Four Lessons in Closing

by Allan S. Boress, CPA, CFE

What should we be taking out of every sales call, besides the client's business? I know that there are lessons to be learned, but I'm not sure what to look for."

Bob T. of New Hampshire writes:

"What should we be taking out of every sales call, besides the client's business? I know that there are lessons to be learned, but I'm not sure what to look for."

Dear Bob:

You are very observant. Most professionals don't know where they're going, what they're doing, or where they've been, when it comes to the sales interview.

In previous articles and books I have written about what these people have in common, such as how they think, what they do and what they are like as human beings.

Most Are Unpreprared

Amazingly, most people don't even have a list of fifteen or twenty questions prepared for the sales call to the important client -- they wing it! And when they leave without the business; they haven't learned much at all.

Here’s the good news: most of those you compete against fall into this category.

Here’s the bad news: you probably do, too.

I am convinced after 20 years of being a sales consultant to the professions that the vast majority of all professional service providers and consultants believe the purpose of a sales interview is to show off how smart they are.

This is absolutely, completely wrong.

That’s conducting a free seminar.

The purpose of the sales interview is to close the client for their business, after qualifying them to see if you want them to be your client.

Constant Improvement for You in Closing Sales

Every sales interview affords the opportunity to improve your selling effectiveness. However, most people don't review every sales interview, and therefore continue to make the same mistakes repeatedly.

If you want to become a "90% Closer" make sure to review every sales interview immediately afterwards, in the car, in a diner, or in a conference room back at the office. This is one of the few proven ways to improve your closing batting average.

"There are four areas to be scrupulously reviewed after every sales interview"
This topic is fully explored and explained in our program. Click Here to find out more!

1. What Did You Do Well?

Look back and meticulously list what went well in the conversation, beyond getting hired if that was the conclusion.

a) If hired, why was it you?

If the only answer you come up - honestly - with is "lowest fees," something is dramatically wrong with your selling, no matter what marketplace you are in -- That's a fact. You must be honest - in order to improve.

Rather, look for areas of:

• Personal chemistry
• Getting the client talking
• Finding out what his or her needs, wants and desires are
• How much of the time you spent listening?

“If you talked more than twenty or thirty percent of the time allotted to the interview, something was wrong.”

b) How much of the time did you spend listening?

Always remember that people care much more about what they have to say -- not about what you have to say.

If you cannot internalize this concept you will continue to talk yourself out of sales.

c) Did you qualify them for fees early?

Or did you back off, hoping it would go away?

d) Were you in front of decision-makers, those who could and would make a decision?

Did you get a decision? Or did you leave with another "think it over?

e) Did you give a custom-designed presentation?

Or the one that you thought the client wanted to hear or see? Or worse, a canned one?

f) Did you close the client NOW for the business?

Or did you make the fatal error of offering to do a proposal unnecessarily, thus postponing the hiring decision?

"So many sales are lost unnecessarily because the seller offers to do a proposal, when the client is ready to buy."

g) If you couldn't close the deal today, did you set a specific appointment to close the deal?

Or did you make the fatal error of letting the client get back to you?

You are the “seller.” They are the “buyer.” It is your job to follow up with them, not vice-versa.

“Looking constantly for the negative is de-motivational, and stops people from selling”

2. Where Do You Need to Improve Next Time?

One of my sales mentors said that people learn best from their mistakes and failures -- he was right.

BUT - when most professionals close a sale, they don’t know what they did right … or wrong - and therefore, cannot improve.

I remember working with a large firm in Pittsburgh – they were going through rough times. They thought they were great salespeople – in the 1990s – but woke up to a different sales environment in the new century. These people weren't salespeople - they were order-takers. They had no idea what they were doing, and could not improve.

A commitment not to make the same painful mistake again in the selling situation is something you can earn from every sales opportunity.

a) You must sit down and think about the sale as to what didn't work in order to learn.

Warning! Don't beat yourself up, and more importantly other people, for sales failures and mistakes. It took me a thousand sales calls to finally realize that there is no perfect sale.

All too often we berate ourselves, and others, rather than pat ourselves on the back. Your reviews must always be balanced: what worked; what didn't.

3. What Surprises Were There?

I promise you that there will always be things you weren?t prepared for that come up on a sales call.

a) What surprises were there this time? What did they throw at us that we weren't prepared for?

If you don't note the surprises thrown at you this time, don't be surprised when it happens again next time.

b) How did you adjust?

How did you handle these shockers? Did you try to find out what was behind it, or did you prattle on about how great you are and try to BS your way through it?

c) Did these surprises come from lack of preparation on your part?

Don't BS yourself!

d) Or from lack of listening and questioning?

Of course, this is where most surprises and losses come from - starting in the initial interviewing process.

4. What Will You Do Differently Next Time?

a) Every sales call must end with a commitment to change what doesn't work as well as we would like, and to enhance what worked well.

Or, you've just wasted a valuable learning opportunity.

b) I strongly recommend written documentation regarding sales calls to visually see the progress you've made in closing sales.

By recording the four areas of concern above over a period of time and by referring to your sales diary, you can see the progress that you've made in closing more sales and elicit help from others when problems keep recurring.

Lastly, please remember that nobody sells everybody. There was only one perfect man who walked this earth. All you can do is improve to the point where you become a ... "90% Closer!"