Direct Sales: Hot Tips for Effective Closing

If you’re on the front line, you don’t need to be reminded of the intense pressure, with daily and weekly sales targets to reach, and whether your leads are self-generated or fed to you, your closing needs to be top-notch. After a discussion with a top closer, we decided to take some notes and provide you with a few tips on how to improve your closing rate.

  • Reading the Prospect – It is essential that you read the prospect from the very outset, as this will help you choose your strategy; if you get the feeling that the person has a sense of humour, play to that, a more serious person requires a similar demeanour, and do listen to what the prospect has to say.
  • Arrive Early – Regardless of the location, you should be ready in good time, which gives you a chance to check your appearance and make sure you have the paperwork and promotional material you need.
  • Appearance – First impressions do count and you must be very particular about how you look, not only for the prospect, but looking good will help you to feel good about yourself. A sharp business suit, stylish shirt and tie, bold socks from https://philosockphy.com/ and a pair of expensive leather shoes and don’t forget accessories, subtle, yet of top quality, and a dab of expensive cologne.
  • Pre-Qualify – If a prospect is not ready to commit, you should not be sitting down with them, and if you get the feeling over the phone that the prospect is unsure, simply tell them you’ll give them a call in a month or so. Sitting with a weak prospect will not lead to a sale, and the more this happens, the less confident you will be, so do pre-qualify to ensure that all your prospects are ready to make a decision.
  • Know your Stuff – You should know your product inside out, and using the information you already have, you can decide which product would best suit the prospect. Have you already identified a specific need in the prospect? If not, this should be a priority when you do sit down, as this will help you to convince the prospect of their need, while making the purchase as convenient as you can.
  • Appear Busy – People like to buy from busy people, as this demonstrates that they are not alone in their desire to purchase your products, and just like people eat at busy restaurants, they buy from active salespeople. It might be a full diary, or a call from another customer, these little things help to build a picture of a busy schedule. If, for example, you have to be late, call in advance and cite you have yet to complete the paperwork with your previous appointment, which sends out the right message.

Reviewing your performance is essential; if you didn’t get the sale, why was that? Define the reason, which might be that the prospect was not ready to commit, or that they did not have the need for the product. If this reveals any weaknesses in your approach, you can correct that.

Written by