By Bob Ruffolo
Feb 10, 2012
Topics:
Inbound SalesNever miss an episode of Endless Customers!
Subscribe now and get the latest podcast releases delivered straight to your inbox.
The bulk of our discussions have been centered upon lead generation, lead nurturing, traffic strategies, social media, blogging, and consumer retention. In retrospect none of these things really matter if you’re not able to close a sale. Across all industry types the issues associated with closinga sale are remarkably similar.
On that note we want to provide you with 10 key phrases you can use to close a sale.
Rephrase and Request
Your very first objective when trying to close a sale is to be able to reiterate exactly what the client needs without seeming as if you are unsure about it. Clients want confident as opposed to apprehensive “did I understand you correctly” responses. Your first task is then to rephrase exactly what the client needs in words they understand but still exude a high level of professionalism. Then you go straight to phrase, “Do we have your approval to proceed?” Now it’s important to use this phrase in the proper context. When you’re speaking be sure to gauge your prospect’s reaction. Far too often we run across sales professionals that don’t deal with objections properly. If your prospect voices an objection don’t immediately ask them for approval that would be absolutely absurd. Instead proceed in an alternate direction. Phrases like “Can we get your approval to proceed” give the client an opportunity to acknowledge their current intention.
Phrase 1: “Do we have your approval to proceed?”
Phrase 2 Option: “Unless you have any unaddressed questions or concerns I think we might be ready to get started.”
Phrase 3 Option: “Do you have any more questions or are you ready to proceed?”
Dealing With Objections
The common fall back is the immediately retreating to the idea of contacting them at a later date. If you’re in this situation do not surrender. Show the prospect that you’re willing and knowledgeable enough to deal with his/her objections. Some prospects have a bit of an alpha personality they know it all and can’t be told what they need. But the beauty is you can take the back seat and help them make the decision to hire you. Put them in the driver’s seat but also be confident enough to show them you have a map to desired destination. Ask the prospect to rate their confidence level in your company. A phrase like, “From a scale of 1-10 how ready you are to sign a contract with us today?” If the client’s response is low ask them why it’s not lower. This will help you determine what you’re doing right. Then ask the client what prevented a rating of 10. Listen and prepare yourself to go into an very non-aggressive debate.
Phrase 1: “From a scale of 1-10 tell me how ready you are to sign a contract with our company”
Phrase 2 Option: “Do you believe we understand you company current needs and future goals?”
Phrase 3 Option: “Do you believe we can provide you with the services or products you need?”
The Obvious Go Ahead
When a client is ready to close it’s almost always obvious. As arbitrary as that might sound it’s the honest trust. However, we realize sales should not require psychic abilities. So if you’re not clairvoyant just be sure to gauge your prospect’s responses very carefully. Look for comments like, “Yes, that makes a lot of sense” or “Really, I had no idea” or “That’s impressive” or “You really sound like an expert”. Phrases like those previously mentioned help you understand the clients perspective on your presentation. If they have no objections and they’re ready to proceed just keep it simple and ask them. The reason this works so well is because it’s simple and straight to the point.
Phrase 1: “Are you ready to get started?”
Phrase 2 Option: “Are you ready to proceed?”
Phrase 3 Option: “Should we get started today?”
Final Thoughts
A script is important in fact some companies live and die by a script but please avoid at all cost sounding as if you’re reading from a notepad or just rehearsed a few lines 5 minutes before the call. Always be sure your responses are relevant by engaging with your prospects. If you have any questions, concerns, tips of your own we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or even contact us for an experienced company that can deal with your needs and optimize your business.
Free Assessment: