5 Steps to Closing a Sale (part 2)

Control the Conversation

If sales were a human, “controlling the conversation” would be its heart. Without control the sale starts to die. First it downgrades to story telling mode, then when the customer smells the weakness they will start asking their own questions. After they realize they are now in control and backing you into a wall, you will start getting sold as to why they shouldn’t or can’t buy your product.

It’s all over just like that, simply because control of the conversation changed sides. Notice whoever controls the sale makes the sale. When you have control on your side you sell your product/service, and when it’s on the client’s side you get sold on why they cannot make a purchase.

The definition of control as pertaining to sales is when the client is acting on your direction. Ways to achieve control are asking questions, standing your ground, and speaking with confidence. So before the presentation begins you should already be assuming your client will buy, then to immediately establish control, ask a question.

Always try to stay away from questions that can be answered in one word, especially questions that the customer can answer with “no.” You never want the customer to feel comfortable saying no during your presentation, absolutely NEVER! In fact it is a “best practice” among top sales professionals to ask mundane questions that the customer will undoubtedly say “yes” or other positive answers too. For example, “John, do you like saving money?”

(Complimentary tangent)
A popular formula is to coax the customer into saying “yes” three times, then going in for a “close.” This technique tries to play off the positive momentum that is being built. Although, techniques like this are for another article.

Back on topic: so you have assumed the sale, started the presentation off with a question to the client, and now you are in control. Keep it! Speak your pitch confidently, and stop every so often to ask “recon” questions. This re-establishes you as the dominant presence at the moment. Questions you ask should pry vital information or “ammo” from the client for later use against rebuttals. (Thus the term recon)

Information to gather:

• Do they like the product?
• Can they afford the product?
• What are their fears?
• What are their emotions?

Sample questions:
John, how do you see yourself using our product?
Cindy, how would you feel if you already had this product?
Tom, how long would it take for your budget to be able to handle our product? (Killer question, I try to always fit this in no matter how small the price. Not only does it size up their willingness to spend, but against males can kick their ego into gear for an impulse buy!)

If you feel yourself losing control of the situation, do not panic. When the heart stops working you still have time before the blood stops flowing, to revive the sale. Stand your ground against their questions and imagine yourself as a baseball player. Baseball player? Yes, imagine each question the customer asks is a baseball being thrown at you, and every confidently spoken answer is you hitting it straight out of the park!

To get your control back answer their questions confidently and as shortly as you can, then end your answer with a question, to flip the position of power. As you can see control is mostly about asking questions, knowing when to ask them and what to ask are the skills that come with practice. Before every presentation, I write down the questions that I will try to slide into my pitch. I do this every time even if it’s a pitch that I have done a thousand times. It’s not practice that makes perfection, it’s perfect practice that makes perfection!

Next up on the roster is voice inflection. I remember the day I learned how to use voice inflection properly in my sales presentations. I was just amazed at how versatile and powerful, a trained human’s, communication skills can become.

5 Steps to Closing a Sale:

1. Assuming the Sale
2. Control the Conversation
3. Voice Inflection
4. Ask for the Money
5. No Does not Mean No

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