| The first step toward closing more prospects on a | | | | understanding what closing is and is not. The secret |
| YES decision is not in the close when you ask the | | | | simple way to close more sales effectively is to make |
| closing question. Rather, the first step toward closing | | | | sure you understand closing. This means that as you |
| begins with your first point of contact with your | | | | begin your skill enhancement on your ability to close, |
| prospect, when you begin your conversation with your | | | | make sure you fully understand what closing is. Simply |
| prospect. It is in the rapport building part of the sales | | | | defined, closing is getting the prospect to make a |
| process, the place where you open communication. | | | | decision. This means to buy something (a product or |
| Chances are you are not closing as much business as | | | | service), to get more information, or not to buy. It is |
| you would like. And you most likely do NOT need | | | | making a decision. |
| more leads. What you need is to close the prospects | | | | Most marketers have trouble with understanding |
| you already have. | | | | closing. Most never close their prospects on a decision. |
| As marketers we are often in a prospecting and | | | | They have great conversations but never get the |
| selling mode, which has us focused on trying to make | | | | prospect to that important decision. |
| first contact or even just trying to generate a lead | | | | Keep in mind, if you open the prospect (by prospecting |
| through our marketing efforts. But even with having a | | | | and starting the conversation), where they begin |
| steady flow of leads (often an overabundance of | | | | looking at what you offer, it is YOUR responsibility to |
| leads), we all too often think what we need are more | | | | help that prospect make a decision. This means closing |
| prospects. And we often get trapped in a prospecting | | | | the prospect on a decision. |
| mode and focus too much on lead generation. | | | | Closing is an important and critical part of the sales |
| Now don't take this wrong, as lead flow is important - | | | | process. So, don't leave your prospect hanging in an |
| extremely important. However, most marketers get | | | | area of indecision. Get the prospect to a decision. It is |
| stuck in that part of the process to the point where | | | | your responsibility to not only learn and master the |
| they begin to think what they need are even more | | | | proper closing techniques but it is also your |
| prospects and a ton of leads. | | | | responsibility to help the prospect get to a decision. |
| Let's face the facts! Rarely do we need more leads. | | | | TIP - Without using proper closing techniques, very |
| What we need is to become more efficient and more | | | | few prospects will make a decision. |
| effective in closing the prospects we have already | | | | Do not fear closing, rather embrace closing. Know you |
| made contact with. This means mastering our closing | | | | will be a more effectively aggressive as a closer if |
| skills and mastering those skills to where we are | | | | you do the prior steps that lead up to the close. This |
| closing in a work smart way. | | | | means approaching and involving your prospect |
| Keep in mind, as you begin to build your business, | | | | through the sales process, overcoming objections, and |
| whether you are retailing products or services, or | | | | most importantly, understanding what your prospect |
| recruiting distributors, getting to a YES decision is in | | | | wants and offer a solution best fit to those wants. |
| your hands. The great news is closing is simple and | | | | As a final note, effective closing is not just about your |
| easier to do than most people think that it can be | | | | ability to close but it also ties into other related skills |
| done. | | | | such as approach and involvement, overcoming |
| One lesson that served critical to my success was I | | | | objections, qualifying, and many other skills areas, all of |
| learned early on the secret to closing is directly tied to | | | | which affect your ability to close effectively. |