The dream of every sales professional is to close a sale the very day of the first contact with a business. This is an awesome experience when the sales cycle is an hour, the sale is complete, and money has been made. That’s called selling on the spot. Today I’d like to share the key to closing on the spot.
You should realize there ARE sales people closing on the spot in most industries. I know sales professionals in merchant services and insurance who are achieving good success in this area. Some close at least 60% of their deals on the spot. There are people in every industry which close on the spot.
The key to this type of selling is rather surprising. Know what to do when a prospect says, “Yes!” Carefully think through the entire process of closing; simplify; and make sure you’re very prepared. Role play is extremely helpful. Some of my favorite role play sessions have revolved around a situation when I was prepared to move forward with the sale. To my amazement, the sales rep couldn’t sell me! Sometimes I received this reply, “Okay, I really appreciate that and am looking forward to working with you. I’ll get this paperwork ready and call you back.” I would have had that paperwork ready and closed the sale on the spot!
I challenge you to practice closing on the spot; anticipate closing on the spot! Don’t think everybody needs another three days to think about it. Have the paperwork ready and arrange a role play with someone who will be prepared to follow through with the deal. Role play the entire process from the first “hello” to signing the paperwork. Perform this role play five times, including filling out the paperwork – everything! This will generate a great comfort level as you sell in the field.
When you’ve practiced role play several times, further help yourself by expecting each prospect to want your product or service. Move forward in an assumptive, positive way. That kind of pitch will bring many more sales.
If you take this advice to prepare, practice, and go with the right mindset, you’ll be surprised how many more deals you can close on the spot!
My name is James Shepherd. Thanks for reading!
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