Sales News South Africa

The psychology of closing

A good salesperson is always a good closer, and a poor closer is always a poor salesperson. Everything that has gone before, prospecting, pre-approach, approach, presentation, handling objections - all the presentation and effort have been focused on this objective.

The salesperson that cannot close is like the runner who trains faithfully all season, leads the field in the big race until 10 yards from the tape, and then falls down. Young or unsuccessful salespeople are often heard to say, 'I am all right until I start to close. Then I just don't seem able to put it over.'

The person who is uncertain of his closing abilities is handicapped throughout the presentation, for he cannot help being worried about the impending obstacle with which he has so much difficulty. Some people actually develop a fear of closing which eventually drives them out of selling. This usually comes about through a combination of ignorance of closing techniques and outright bashfulness about asking for the order. Many sales have been made simply because the person had the fortitude to ask for the order.

Reasons for failure to close

The difficulty many people seem to have with closing has fascinated and perplexed sales managers for years. Only recently have we begun to understand the mental barriers that block closing efforts.

Fear of failure

First, and probably foremost, is the fear of failure. Most of us are so psychologically programmed toward success as being the only worthy goal, that the mere thought of failure frightens us into a semi-paralytic state, in which we are afraid to ask for the order or final decision for fear of being refused. We seem to think that so long as the prospect is not asked for the order we have avoided failure even though no sale transpires. We just do not like to hear such awful words as, 'No!' 'Not interested!' 'Sorry, I don't want it!' These terms bruise our egos, and that hurts us. Suppose the prospect does say 'no.' Really that doesn't hurt one little bit. One can even learn to ignore it. One can develop deafness for the word. If you cannot learn to take 'no' for an answer and bounce right back without allowing it to affect your confidence, then you had better look somewhere else for a job. You will never make it in selling.

Guilt

Some people fail to close because of guilt feelings. They are ashamed of their profession. They feel as if they are intruders begging for a living instead of people helping other people solve serious problems. This guilt feeling usually exists in those who do not yet fully understand the power of what they are selling and what benefits it can bring the prospect. A 'no' is a challenge, not a red light to stop the salesperson. If you aren't proud of what you are doing, then you would be better off if you didn't do it. There is no room in selling for those who are ashamed of it. Unfortunately, some of this guilt stems from a lack of understanding by the person of his purpose in the scheme of things, the importance of his role in our socioeconomic system.

Imperception of need

Some people fail to close because they feel little need to do so; they think the prospect will automatically buy at the end of the presentation. Of course, some prospects do buy at the end of the presentation. But it has been proved that a larger percentage of prospects will buy if a good close is used than if it isn't, because many of them need a push to get them to act. Natural inertia stifles many purchases; it is easier to do nothing than to take action. Such prospects need a push to overcome their inertia.

Ineptness

Fourth, some inept salespeople just get bogged down meeting objections that the thought of trying to close never enters their minds. They are fighting for their lives; they are confused; they have lost control of the sale. The close must be so natural to the salesperson that he/she swings into it at every opportunity automatically.

Cultural taboos

Everyone is raised in an environment that teaches a host of cultural attitudes and behaviour patterns. Many people are raised in the tradition that there is something a bit impolite, improper, about asking another person for money or to do something for you. Closing means asking for the order, thus it can run afoul of cultural taboos in some circles.

Asking for the order

When you have made your customer inclined to buy and then have supported his inclination to buy by logical arguments that enable him to see that he needs what you are offering, you have completed the preparatory step towards a successful sale. But there is one last difficulty to overcome: you must persuade the customer to make the actual buying decision. To persuade, you need a proper closing technique.

It is sometimes said that you should just keep on talking and going over your sales points until the customer says yes. How easy it would be if concluding a sale were as easy as this old saying makes out. But you cannot talk a customer into a buying decision. A customer does not normally buy just because the salesperson has talked at him until he is on the point of exhaustion. The opposite is the case: a tiring flood of words often suffocates any potential desire to buy.

It is true that the customer does sometimes move, without help, into a decision, and then the salesperson does not need to ask for the order directly. If the salesperson has really aroused the customer's attention, interest, desire and conviction by entering into his problems with a perfect empathy, then the customer's decision really should come by itself; but in practice this is an ideal case that is very rarely encountered. Normally, it is necessary to have a closing technique which takes into account the fact that the buying decision is often an important and difficult step for the customer; that although he is interested in the offer and wants to buy, he may hesitate and may not be able to summon up the strength to decide by himself. Many purchases, for example, represent large financial sacrifices for the buyer, often forcing him to forgo other purchases or do without something else. Almost every buying decision has some negative aspects from the customer's point of view, and these have to be overcome through an appropriate closing technique.

At this point it should be made quite clear that, however skilled your closing technique may be, it will not lead to a sale unless you have already aroused the customer's desire to buy. There is no question of succeeding by using tricks at the last moment. The closing technique can only produce buying action when the customer is already considering the proposition seriously.

The secret of closing technique

The art of closing is to introduce the suggestion of buying in such a way that even if the customer reacts negatively, the sales conversation can still continue. Prepare your approach to closing before you start your sales talk. Be prepared for every possible objection, even for the worst objection of all, an emphatic refusal. Strictly speaking, the conclusion begins at the start of your conversation.

Don't let the moment slip

So as not to jeopardise his chances, one salesperson thought it necessary to suggest taking a little more time over the decision: 'Think it all over again. I'll come back tomorrow.' But by 'tomorrow' the customer's desire to buy had usually cooled off, and so the salesperson rarely made a sale. Tomorrow never comes!

Each time the salesperson puts off the moment of decision, he weakens his chances of selling. When he comes back, and asks, "Well, Mr. Miller, have you thought the matter over?" his question usually sounds like a rather awkward ultimatum. The salesperson has no new points to offer in favour of buying, so he repeats what he has said on earlier visits. He is fighting a losing battle. An old rule of selling is: the order that is within reach today will be over the hills and far away tomorrow.

Sensing readiness to buy

If a customer feels ready to buy, it isn't difficult for a salesperson to sense the fact. The customer's manner of speech and facial expression give it away. You can be sure he is ready to buy:

  • If he asks about the delivery dates;
  • If he inquires about bulk prices;
  • If he expresses concrete desires about quality of production - even though he words them as objections;
  • If he asks you for a discount;
  • If he asks you whether you will put some of your selling points in writing;
  • If he asks whether you can keep your offer open for a few days while he makes his decision;

    Sometimes the salesperson can awaken the customer's readiness to buy by skilful use of questions. A readiness to buy can show itself in 'last ditch' objections. They too are signals that you are going to make a sale: Are the results really as good as your other clients say?' 'Do I have to decide at once?' 'If you were in my place...,' 'Can you guarantee it?' and so on. If you were to study books on applied psychology and then systematically observe all the statements and gestures the customer makes in the last stages of the discussion, the knowledge gained would sharpen your insight and improve your under-standing of your customer's attitude.

    Being able to recognise buying signals is the prerequisite of a successful technique for closing the sale. If the salesperson presents his offer to the customer in a skilful way, he has no cause to worry about getting no for an answer, because the word 'no' often implies the rejection of only one detail in the offer, not the rejection of the whole offer.

    Pointers on the psychology of closing the sale

  • Turn everything you say to a prospect into the 'You approach'. This is where you use the word 'you' liberally. Also turn your features into benefits from the prospects viewpoint, not your own.
  • Take the assumptive approach in everything you do in selling. Assume your prospect is going to buy until he or she corrects you.
  • Don't hear everything your prospect is saying to you. Now of course you will hear everything that is said but in many cases it is preferable to pretend you didn't hear what was said and continue to sell.
  • Do not argue with customers or prospects they pay the bills!
  • Sell the difference.
  • Try to get as much advance information about your prospect as you possibly can.
  • Understand that most prospects do not know what they want never mind what they need. Your job is to awaken need.
  • You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough people get what they want!
  • Focus all your attention and energy on building customers rather than simply making sales.

    There is a big difference between convincing a prospect and persuading a prospect. Many prospects may be convinced that what you are saying is true and yet still do not buy. You must convince in order to persuade.

    In selling there are two basics, they are needs and wants. Of the two, wants are more important than needs. Need must be present but most people buy because they want something not because they need it. This is because most purchases are based on emotion.

    You will make more sales if you become your customer's adviser than if you remain a salesperson.

    Your belief in what you sell should be so strong that you find it virtually impossible to understand why anyone would not buy from you.

    Remember that the fear of loss is always greater than the desire for gain. Use this fact in your sales talk.

    You must cultivate an atmosphere of trust between you and your prospect before any selling can take place.

    A recent study into why buyers buy found that 71% of buyers bought because they liked, trusted and respected the salesperson.

    People are gregarious by nature they like to stick together. That is why they like to buy that which is popular. This is why testimonials are so important in selling, particularly in closing the sale.

    Keep in mind that the close is no more, or no less, important than any other phase of the sales process.

    Selling is largely an attitude of mind firmly grounded in solid sales technique.

    Attempt to close only when you have firmly established in your prospect's mind the value of what you are selling.

    Whenever a prospect says 'No' the only way that you can get him or her to change their mind is by producing new information which produces a new feeling.

    Nobody likes to admit they are wrong, even you. So don't chase the brick wall of 'No', side step it or walk around it. If you chase it you will harden the excuse into a real objection!
    Understand that in the main that most prospects will lie to you. He doesn't mean to lie he just means to put you off.

    Each time you close it should be an educational process by which you are able to raise the value of the product or service in the prospect's mind.

    One of the main reasons why a prospect does not buy is because of his/her fear of making a mistake.

    In the majority of cases the prospect does not buy for the reasons you think he bought! Prospects are more persuaded by the depth of your conviction than they are by the heights of your logic. Selling is an emotional business.

    Be nice to everyone because you don't always know whom you are talking to! Assume that everyone you talk to could be a prospect for what you sell.

    Always deliver what you promise.

    If you cannot close you cannot sell. Study the people you deal with. Try to understand why they behave the way they do and try to learn how to handle them better. Every sales call you make is a learning opportunity into what makes people tick. Make notes of what you see and change your sales talk accordingly.

  • About James Gaw

    James Gaw is a management educator, motivational speaker and author of the in-house training product QuickCourse. He can be contacted on (617) 32833889, Or by email at or through his Australian office: Suite 1, 2 Sorrento Street, Margate. Queensland 4019 Australia.
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