be the prospect believing your product or service is too expensive, or it could be that they don’t feel it’s the right time to make a change. Whatever the reason, understanding what to say and how to close by overcoming objections is key to making more sales. (I believe it’s such an important part of selling, that I created “7 Ways to Yes - Simple Solutions to Overcome Objections, a free training available to you here.)
When you’re selling, you’re getting a “Yes” from a prospect and that means your business is making money and a difference. That’s the power of closing a sale.
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- 5 Ways to Close a Sale - June 15, 2016
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