Prospects who have a problem don’t always think that they have one. It’s a good idea to keep asking questions about the prospect’s wants, needs, desires and goals until a clear problem is visible. Then try to focus on your products or services that will solve the problem.
Closing
Knowing how to close is a critical skill for every salesperson. And while some sales are “easy,” many aren’t. These posts will help you hone your approach to closing.
9 ways salespeople can break ‘the stall’ and keep the sale moving
Stalls normally mean your prospects don’t have enough reason to buy now. You obviously need to do something, but what? If your salespeople accept these stalls, you may lose most of your prospects. Rarely do they “think it over,” then make a buying decision. Studies show that more than half of stalling prospects look around for another supplier.
There are three stalls in sales negotiations
7 core beliefs of super closers
The difference between top and average salespeople is not their knowledge of closing secrets or special techniques.
Here are seven characteristics of top closers:
3 major obstacles to closing in today’s economy
One of the biggest disconnects in business today is that most selling processes do not adapt in time with shifts in the marketplace. As a result, closing rates suffer.
This is according to new research by the Sales Benchmark Index, which also found there were three specific obstacles to closing today.
We’ve listed those three obstacles below, along with some proven strategies for triumphing over each of them and increasing closing rates.
How to convert stalling prospects
There are three possible outcomes for every sales call:
- The best is the sale closes or moves forward
- The second is no decision is made (a.k.a, stalling), and
- The worst is the sale is lost.
Landing corporate clients: 3 ways small firms can beat the competition
Between fierce competition and across-the-board spending cuts, it’s become increasingly difficult for small businesses to get those lucrative corporate accounts. But the right approach can give you an edge.
Here are three best practices to give Sales an edge when it comes to landing corporate clients.
The 7 common reasons why sales are lost
It happens. A sale that should have been made slips away. Do you and your salespeople know why?
In How Winners Sell, author and sales consultant Dave Stein lists the seven common reasons. Here they are, in reverse order of incidence:
Overcome the biggest obstacles to closing
New research confirms in the majority of cases, when there’s a significant lapse in closing rates, it’s not them … it’s you.
One of the biggest obstacles to closing in today’s marketplace is the fact that a company’s selling process has fallen out of sync with its prospects’ buying process.
This according to the Sales Benchmark Index, which found the three most common obstacles sales organizations encounter in terms of their selling process are:
Snagging customers who already said ‘no’
Prospects who told your salespeople “no” yesterday could be ready to buy today. It all depends on the salesperson’s approach.
Author and sales consultant Jack Daly recommends this strategy when approaching prospects who have turned you down in the past:
Answer these 3 questions, and you’ll probably make the sale
In today’s cost-conscious marketplace, very few prospects are willing (or able) to agree to a purchase until they know the answers to these make-or-break questions.
With that in mind, here are three questions every prospect wants answers to before making a final decision:
Does this purchase address a need? One of the most difficult aspects of closing any sale is convincing the prospect a purchase is necessary. One strategy: Focus on benefits your competitors – or an incumbent supplier – can’t (or won’t) offer.
