The buyer gives the sales person a clear buying signal like: ‘Where do I sign? When do we start? How many can I get?’ and so on. And what does the salesperson do? They carry on telling the prospect about additional features and benefits, none of which are of real interest to the buyer who has already made a decision to purchase.
Sound like another story? Don’t be fooled there are too many sales people who have sailed past such obvious buying signals and lost sales, they did not close the sale.
Upwards of 70% of sales opportunities are lost because sales people forget to shut up!
So what should happen instead? If you get a buying signal, ask for the order and then keep quiet. But… it’s not that easy because as sales people, we get just as excited by the fact that prospects see the value we are offering as they do but we forget to listen.
Other things that can go wrong:
- Closing too soon. If you ask for the business too early in the discussion, it makes you seem pushy, which will make the customer less likely to buy.
- It’s not your material that closes the sale. It is you listening to your customers needs.
- Do not discount. Do not undervalue your services and do not try to discount because the customer is not buying. It will push the customer further away and alerts the customer “why is s/he trying to sell this quicker?”
- Do not sell after you closed. Have you purchased a new car lately? Have you been asked after you agreed to buy the car “what about tinted windows?” or “what about rim insurance?”. How did that make you feel?
- Waiting too long for the closing signal. It is your time and money you are spending while waiting for the closing signal (that may or or may not come). There comes a time in the sales process that requires you to ask for the close – if it does not come, move on.