The more work a sale takes, the more committed the buyer will be.
Lay the Groundwork to Clinch that Big Sale
By: American Home Business Association
1981 E. Murray-Holladay Rd. # 225     
Salt Lake City, Utah 84117

Sales Strategies to Get You to a Successful Close

Let's imagine for a minute that you, a home business entrepreneur, are sitting across the table from the top executives of a company you want to do business with. You think you've had a good presentation, and you're almost ready to close the deal.

But are you really ready to close the deal? Have you laid the groundwork necessary to facilitate a successful close? Effective selling starts with effective persuasion. Have you used your best persuasion techniques? Every person you talk to is a potential customer — a person who makes your living for you. Always treat people in that manner.

Persuasion Techniques
To understand how your buyers are thinking, be sure to read their eye movements. When a prospect looks up and to the left, they are remembering images. In your presentation, did you use visual words? When they look up and to the right, they are creating new images in their minds. So again be sure to use visual words.

Suggest pictorial relationships between objects and ideas. Vivid mental pictures help you hold a buyer's/prospect's attention and close more sales.

• Have you connected with mental "hinge" words? Tie persuasive suggestions to factual statements to sell your product — or yourself. Such strong mental hinges are words, such as "make," "cause," "since," and "require." These words can imply a necessary connection between one event and another.

• People like to buy and do business with people like themselves. Observe the mood, speech rate, volume, opinions, and beliefs of your buyer. Then let your own demeanor reflect that of your buyer's behavior.

• Don't carry too much sales material with you to the table. When you are loaded down with sales materials you are loaded down mentally as well as physically. Too much material makes you look more like an IRS agent and might intimidate your customer. Also, excessive presentation points give the customer more things that he might find negative.

Closing Strategies
So, now you think you've used your best powers of persuasion, it's time to move on to the closing strategies. One of the first things to remember when closing is the old saying, "Silence is golden." A long silence is always a good sign. The longer the silence, the more likely it is that the prospect will say "Yes."

Now you need to get into your closing stance. Follow these steps:
• Put both feet flat on the floor.
• Your chair should be pulled up close to the table with both hands on it.
• Lean slightly toward the customer. Look him seriously and positively straight in the eye. This demonstrates your sincere interest.
• Maintain a slight, friendly smile while you watch your prospect — and wait.

People often will not actually reach a decision without your requesting them to do so. Mistaking this hesitancy for reluctance, the novice at the closing table may give up on the sale, propose speaking again some other time, or invite the person to think the offer over and talk later. Even sales professionals sometimes miss the sale by not actually asking for the order.

Don't make this mistake. If there is one thing that will increase your ability to turn interest into business, it is asking for the order or project. So don't balk when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of asking for business.

What It All Means
Remember, that your closing of the deal is:
• 51% enthusiasm
• 25% empathy and understanding
• 10% manners and charm
• 7% fun
• 7% product knowledge

Don't get discouraged. The more work a sale takes, the more committed the eventual buyer or client will be and the more difficult it will be for someone else to take the client away from you.

Your marketing has obviously sparked an interest in your product or service. Turn that interest to your advantage. Closing a sale is:

• Discovering how you can best meet someone else's needs
• Providing additional information
• Clarifying concerns
• Working toward a win-win agreement
• Establishing or building a relationship
• Forming a mutually beneficial partnership

If, by some chance, you don't get the sale, thank your prospects for their interest and let them know that you will be happy to serve them anytime in the future should they need your product or service. Keep their names on your mailing list and send materials out at least quarterly so that your name remains in the forefront of their minds. HBM

The American Home Business Association is a membership organization that provides services and benefits to those working from home. Services range from financial and tax programs specifically tailored for home-based businesses to comprehensive health insurance programs. Membership is available to HOME BUSINESS Magazine subscribers at special introductory rates at http://homebusinessmag.com/AHBA.html.

V12-6  Add: 12/09  CAR: 2/17/11 HP: ??