5 Tips for Closing a Sale
The Journey
I have completed, and sometimes endured, a wealth of training courses to enhance my sales abilities and develop my awareness of a client’s emotions. I’ve invested multiple hours into recognising ‘buying signs’, ‘overcoming obstacles’, ‘addressing challenges’ and all with the focus of ‘closing the sale’.
Any salesperson who is conscientious and ambitious will always endeavour to have an element f focus on ‘the close’ – some only focus on this, others are more aware of the journey, I work with the latter approach, but ultimately, we’re all aiming for the same thing – a sale. Here are my top tips for closing a sale.
5 top tips for closing a sale.
Tip 01. Sell your personality to a customer, before you sell the product. If a customer feels important and you have built a strong rapport, closing a sale becomes a mere formality in an otherwise pleasant and trustworthy interaction. If a customer feels that they know you, they feel more secure in buying your product or service.
Tip 02. Begin your interactions openly and allow the customer to lead the conversation if they are inclined to. This is an exceptional time to gather information on your customer and their requirements. Begin to reign in their thoughts through using suggestive questions and lead them towards their purchase by evolving the conversation to revolve around closed questions.
Tip 03. Be patient. We’ve all suffered that sort of sale – the one where the seller is so keen to reach their target that they don’t invest anything in their journey get there. There are no pleasantries, no demonstrations of empathy and no commitment to customer care. I never buy from these people and I would never sell like one.
5 Sales Tips
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Consistency is Key
Tip 04. I always maintain that it’s best to encourage objections or concerns prior to closing a sale. This makes you a credible seller and offers the customer a wealth of assurance. Confirming that they have understood your previous communications, given the opportunity for them to raise questions or concerns and allowing them the opportunity to feel fully participated in the sale will lead to a smooth close and stronger business retention.
Tip 05. For me, recognising that closing a sale doesn’t mean purchase on the first interaction can be as important as all of the above tips. Working in line with being patient, understanding that customers can leave and come back is vital to ensuring that you maintain their best interests. A solid sale may take multiple interactions, but each one should be as much of an investment as the last.
My advice to anyone in sales is that by methodically working with each customer and allowing their participation in the interactions, you will sell more, sell better and inevitably enjoy the process all the more. Focus on each dealing as a purchase, rather than a sale and you’ll ensure positivity on both sides.
About the Author
Paul Russell is co-founder and director of Luxury Academy London, www.luxuryacademy.co.uk, a multi-national private training company with offices in London, Mumbai and Visakhapatnam. Luxury Academy London specialise in leadership, communication and business etiquette training for companies and private clients across a wide range of sectors.
Prior to founding Luxury Academy London, Paul worked in senior leadership roles across Europe, United States, Middle East and Asia. A dynamic trainer and seminar leader, Paul has designed and taught courses, workshops and seminars worldwide on a wide variety of soft skills.