Secrets of Closing Sales

Secrets of Closing Sales s s

by  Charles B. Roth and Roy Alexander A s u m m a r y o f t h e o r i gi gi n a l t e x t .

In t his his issue:  s

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Grasp... the secrets that enable th e top 20 percent percent of  sa lespeople to close close 80 percent of all sales. Unleash... the power of 16 proven ta ctic cticss for for cl closing osing sales tha t can easily be adapted to your own personality, products, and pr ospe ospects. cts.

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Analyze... th e nine t ypes of of customers customers so you understand what makes them buy and th en craft a sales presenta tio tion n th ey can can ’t r esist.

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Hone... your yo ur sales s kills by observobserving seven seven m ast er closers closers a s th ey successfully successfully selec selectt t he right techniques for each closi cl osing ng sit ua tion.

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Confront... the t hree fears most peopeople enco encount er when they sell to groups, and use five proven techniques to close the sale to several buyers at once. s s

Volume 10, No. 12 (2 sections). Section 2, December 2001 © 2002 Audio-Tech Audio-Tech Business Book Summaries 12-24 12-24 No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. To order additional copies of this summary, reference Catalog #12012

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he authors of Secrets of  Clo Closing Sales, Char les les Roth Ro th an d Roy Alexan lexan der, ha ve distilled distilled th e best fieldfieldtest ed met hods of of tying up th e sale stra ight ight from the firing line. line. These techn techn iques can boost boost pr oductivity for for th e seasoned pr ofessio ofessiona na l and increase income for salespeople salespeople in in a ll ar eas. They've They've un covered th e ar t a n d s ci ci e n ce ce t h a t s ep ep a r a t e s the master closers from the th un dering herd. Char les les Roth Ro th has t rained more more tha n 30,000 people in closi closing ng techn techn iques. iques. For ten years, years, Roy Alexan Alexan der was editor of Marketing Marketing Ti Times magazine, zine, a na tiona tiona l jo journ al th at provide providess persona persona l selling information to sales an d m ark eting exec executives utives worldwide.

This business-tested tr easu ry of ideas will will reveal clas clas sic clo closing sing k eys — an d how to apply them, th e an swers t o solvi solving ng bu yer problems problems by tur ning their weaknesse weaknessess into yo your strengt strengths, hs, and the ins ins and outs of effective group sellin g. You'll a lso ben efit

from t he h ighly ighly deta iled, iled, point-by-poi point-by-point nt descript ions ions of  successful sales scenarios str aight from th e rea l-li l-liffe encoun encoun ter s of of seven ma ster salespeople. 

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ere's th e top secret secret of  closin closin g. You m u st be willing willing t o tr y to close close ever y sale. And the plain tru th ? A salesperson wh o can can 't go out out an d make up customers' customers' minds for th em or overco overcome me their procra procra stination stination isn't isn't a salesperson at all. He or or she is a business conversa conversa tiona tiona list, or or a visitor, visitor, a t best. The ha llma llma rk of great execut execut ives ives is th eir desire t o sell sell somesomething better to customers. Those who can can ma tch need an d solutio solution n a nd balan ce the ever-c ever-cha nging ta stes of  today's finicky finicky bu yer will rise to th e fore. fore. It's widely widely kn own th at th e upper 20 percent percent of salespeople people close close t he lion's lion's sha re of sales. sales. What we'll we'll examine here is is how they do it. You're about about to hear ma ny

definite definite a nd ta ngible ngible closi closing ng techniques. And they're all built on on t his corn corn erst one: You mu st assum e tha t th e customer will will buy an d th at you will close close every sale. If  you are positive in your own mind, t his positiveness positiveness will will show. show. The cust omer will buy. buy. The only question is when an d how much!

be closed closed b y ph ysica ysica l action. action. ("J ust OK th is slip slip a nd I'll I'll call call th e plan t righ t now." now.")) Act Act ion is th e easiest, sur est, quickest quickest way. way. It imp imp lies cons cons ent . J ust do someth someth ing. 4.

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T H E S I X T E E N T I M E -T E S T E D C L O S I N G K E YS Now, Now, here a re t he 16 timetested clo closing keys you you an d your sales force can use imm ediat ely. ely. The y work for for both both products an d services, services, big ticket or or sma ll. ll. These keys can can be adjust ed to your your personality, your products, an d yo your prospec prospects. Here are 16 closi closing ng k eys to clinch clinch a ny sale: 1 . T h e B ey ey on d An An y D ou ou b t Clo Close. You close lose by assuming the prospect's goin goin g to buy. buy. Tak e it for for grant ed the answer is yes. You are 100 percent certain — you can imagine no other outcom com e. You sweep th e buyer forward with this positive positive assum ption, beyond beyond a ny doubt. 2. The Little Little Questi Questio on Clo Close. se. By getting getting th e buyer to decide someth ing of secseconda ry importa nce, like like uph olstery colo colorr in a n au tomobile, tomobile, you you m ak e th e prospect prospect t ell you you h e or she is ready to buy. ("Will tha t be cash or char ge?" ge?" "Sh all I sh ip it by UP S or F edX?" edX?") That's the little question. 3 . T h e D o S om om e t h in in g Cl Clos e. e. Nine sales in ten should 2

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T h e C om in in g E ve ve n t Clo Close. You an nounce an impending event event to hasten the decision. ("Pr ices ices a re going up next month. Initial this for for m now!" now!") Whe n you suggest the possibility of  loss, loss, the bu yer is putt y in your hands. T h e T h ir ir d P ar a r ty ty Endorsement Endorsement Close. Close. You tell stories about, or get referra ls from, from, happ y cust omers. ("Don't Don't take my word word for for it." "List "List en to wha wha t h appened to Joe Wea ver !") It ’s n ot wh a t you you say, say, it’s it’s wha t they say — the th ird part y.

6 . T h e S om om et e t h in in g for Nothing Nothing Clo Close. You en d your your presenta tion tion with with a sp ecial ecial bonu bonu s — appealing to that somesomething-for-nothing hot button button in each huma n being. Man y buyers, seeing themselves as the cent er of th e un iverse, iverse, will will not sign un less they're getting something special. special. This can can be, an d usu ally is, a t rivial thing. But it often often loc locks u p th e sa le — somet hin g for for nothing. 7 . T h e As k a n d Ge Ge t C lo los e. e. At t imes, the best str at egy is is ask ing boldly boldly for th e order. Use this car efully efully,, at th e r ight ight time, un der th e right right cond cond itions. Man y people ar e just just waiting to be asked! One sure sure thing:

You don't as k, a n d you don't don't get. 8 . T he h e C h oi oi ce C lo los e. e. D on on 't't ask if, if, ask which. which. ("Which color do you pr efer?" "Wh "Wh ich do you like — 30-da 30-da y or 90-day ter ms ?") ?") Give your your bu yer a choice choice whe re you win either way. way. 9 . T h e Ap pe pe al a l t o P r id id e Clo Close. se. Paint a viv viviid pictu pictu re. ("Ima gine how you'll you'll feel driving u p in th is fam ily van !") Pr ide is powerful. 10. The Future Dating Clo Close. Your pr ospect ospect is re ally not rea dy to buy now? now? Pin down delivery delivery thr ee month s, or or even a year, ahead. Better Better than letletting a compet itor itor wa lk  away with with it. it. That 's futu re dating. 11. The Co Collombo Clo Close. se. The pr ospect says no. You sta rt to leave. Then you you stop, as if inspired by TV's Lieutenant Colomb Colomb o, a n d sa y, "Oh , one more th ing. I almost forgot to men tion a very import an t fact. If you you place your your order t his month, you'll get one case free. You sim ply can n ot afford afford t o lose lose out out on sa vings like like t ha t, can you?" you?" One more th ing. It works for Colombo, it will work for you. 1 2. 2. T h e Su S u m m a r i ze ze P lu lu s Poi Points Clo Close se.. Some Some prospects prospects r espond espond t o an ar ra y of of plus point point s mar ching toward toward th em. ("It 's all her e in bla ck  an d white. white. This is th e best product a vailable. You can 't sa y no to an offer like this, can you?") AUDIO-TECH

Summ arizing arizing th e pluses. pluses. 13. The Pros and Cons Cons Clo Close. With t he a na lytic lytical al buyer, write out th e pr os an d cons cons of your your proposition, side-by-side. Na tu ra lly lly, you you favor th e pr os. But give a few few cons, too too. Make sur e th e prospect prospect a grees with each listed listed item item . The pros an d cons. cons. 1 4. 4. T h e L og og ic C lo los e. e. T h e buyer wants evidence. Give Give it in full measu re. ("It m ust be clear clear to a woma woma n of rea son son t ha t, if  these a re your your needs, this mu st be the r ight ight product product for you. you. Ther efore, efore, there's only one thing for us to decide — how soon do you you wan t t hese books books in your your libra libra ry? Will Will next Wednesday be soon enough?") enough?") When th e buyer starts answering questions about delivery, sh e's going going to bu y. 15. The Whispering Whispering Clo Close. One h igh igh volum volum e buyer sa ys his m ost effective effective supplier supplier whispers at t he close, close, a s if disclosin disclosin g a valua ble secret secret . Said th e buyer, "I leaned forward, not want ing to miss miss a word. word. The salesma n co continu ed to whisper. I co contin u ed to follo follow w. Befor Befor e I knew it, he asked m e to buy. buy. Before Before I kn ew it, it, I whispered yes!"

ma n y?" Two Two words. Or, he ta kes out out an order blank, ma rks a n X on it, an d says, "Her e." One word. word. It work work s. Th e power of silence. Regar dless of who's selling selling or wha t's being sold, sold, most sa les will contin contin ue to be closed closed with one, or several, classic keys. Tha t's a science science you you can lear lear n. Knowing Knowing when and h ow to use these keys keys — t h a t 's 's a n a r t. t . I t' t 's a n a r t t h at at can be mastered th rough pra ctice. ctice. Thr ough time it will will beco become n at ur al, like like a n inborn reflex.

free-wheeling, ree-wheeling, r at iona iona l, or objective. objective. Help her ma intain goo good stan ding in her peer group group by reinforcing reinforcing th e cont cont inued respect she'll receive from higher u p th e cha cha in of comm an d. The Third Third Pa rty En dorsement dorsement , such such as t estimonials from from pu blic figur figur es, a re effec effec-tive in selling Tribalistic buyers. 2.

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T H E N I N E T YP E S CUSTOMERS

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You've jus jus t a cquired sixteen closi closing ng k eys us eful for for wha t you say and how you respond respond in clo closing sing cust omers. Tha t's h a l f t h e e qu qu a t i on on i n t h e buyer-seller communication process. Now let's let's deal with t he other ha lf: lf: What custo customers mers say — an d how the they respond respond t o yo you. Here are nine different customer types. Learn ing to spot spot th em — an d preparing to cope cope with th em — will dra ma tically tically improve yo your closing average. 1.

1 6. 6. T h e S il ile n t Cl Clos e. e. O n e toiletries toiletries sa lesma lesma n doesn't sa y a dozen words. words. He mer ely shows merchan dise. H e points points to this featur featur e and th at. He demonstra tes. He lets th e product product speak. Then, he start s writing writing up the order and inquires, "How BUSINESS BOOK SUMMARIES

T h e Tr Tr ib ib a li li s t ic ic C u st st om om e r . Recognize these customers by t heir lack of  personal buying values. The y blind blind ly accept accept beliefs and preferences of  au th ority figures figures — a par ent , husba nd, wife, wife, or boss. 3. To sell th is pr ospect, ospect, be reassur ing of of her pu rcha se decision decision — not

T h e E go goce n tr t r ic ic B u ye ye r. r. This rugged individual has become his own tr ibal chief. chief. He sa ys: "To hell with with th e rest of th e world. I th ink for for myself." myself." Somet imes Mr. Egocentric believes salespeople ar e rip-off rip-offs. s. He coun ters by att empting to rip you you off first. first. Anyth ing goes goes in th e Egocent Egocent ric's ric's effort effort to dominat dominat e and win. Play the game by the Egocent Egocent ric's ric's valu es. If  he plays con con m an , be a better co con man . If he plays tough guy, be tough er. Don't dwell on product dependa bility bility,, durability, cost savings, or gua gua ra nt ees. Mr. Ego's Ego's more concerned concerned about product product a ppeara nce, delivery delivery,, sta tu s. He want s a product product to symbolize his rugged individua individua lism lism a nd power. power. Close by praising his leadersh ip "as "as first in your your field ield to ta ke t his step." Then use the Ask  & Get k ey. ey. Ask boldly for for th e order; he's a bold buyer. C on fo for m is is t Bu B u ye ye rs rs . Identify the conformist by what he's not — not not a high roller, not a leader. Thes e people 3

ha ve diff difficult icult y accepting oth er values. They tr y to get others to accept accept their their values — values often subordina te t o a philosophy, cause, or religion. Conformists seek product dependability, durability, cost savings, guarantees, bran d na mes from from relireliable, sta ble co compa nies. They aren't tr end-setters. end-setters. They only only reluctan tly mak e cha nges. With the conformist, be businesslike like a nd stra ightfo ightforwar rwar d. Point out "everybody is is buying." Dr ess appr opriately. Avoid comments on r eligion eligion , politics, or or sex. Set up an exact time for the presentation an d be th ere. Close Close by Summarizing Plus Points. Show it's all her e in black-an black-an d-white d-white — with proof proof from from h app y customers. 4.

M a n ip ip u la la t iv ive B uy u ye r s don't need assertiveness tra ining — but t hey should should lectur lectur e at th e cour cour se. They th rive on gamesm an ship, politic politics, s, compet ition, ition, a nd an tics. They mea sur e success success in possessions, status, and money. money. They resp ond to fast-paced presentations. They don't don't n eed all the deta ils. ils. Simply presen t the h ighli ighlights ghts an d wait for questions. questions. Make sure you you h old old some ben efits efits in reserve — you may well need them. The man ipulat ipulat ive ive customer will often play stump-the-salesperson. Th ey'll sa y: "You "You don’t don’t mea n t o tell me . . ." Then t hey tr y to negotiate price. price. They deman d

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a written contr contr act with with escape clauses. Your stra tegy: tegy: Let them believe they've won the game while yo you m ake t he sale. Quietly ma nipulat e t h e m a n ip ip u la la t or or . U se se th e Somethin g fo for Nothing key. 5.

The Soc Sociocentric entric Buyer Buyer values getting getting along along over getting getting ahead. In deali dealing ng with a S ocio ocioce cent nt ric, rela te your your product or ser vice vice to society society.. Pla y down sta tu s symbols, power, power, or or ma teria listic gains. Talk  about pr eservation eservation of th e environm environm ent, good good t ast e, respectability, social resp onsibility nsibility,, ben efits efits to th e public public an d to the nation.

an d short-ra short-ra nge benefits. benefits. Let conver conver sa tion flow low. Don't t ry t o force force stru ctu re. Slant benefits benefits toward accepta accepta nce of  of  your your self, self, your comp comp an y, your product, and its effect on the customer. Use the Do Something key. key. Let her opera opera te, test , try, try, smell, smell, tast e. Give Give her a ha nds-on nds-on feel for th e pr oduct or service. 7.

T h e D ed ed ic ica t e d D el ela ye y e r. r. He fears being pressured or tr icked icked int o buying. buying. He want s the last word, word, his self-respect self-respect a nd integrity inta ct. This prospect prospect h as been t elling elling him self — and fam ily or as sociat sociat es — he will not buy the da y yo you pr esent. He ha s built built a shield shield ar oun d himself. himself. He can , an d does, co come u p with fantastic excuses for not buying, rea l Academy Academy Awar d ma ter ial. Co Comba mba t th e Dedicat Dedicat ed Delayer with pr os and cons on pap er. Thr ow in Somethin g fo for Nothing: "only if you OK this today."

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M r . Wh it it e H at at . Recognize Recognize t his selfselfrighteous personality who co could h ave been a television evangelist. This leading leading ma n sees himself as t he good good guy all th e way. way. He's going going to make a decision — he ha s the power power to gra gra nt this sale (or deny it). He's pulling pulling a ll th e str ings. He sees sees you you as The Black Black Ha t. Thu s, if  White Hat stretches the tru th or m isleads isleads Black  Black  Ha t, it's it's all fair. Play to th e ego. ego. Co Congra ngra tu late him on his judgment.

Sociocentrics prefer you you a s a friend, not a su pplier. When you you ma ke t he sale, Mr. Mr. Socio Socio ma y tak e you you t o lun lun ch. Since you've made a friend, a void void th e fronta fronta l assau lt. Use the flan flan king movement movement with with The Little Qu estion estion — friend friend to friend. 6.

T h e E xi xis te t e nt n t ia ia l Bu Bu ye ye r . Reco Recognize her as a par ticipant. ticipant. She must be involv involved ed in the sale. She can not stand by as an observer. observer. P resen t th e problem, give her access to inform inform a tion. Build a par ticipatin ticipatin g role role for for h er in your your demo. Emphasize problem solving. solving. Her e, pr ice ice is is of  of  seco seconda ry importa nce. Be flexi flexible ble an d spont aneous. Str ess simplicity simplicity an d personal ethics. ethics. Avoid void conven t iona lity, lity, status symbols, conformit y, pr ofita ofita bility, bility, power,

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Use th e Win/Wi Win/Win n Choice Choice key. key. Don't Don't ask if if, ask  w h ic i ch . P la la y t h e g a m e un til yo you can sa y: "Please pu t your initials right h ere, Mr. Mr. White White Ha t. You ha ve th e right slant on t his problem." problem." 9.

Fear #2 is a lack of feedback. You do tend to get less response from a group, and, with less feedback, there's less for you to work with.

T h e Gr Gr ee ee d y C u st s t om om er er often sta rt s by saying "I "I can get a better buy someplace else." S he want s the best best deal possibl possiblee a nd she'll use every tr ick ick to get it. it. This buyer — not dishonest exactly — wan wan ts t o use her money to fullest fullest advantage. Come up with a bottom-linebottom-lineoriented close to feed the gre edy. edy. Sin ce sh e's for for pr ofit ofit a nd sa vings, off offer er her both both .

Fear #3 is the fear of being  put on trial and cross-examined  to the point of losing your confidence and initiative.

Ask: "Do you want the great er sa vings vings from from a two-year payment plan or th e great er conveconvenience of of a t hr ee-year ee-year plan ?" Also th row in the Coming Co ming Event . Let her kn ow th e deal is only available until next Thursday.

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There you have nine customer-types. When you you go in armed with this psychologic logical al edge, combin combin ed with th e right closers, closers, you you st ar t with with a powerf powerful ul advan tage.

These unfavorable conditions can be turned around when you, the outsider, become an insider. As you integrate yourself into the group, the boundaries between you and them blur. blur. The dynamics of group psychology shift in your favor. favor. The ultimate goal is to put yourself inside so far that you become the group leader.

Analyze the participants. Who will be there? Who is your likely ally or opponent? Who must be influenced and how do you plan to do it? What roles do the individuals play? How can you transform the meeting to a shirt-sleeve gathering to make it easier for you to fit in? Know your group. Ask in advance about the company's history, membership and corporate culture.

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Ask your prospects to help  you make your presentation. This is a daring move, but it works well when you are close to the contact. To enlist client aid in presenting, you need to be honest about your your need for help. If you're just being slick, forget it.

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Use and understand selling  presence. Presence is difficult to define, but powerful in effect. John F. F. Kennedy had it. So did Martin Luther King, Jr. Jr. When they spoke to an audience, they made each person feel like the only one. Power presenters

ECRETS TS OF SELLI ELLING NG TO GROUPS SECRE

BUSINESS BOOK SUMMARIES

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Put words and action  together with style. Be enthusiastic. It's contagious. Draw out prospects with questions. Be detailed. detailed. Assume the prospect knows nothing so you won't miss a sales-clinching sales-c linching point. Grab them in your opening with a bold statement. statement . Don't speak in long sentences. The ear needs simplicity. Stay lively. Remember, nothing is worse than a plodding presentation.

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Finally, here are some keys  to fielding group questions. Avoid defensiveness. defensive ness. This is particularly important in group selling. If you make someone feel uncomfortable in front of his colleagues, you may win the battle and lose the war. Don't use putdowns by saying things like "No, that's really not valid." Put-downs do not stimulate sign-ups! Be fully grounded in your subject. If you lack the necessary knowledge, bring along a specialist. Address the specific question that's been asked. A long answe answerr may bore others.

Here's how to do it:

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Even for the best of closers, there are specific challenges to mastering the group selling situation. When facing several buyers at once, be prepared to confront three psychological fears which must be tamed if you want to maintain effective control of the meeting.

bring the audience into their presence. That's the key to getting on the inside of a group and staying there. Selling presence is being confident and comfortable with the clients and making them comfortable with you. The key is knowledge. knowledge. Know who's dominant in the group and pay a little more attention to that person. person. On the other hand, don't ignore any group member. Be your own self — just enlarge yourself for your group audience, like an actor in a theater.

Fear #1 is being outnumbered. Well, there is only one of you and several of them, right?

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L E S S O N S F R OM OM CLOSERS

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MA S T E R

Let's continu continu e our field ield t rip with some r eal-life eal-life calls calls with seven ma ster clo closers. sers. See how they select select t he best k eys possibl possiblee t o suit t heir prospect, their product and the indust ry in whic which th ey work. Mast er closers, closers, like performers, use classic techniques again again an d again unt il th ey bec become second second n at ur e. In t ime, as you you m ove int int o a closing situation, the correct techniques emerge almost au toma tically. tically. When you you ma ke classic clo closing sing k eys par t of your your business personality, personality, th ey emerge by refle reflex x — at t he right right time, with with the right right impact. impact. Mast er Closer Closer #1: Selling Selling the Fina ncial ncial Benefits Benefits Bob Horner r acked up a top Bob record as a Mercedes closer in N ew York, York, t he world's toughest and richest richest car ma rk et. He sold sold 100 cars a year. He earn ed a place place in an elite membership limited to 200 sales folk at any given time. Horner closed losed sa les by always always assuming his prospect prospect was money-minded. money-minded. Said H orn er, "No mat ter wha t your p roduct or service, service, work work in a finan cial benefit benefit a n d s e ll ll t h a t . T h is is is i s p a r t ic icular ly tru e if you you sell to bus iness execut execut ives. To them, the world is money." Horner always did his financial homework before th e cust omer face-o face-offf. One day, the president of a manufactu ring compa compa ny wasn 't responding to Horner's appr oach oach on a n ew car. car. Horner took figures out of his pocket. 6

"Mr. "Mr. Leit er," h e sa id. "I've "I've just done some ar ithm etic fo for you. you. If you you ta ke th is $40,000 car by trading in last year's car for $31,000, you you can ma ke up t he extra $9,000 $9,000 in in ta x savings. Her e's how th e figures work."

business — always a good quest ion. ion. Gonzalez Gonzalez ha d co come to the United States as a youn youn g ma n. He wo worked hard an d succeeded. succeeded. But he never forgot forgot h is comp comp at riots below th e border. border. He provided provided many jobs for Latinos.

The ma n signed signed up. Says Horner: "I even even had cuscustomer s I could could sh ow how to make money by tra ding ding cars." cars." Horn er sa ys, "How' "How'ss th at for a benefit?" benefit?"

Gardn er complemented Gonza Gonza lez on on a fascinat ing story. story. Then h e added: "But I wonder wonder if you you ha ven't overoverlooke looke d on e t h ing? You've You've been good to Latinos. You've hired man y. But ha ve you you given given t he a mbitious mbitious people people who wo work h ere all the ma terials th ey need for succ success? Ha ve yo you pu t th em on on a level level playing ground with competitors?"

Bob Horn er n ever sells Bob sells cars. He sells financial benefits. Mast er Closer Closer #2: #2: Using th e Cus tomer ’s Un ique Life Life Experience What better way to get get on th e prospec prospect's t's side side tha n t o recognize recognize t he viewpoint of  his ethn ic group? None, says H.G. Gardn er. er. Gardner presen ted a sa les promotio promotion n ser vice vice to Car los los Gonzalez, hea d of a firm th at employed employed 100 driver-salespeople. Gonza Gonza lez said h e'd buy if  Gar dn er could could convince convince his two sales ma na gers. But these two men refused to buy. Ah-ha! Gardn er suspected th e boss boss ha d secretl secretly y told told th em to say no. no. Catch 22! Gar dner, a coura coura geous geous salesperson, went back to Gonzalez an d sa id: "Am I correct in assum ing tha t even if your your sales ma na gers recomm recomm end m y progra progra m, you you won't buy it?" On t he spot, Gonzalez Gonzalez said, "I didn't rea lize lize how expensive it was. Our budget won't a llow llow it." Gardn er needed a chan ge of  of  pace. He ask ed Gonzalez Gonzalez how he had sta rted the

Gonzalez sa id: "Un o momento momento.. I'm I'm going going to buy your your program !" Gardn er got got on th e ethn ic side of his cust omer's experien ce. It works. Master Closer Closer #3: #3: Pitt ing Em otion tion Against F acts Gayle Fr eeland is a closingclosingorient ed World World Book sa les ma na ger in Memphis. She loves loves to hear prospects prospects a sk  how her pr oduct compa compa res with h er fam ous competitor, ompetitor, En cyclo yclopedia pedia Br itan nica. Her str ategy is is not not to knock  knock  her compet itor's itor's a ut hority. hority. John Dixon, a prominent businessman, asked Fr eelan d t o come come to h is off office ice to explain explain wh y her pr oduct was better tha n Britan Britan nica. nica. "Mr. Dixon," sh e sa id. "World "World Book is widely known for its value in edu cat ing children. children. On th at point, point, it has n o peer. peer. So I assum e tha t your your concern is wh y World World Book Book is better for adu lts?" lts?" AUDIO-TECH

Dixon Dixon nodded . Gayle Fr eelan eelan d was calling alling on th e Logic Logic key t o build up t o an Em otiona tiona l Event. "Well, Mr. Dixon," she said. "When you you wa nt to look look up someth someth ing in in Brita nn ica, ica, it's ther e, all right. I won’ won’tt preten d oth erwise. erwise. But it's it's not easy to find. Why should should you you h ave to work work t hat har d to get get it? After a ll, your your time is valu a ble. World Book  Book  ma kes it it easy. easy. That 's why World Book Book is bet te r. Afte Afte r all, World Book has 60 percent of the global encyclopedia pedia mar ket. The other 40 percent is divided among all the others. others. There must be a reason! "There's also a reason why I sell World World Book. Book. I could could be selling selling Britan nica. nica. But we alwa ys h ad World Book  Book  when I was small. There's no way we could could h ave done without it. I believe believe in World Wo rld Book." Thus you you ha ve it. A powerf powerful ul side-byside-by-side side sum ma ry. ry. Sur e, th e compet compet itor itor is famous. Sure, it's it's au thoritative. But th ere a re people who believ believee in World World Book. Book. Sh e pla yed the Third Pa rty Endorsement Endorsement ke y. Ma ybe ea se-ofse-of-aa ccess ccess ha s someth someth ing to with with it. The Logi Logicc key again. Dixon Dixon bought . Gayle Fr eelan eelan d proved proved tha t emotion-based closing depends on the closer, not the fame of  th e pr oduct. And , sh e closed closed without once mentioning price, yet her product is ha lf  th e cost cost of her comp comp etit or’s. or’s. She wa s ta lking to a pr ospect ospect who could could ea sily afford afford a ny product he wan wan ted. Does Does her lack of emphasis on price give you you a clue? clue? It shou ld!

Mast er Closer Closer #4: Gett ing In Your P rosp ect’s ect’s S h oes In ma king a jo joint presenta tion with a colorf olorful ul cha ra cter, be prepa red for for su dden sh ifts ifts and learn to recover quickly. Walter H . J ohn son son lear lear ned th is workin workin g fo for th e legendar y Marion Marion H arper, CEO CEO of The In ter public Group. Group. Harper had hired Johnson Johnson away from an airline sales ma na gement job. job. One da y, Har per t ooled oled into Johnson's office on the 44th floor floor of th e Tim e-Life e-Life Building Building a nd said, "I'm "I'm making a presentation to American Cyanamid tomorrow morning in N ew J ersey. ersey. Can you you st ay in town tonight an d h elp? elp?"" No one one ever sa id no to Ha rper. Walter phoned his wife: wife: He wouldn wouldn 't be home th at evening. evening. Then , Walter discovered Harper hadn't even started the Cyanamid presentation. At 9:00 p.m. th e two men went t o wo work. Dat a from compu compu ter s flow flowed ed in, and rough charts rolled from t he gr aph ics ics st udio, on all-night alert. By 4:00 a.m., the proposal was fini finished shed an d th ey depart ed to near by hotels. hotels. They met a t 8:30 8:30 a.m., th e finished pr esent at ion ion in tow. tow. As th e limousi limousine ne h um med th rough Lincoln Lincoln Tun Tun nel, Ha rper said, "I'v "I'vee cha cha nged my mind. You're going going to ma ke the presentat ion." ion." "Oka y," J ohns on sa id, wonwondering about about the last-minute change. At Cyana mid, the two men went directly to the

BUSINESS BOOK SUMMARIES

confer confer en ce room. Six corp corp ora te people filed filed in in a nd took  took  seats at th e other other end. Instead of sitting beside J ohn son, son, Harper sat with the Cyana mid people people an d ta lked New Jer sey politic politics. s. Once everyone assembled, he nodded for for Walt er to begin. As the presentation moved along, questions questions ar ose — some some critic critical al an d ha rd t o an swer. swer. Har per also asked questions — some of the toughest. Though t Wa Wa lter : "He's joined joined the client!" The presenta tion tion lasted less less th an a n hour. After a brief  silenc silencee th e cha cha irman said, "Would you you m ind lea ving us for a few minutes, Mr. J ohn son, son, so we can can discuss discuss your your pr oposa oposa l?" l?" J ohn son son left left t he r oom, but Ha rper didn't move. move. After 15 minutes, they called Johnson back. They ha d sig signed ned the business. Ha rper ha d, in effect, effect, joi joined ned th e client client an d helped ma ke th e decisi decisio on. Now, Now, tha t's rea lly lly getting into your prospect's shoes! Master Clo Closer #5: Plan ning Ahea d t o Co Cont rol the Sa le Bru ce Alex Alexan an der, th e Tennessee real estate expert, believes the ace closer melds ma ny major major an d minor minor keys in in a dvance plan plan ning to control th e sale. Her e's his advice: In rea l estat estat e, always take th e prospect prospect t o see th e propert y in yo your car. You ha ve no control in their car. They can decide decide when th ey've ey've seen enou gh. Keep cont cont rol. 7

Take t he best route to the propert y. Don't Don't drive by vacan vacan t lots an d eyesores. eyesores. Choose Choose th e most scenic rout e. This is is part of your your close. Use the time en route to ta lk about about t he property's property's disadvanta disadvanta ges, ges, such such a s "It's "It's an excell excellent ent value but n eeds paint ing inside inside and out." If you you don't m ention it ah ead of time, the buyers are going to lay lay it on you you wh en t hey get ther e. If you you ar e go going to show property tha t's a mess, ma ke it an even even bigger bigger mess. Say: "The walls ha ve got got this and t he carpet needs tha t an d the lawn is is this high. Oh, wow wow, it's in in ter rible con con dition. Bu t I'll I'll te ll you you one one thin g: It's about $6,000 $6,000 under th e mar ket price. It's a fan fan ta stic buy, buy, if  you you d on't min d fixing fixing it up." When t he pr ospects spects get th ere, th ey're ey're excited excited a bout bout th e ter rific rific price. When they see t he propert y, th ey'll ey'll say, say, "You kn ow, it's it's not th at bad." Ant icipat icipat ing objec objections tions a nd heading them off is part of  th e clo closing att itude. If th e buyer is not sold sold enough to go right t o cont ra ct, use th e balance sheet close. close. Tak e a piece of of pa per a nd dra w a line line right down down th e middle. Say: "Let's write on t his ha lf of the pap er a ll th e rea sons sons for owning th is propert y. On th is side, we'll we'll write down down a ll th e rea sons sons you should not own this property." "This property certainly suits your needs, doesn't it?"

Ma ry says: "Gee, I like it." Write that down. Property Property suits needs. When you you finish, th e posipositives should out out weigh weigh t he negat ives ives th ree or or four four to one. Then a sk th e prospec prospectt where th e preponder an ce of evidence evidence lies. lies. Tom an d Mary ar e goi going ng to judge th e evidence. evidence. Conver Co nver t all gener al objec objections tions to specific specifics. s. For exam ple, a gener al objec objection: tion: "I wan wan t to th ink it over." over." Ask: "Wha t pa rt conc concern ern s you?" you?" Then get th e prospect prospect to say: "I'm concern concern ed about th e lack of of a secon secon d bedr oom." oom." Now, Now, th a t's an objec objection tion you you can work  work  with. Now, Now, sup pose you you can not close close on on t he h ouse t ha t da y. The buyers pose a legitimat legitimat e qu estion. You can an swer it tomorrow but n ot today. today. Say it's 2 o'cl o'cloc ock k in th e a fter noon. You don't want Tom and Mar y to lo look at a ny other pr opert y toda y. Somebody ma y sell th em. You wan t th em to go right h ome. On t he way back, stop stop an d get ice ice cream . Sa y: "I'd like you you to ta ke t his little gift gift home. The kids ha ve been so grea t. The y'll y'll enjoy it." Now there's ice ice crea crea m in t he car. Tom an d Mar Mar y mu st go home befo before it melts. When th ey get get h ome a nd give give th e kids th e ice ice crea crea m, th ey're ey're not going to feel like going out again. They're of off th e ma rket u nt il the next day. day. Fr ozen assets ma y be a problem in finance, but in closing, it's t he way t o out out -fox fox your your competitor. Notice how the following

8

closing keys applied to Tom an d Mary are so int int egra egra ted th ey're ey're almost in visibl visible, e, but all th e more effective. effective. •

D o S om om e t h in in g . H e ge ge t s th e prospects prospects t o write down down advant ages an d disadvantages and then ma ke th e final final judgment judgment .

•

Third Party En dorsement. dorsement. Who better better as endorsers endorsers tha n th e prospec prospects ts them selves? selves? Let them tell you you how wonderful it is.

•

Somet Somet hing for Nothing. The ic ice cream. But it comes with a doublewham my: They must get it home quickly an d can not see a compet compet itive itive property.

When your closing keys beco become second second n at ur e they become interwoven seamlessly. 

M O R E L E S S O N S F R OM OM M A S T E R CL O S E R S

TH E

Mast er Closer Closer #6: Off Offering Free Counsel Al Wall Wall dispen ses free ad vice vice to his cust omer s. For th at reason, Hollywood will pr obably never cast Al Wall Wall as a sa les les man ager, ager, but but t hen, movies often often lack rea lity. lity. Al Wall has r acked up a successful cessful selling re cord cord , selling decorative home accessories. So mu ch so, he ’s become na tiona tiona l sales sales ma na ger of  of  the MaLeck Group, a leading compan y in t he field. ield. Al uses t he Somethin g fo for Noth ing closi closing ng k ey by giving his customers free counsel. He meet s regular ly with group bu yers from from AUDIO-TECH

depart ment store cha cha ins, not not to sell, sell, but t o ta lk about t heir pr oblems. oblems. "Fu nn y, you you never tr y to sell sell us your pr oducts," a buyer sa id to Al one da y. "No, I don't ," Al sa id. "I'm her e to find find out a bout bout your your problems problems a nd to find find solutions. Now some of of th ose solutions probably include our com com pa n y. If I on on ly sold products, I'd be just as good as m y last sale." sale." Al Wa Wa ll calls calls it rever se selling. His cust omers feel they're getting advice for free. No wonder wonder Al's Al's sa les rise st eadily, eadily, year after year. He is appea ling ling to a un iveriversal human weakness weakness — the desire to get something for nothing. Mast er Clo Closer #7: Co Comin min g at Them F ully Loaded Loaded Good closers are not born, th ey develo develop t hem selves. selves. That 's what ma kes a profesprofessiona siona l: per fectin fectin g your your cra cra ft. But n o ma tter what you you sell, sell, you benefit from exposure to expert closi closing. ng. Pu t closi closing ng advice advice u nder a microsc microsco ope, an d you'll you'll begi begin n t o see see th e keys emer ge. They're closi closing ng keys to you, you, but to th e buyer, th ey're ey're r eassu ring a dvice, dvice, or or helpful info inform rm at ion, ion, or a r eal solut solut ion ion to a problem. problem. Pa y clo close se att ention to the nu mber of closi closing ng k eys Da vid Boue's class ic clo close se illustrates. He a rrives at t he pr ospect's spect's offi office ce fully fully pr epa red to u se any (or all) of his closers. Sa ys Boue: "I am prepar ed to draw on on a ny of  of  25 responses. I don't don't know which one one I'll I'll need . But what ever ever it is, is, I'm ready." ready."

Does Does th is mea n Bo Boue ue forgets forgets homework and plays it by ea r? Absolut Absolut ely not. He sells sells a complic complicat at ed bu siness ser vice vice in a volum volum e of  $750,000 a year. This requires inten inten sive sive preparation. tion. He must know know his service service inside-o inside-out , know th e client's client's business a nd k now his closing closing k eys. Does Does tha t sound like an enormous a moun t of work work ? Yes. But it pa ys of off in spa des or, or, more pr operly, operly, in d ollar ollar s. Learn Learn what ha ppens ppens when Dave Boue calls on Whitelaw Cham bers, general mana ger of a compan compan y tha t m akes solar solar products for for t he h ome. Boue Bo ue sells a sem inar service service th at dra ma tizes tizes product product ben efits efits to th e pu blic. blic. It 's intan gibl gible, e, new to man y prospects, hard to grasp. This is Boue's second call. On h is first first call, he left Chambers a plan a nd budget. budget. Boue ar rives Boue rives at Cha mbers' off office ice at 8:45 a .m. He kn ows th e day gets complic complicat at ed as it wears on at th e co compa ny. ny. Before meeting Chambers, Boue Bo ue stopped in t o see Cha mber s' boss, boss, Vic Vickors kors Reilly, to make a valuable su ggestion on a completely u n r el e la t ed e d m a t t e r. r . S oo oon h e 's 's seated with with Cha mbers. Cha mber s ask s Bo Boue: ue: "Can we get you coffee?" But Bo Boue ue sa ys: "No, th an ks. I brought brought my own." own." Fr om his briefcase, he takes a small compa compa ct cof coffee ma ker an d a sma ll silver silver cup. cup. He tells Cha mber s, "I "I ha ve a special special blend ma de in Bra zil. zil. Wan t to try m ine?" ine?"

Boue picks Boue picks u p th e string an d says, "Very appropriate we should be talking about solar pr oducts toda y, Whit. I was just r eading t his ar ticle ticle in The New Yo York Times Times last Sunday." Naturally, Chambers is interested. Later Bo Boue ue explained: explained: "It's am azing how many business executives ha ve not read key ar ticles. ticles. I use th is to advan tage." Boue su mm ar izes Boue izes th e Times Times’’ comment s. Solar Solar products, once considere considere d a n ovelty ovelty,, ar e now a necessi necessity ty to man y consumers. "This is th e solar solar era. But , as you you kn ow better better t ha n I, you're you're in a n ease-of ease-of-ent ry business. Almost lmost an yone yone can can set up in a gar age and call himself a solar solar products manufacturer. "The nu mber of co compa nies in th e fiel field d h as gr own by 500 percent percent in t he past year, year, according to the Solar Products Association. Ther e's a power stru ggle ggle going going on r ight n ow. ow. A few compan ies will will emerge a s leaders in the public mind. Man y more will will be left left by t he wayside." Cham bers nods. What Boue Boue sa ys is provocative. provocative. Boue con con tin ue s: "To est a blish leadership, your your compa ny must m ake a dra mat ic, ic, but but legitim legitim at e, gestu re. Now, Now, it's tr ue you you pu t on a pu blic blic demonstration about 18 months a go when th e industr y was mu ch youn youn ger. ger. And you you benefited benefited from from tha t. But you you m ust decide decide when you you can be on on th e gi give and when you you can be on on t he ta ke."

In wonder, Chambers nods. BUSINESS BOOK SUMMARIES

9

Cham bers wants to know: know: Give? Tak e? How does th at work? Her e Boue Boue st ops th e action, action, seemingly, to tell Chambers a story from hist ory. ory. When Nelson Rockefell Rockefeller er was ru nn ing for for re-elec re-electio tion n as govern or of New York York , his political enemies circulated ru mors t ha t Ro Rocckefell kefeller er was on on th e gi give, tha t he was giving money to certain groups to swing votes. Then Boue na iled iled down down th e point point : "This contr ast s with the usual political charge of  bei being on the take take.. Natura lly lly it wouldn't be credible to accuse a Rockefeller Rockefeller of being on th e ta ke. Who could could offer offer him m oney he doesn't doesn't a lready ha ve? So th ey accused him of  of  being on the give." Cha mber s, who follo follows ws politics closely closely,, chim ed in: "On the give give — tha t's pretty good." "But ther e's e's a moral here," Boue Bo ue sa ys, "th at app lies lies to the solar solar industr y" — in one one deft deft st roke, he shifts shifts ba ck t o closing. Says Boue: Boue: "When you you ma de tha t public public demonstr demonstr ation ation 18 month s a go, go, you you were on th e giv give, e, givi giving ng th e public public information and instruction to help buyers ma ke decidecisions sions about solar solar izing izing h omes. People People appreciate appreciate th at . When t hey get rea dy to buy, buy, they turn to tha t helpful helpful company th at put on th e demonstration."

early demonstr demonstr ation. ation. But you you can 't go on on being on on th e t a ke forever. forever. Now you've got to go go on th e give give again. This public demonstration is the most dramatic, legitimate way t o go go on on t he give." Chambers is nearly convinced. However, th ere's th e ma tt er of cost. ost. Sa ys Boue: "Let me pour pour you a noth er cup of cof coffee an d I'll tell you you how we plan to save you you money over over th e pr evio evious quote." Boue t hen details a plan Boue whereby Cham bers can can rent a meeting site site a t less money money by bartering closed-out solar products in exchange for spa ce. Sa ys Boue: "This will redu ce your your cash outlay by $4,200." J ust th en, Cha Cha mbers' boss, boss, Vickors Reilly, comes into the offi office. ce. Sa ys Reilly, Reilly, "Sorr "Sorr y to interru pt. I just wan wan ted to catch Dave before he left. Dave, tha t's a good good suggessuggestion you you ma de today. today. We're moving moving out out on it. Tha nk s a lot." Dave says, "Glad to help." Then Cham bers says: "By the way, Vickors, I want to see you you a litt litt le lat lat er about a new plan for a public demonstra tion. tion. We want to ma ke a decision on this right away." Reilly Reilly agrees a nd leaves. Boue Bo ue asks Cha mbers to decide decide which which products products he want s to bart er. er. He then gets Chambers t o initial initial the cont cont ra ct. The sale is closed. closed.

"Since Since th at time," Bo Boue ue t ells ells Cha mbers, "yo "your ur compan y ha s been on on t he take." take."

Let’s Let’s a na lyze how Boue Boue close closed d t hr ough out :

Boue ad ds: "You've been rea ping th e benefits benefits of of th at

Off th e cuff cuff?? Fa r from from it. Dave Boue went in loaded for

10

bear. Cann ed presenta tion? tion? No. Bo Boue ue stored a nu mber of  prepar ed elements elements in h is mind, but th e presentat ion ion moved like like a skilled skilled per form form er on on a ta lk sh ow. ow. Boue drew on reh ear sed co componen ts. He fil filled led in between th e bricks bricks with pleasing pleasing an d convincing conversational mortar. Are you willing willing to prepa re t o th at extent ? Do you you know your your closi closing ng keys so well th ey pop pop up as n eeded, eeded, almost — but n ot quite — by reflex? Well, ma ste r clo closer ser s d o. o. H e r e a r e t h e cl cl os in in g keys David Boue drew from mental inventory. First, he set th e time to suit suit th e buyer ’s mood (in (in t his case, ear ly in th e morning) to close in the right psychologic logical al clima clima te. He brough brough t along a distin ctive cof cofffee p ot an d off offered h is cust cust omer a drink from a silver silver cup — the Do Something Something key. key. This insured customer customer inter inter est. It set Da ve aside from from 999 other salespeople Chambers ma y have known. known. Dave was selling selling a n event , so his Co Coming Event key was built-in. built-in. His wellwell-prepa red man ner assumed he'd get get the order — th e Beyond Beyond Any Doubt Doubt key. key. He used Cha mbers' own boss to get get his Third Third Par ty Endorse Endorsement. ment. Of course, Reilly coming into Chambers' office was a stroke of luck. Or was it? Good Good clo closers sers ma ke th eir eir own luck! luck! Boue Bo ue a lso used t he Coming Eve Event in talking talking about about th e industry shak eout eout a nd how some comp comp an ies will be left left by the wa yside. Becau Becau se he ha s investigated investigated AUDIO-TECH

a less expens ive way for for Cha mber s to buy buy,, he was rea lly of offerin g Somet hin g for for Nothing. Boue even worked Boue worked in t he Little Little Questi Questio on key by asking Cham bers which which products products h e wan ted to bar ter. Not if, if, but which which — a mu ch easier easier decisio decision n to ma ke. Of cour se at th e end Boue trotted out out Ask and Get Get — time for for Ch am bers to sign. sign. He signed. Clear ly, ly, Boue's Boue's m ost imp orta nt move move was stopping stopping the sale to tell a r elated st ory a bout Nelson Rockefell Rockefeller. er. Storytelling Storytelling is par t of th e Third Part y Endorsement Endorsement key. key. But once he told his story, Boue immediately moved back into the close. In th is one one close, close, Boue Boue inter wove wove seven ma jor jor k eys into his presenta tion. tion. He used a nu mber of special special keys, plus much good common sense a n d good good close-ab close-ab ility. ility. He was totall totally y prepared. A true professional closer at work. 

Tnow your your s.

he ma jor jor closing closing keys a re Scale th em up an d down. down. Adapt an d adopt. adopt. Re-jigger Re-jigger a nd rebore. Polish an d san san d. By th e time yo you finish finish , th ey won't won't look look like like th ese keys at a ll. ll. No mat ter. Use th ese principles principles as your your laun ching pad . Where you you go beyond beyond th at is as wide open as outer spa ce. Review Review wha t you've you've learn ed. You sta rt ed with a loo look a t the importance of closing — qu ite sim ply, ply, if you you can not close, close, you you cann ot sell. Ther e a re no born clo closer ser s. Closing Closing can be learn ed. Tak e

your your instr uction uction from from t he world's champion closers. David Boue started working on h is clo close se when h e rea d The New Yo York Times Times ar ticle an d decided decided to use it as ammunition. Corr Co rr ection. ection. He sta rt ed his close close by keepin g inform inform ed in th e first first p lace! lace! You n ow know h ow to ma tch your your presen ta tion to your your prospect's personality, and you've you've ga ined skills for for skillfully handling — and closing — group sales. Your foun foun da tion includes being able to speak clearly, colo colorfully rfully,, a nd per su as ively ively — th e clo closer's ser's fun fun dam ent al tools. tools. An d this app lies in an y selling selling inter action. action. If  you're not an expert speaker, sta rt stu dying. You must master t he language. language. Once you you ma ke classic keys par t of your your na tu re, you'll you'll close lose the ea sy and m ediumha rd sales au tomat ically ically.. And t he r eally diff difficult icult sales will will come come easier a nd ea sier with time. Closing Closing is th e pinnacle of selling achievemen t. Here is is where yo your tim e, money, money, an d effort effort pa ys off off — or goes down t h e drain. Learn from from the top-producers who do close. Most Most classic classic tr ut hs a re simple. Most Most sales ar e clo closed sed with a classically simple key. It's a science you can learn. Knowing Knowing t he Secrets of  Clo Closing Sales ma kes yo your work work easier, more productive productive,, more profitable profitable,, an d, perha ps most importa nt of all, all, more fun . You now have the too tools to do just th at . Good Good selling! selling!

BUSINESS BOOK SUMMARIES



11

 ABOUT THE AUTHORS The late Charles B. Roth personally trained more than 30,000 salespeople in the art of closing more sales. sales. In the field and as a sales counselor, he helped develop the selling programs of dozens of leading firms, including Ford Motors and Railway Express.  Roy Alexander heads his own consulting firm in New York York City, where he specializes in sales and communications for energy-related fields. He is the editor of the professional journal  Marketing Times and is co-author of  Climbing the Corporate Matterhorn, Direct Salesman’s  Handbook, and Commonsense Time Management.

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Secrets of Closing Sales summarized by arrangement with Learning Network Direct, Inc., from Secrets of  Closing Sales: Sixth Edition by Charles B. Roth and Roy Alexander. Copyright © 1993 by Prentice-Hall,

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