Being a successful salesperson requires a lot of practice, being able to envision making a sales call that results in sales success. Confirming the sale requires a lot of confidence and belief that you can make the sale and help the customer. The confidence you demonstrate when talking with a customer about our ability to deliver the service they need has the effect of transferring that confidence to them.
In the transportation industry, a lot of credit is given to a salesperson who is a proven closer. That has always been my reputation – a guy who always asks for the sale and expects the customer to say “YES.” Being known as a “Closer” is a big compliment. The only downside is the negative connotation of being a “closer,” when it is more accurate to call it “confirming the sale.”
Whatever you decide to call it – there’s no magic to confirming the sale. Right from the initial approach to the very end of your presentation, bit by bit, you should be confirming the sale. It’s when you find out if you did your job properly, but by following your instincts and confirming the sale throughout the process then the customer will let you know when it’s time to close the sale.
Though closing the sale should be the most natural part of the process, it can be tricky. Below are some of our top tips for confirming more sales:
- Make your sales process a series of small “closes” – this takes the pressure off of a final moment and makes it easier for a prospect to agree to move forward. Getting your prospect comfortable saying “yes” will help make the final confirmation of the sale more natural.
- Research the customer first. If you understand your customer’s business, their needs, and their current solution, you will be better able to adapt your presentation to emphasize the strengths of your solution. It is much easier to confirm a sale if you can make sure that your service meets the needs of the customer and solves their problems and pain points.
- Listen more than you speak. Put the customer, and their needs, first. If you can put the customer first, they’ll feel valued, and often times, listening to their problems and needs can give you extra information for tailoring your sales presentation. People want to work with people who make them feel valued and heard – so hear them, and they’re more likely to say “yes” when you ask to work with them.
Work on making the confirmation process an ongoing and natural part of your sales presentation and you will be able to close more sales, more easily.