Eight Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Sales Closing Technique

Many people who work in sales face a lot of rejection, especially early in their careers. That’s why there’s no better feeling than closing the deal with a new prospect.

As you learn and grow as a salesperson, you start to figure out the most effective techniques for moving a potential lead down the funnel and turning them into a paying customer. We asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share their best tips for closing a sale, along with anecdotes of how they’ve put it into practice. Here’s what they had to say.

1. Paint A Picture Starring The Customer 

The best way to close a sale in my experience is to gather a great deal of information about a customer, tie that information to aspects of a particular product/service, then create a visual in the customer’s head of how implementing this product/service can benefit their lives. This was an extremely effective technique I found in one of my earliest jobs selling cable subscriptions. I would ask a customer about their family: who lives with them at home and what sort of things they enjoy watching. Then, I would connect certain preferences and habits with appealing features for our subscription service and paint a picture in their head as to how my service could better meet the needs of themselves and their families. I’ve applied this strategy effectively to all of my subsequent sales jobs. - Bryce Welker, CPA Exam Guy

4. Give The Customer A Sense Of Confidence 

Make people feel confident. The magic line that I use, and have my brand ambassadors use is, “Trust me, you will get tons of compliments on this outfit. Make sure to send me pictures. Come back and tell me what they say!” This simple and honest approach will get customers to feel confident, right then and there. When they are confident, they buy. It is that simple. The key is to be addressing the underlying customer confidence issues, and when you give real scenarios it helps them to visualize the value that your products will offer them. It is not about the product, it is about the person to become more confident in how the product will make them look and feel. - Hadari Oshri, Xehar

5. Prove That You’re In It Together 

A sale closes once you prove to the client that you are invested in the outcome of your joint efforts, not just the product. The best way to do that is to assume a good portion of the risk. A client came to me with an amazing product. The synergy was there – our services were the perfect catalyst for this product. Within the beginning stages of our relationship, I made it clear that we would absorb the initial costs, as long as it was a revenue share deal. By establishing a performance-based deal, you show the client you believe in their product. Once trust is established, there is a more creative and optimal dynamic throughout the project, and it has a better chance of yielding more business. - Artem Mashkov, DEVTRIBE INC

6. Offer An Expiring Discount 

My closing technique is the expiring discount. Much like a holiday sale or any real estate transaction, the offer is only good for a period of time and I am able to offer it because of the team demands at a certain time. Some of my team members in SEM may have more bandwidth than others and offering additional services in that arena seals the deal without additional costs on our end. Many times a client may not be able to afford a total SEO/SEM/Content package and with some effective time management on my teams part, we can get them an affordable package that works with our time table. - Matthew Capala, Alphametic

7. Show The Customer That Providing Value Is More Important To You Than Making The Sale 

When I start an email marketing campaign, my goal is to provide the reader with valuable information that allows them to see that while making a sale is important to me, having a conversation with them is equally as important. In order to bypass spam filters, the first few people who receive my emails have to open them and read them. So, I start my email marketing series by offering a useful tip with the first five emails. By the time my final email rolls by, I’m no longer trying to convert – I’m speaking to the readers who are converted, yet unsure and want to be certain that they’re making the right decision with their money. The point is to tell a story that makes the readers’ lives more interesting, even if they don’t end up parting with their money right then and there. - Cody McLain, SupportNinja

8. Avoid Yes/No Decisions 

Avoid asking questions where the answer is either yes or no. It provides the prospect with an easy out — a simple way to avoid making a commitment. Instead try asking something along the lines of, “It seems like these two products are most suitable for you based on your needs and goals. Which one would you like to move forward with?” This question will provide you with insight into the prospect’s potential to convert to a sale. It will also get your potential client thinking about which option they prefer and why. Ultimately, it shifts the decision away from yes or no, toward a selection between two options. - Dave Nevogt, Hubstaff.com

Tamer El Sagheer

Skillinside

Source: Forbes