This chapter aims to provide an understanding of closing sales and techniques for doing so successfully. It discusses concepts like obtaining agreement from the customer, timing the close based on customer readiness, looking for buying signals, and performing a trial close. It also covers general rules, specialized closing methods, and how to close in different contexts like business-to-business and retail. The document emphasizes maintaining a positive attitude after failed closes and preparing for future interactions. It stresses that success requires training, experience, and possessing mental characteristics like honesty, responsibility, courage, and enthusiasm.
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Closing the sale
2. OBJECTIVES
This chapter aims to:
Better understand Closing the sale concept
Be more knowledgeable in closing the sales techniques, general
rules, as well as its specialized methods
Be aware in qualifications for a successful sales career.
Know the different mental characteristics of sales people
Enumerate the famous five (5) P’s of successful selling
Understand the different manners that a salesman ought to
observe
5. is obtaining an agreement to
buy from the customer. all effort up
to this step of the sale (pre-
approach, product presentation and
handling objections) have involved
helping your customer make buying
decisions.
7. is when some customers are ready
to buy sooner than others therefore,
must be flexible. You may show a
customer a product and almost
immediately detect an opportunity to
close the sale. Other times, you may
spend an hour with a customer and still
find that he or she is having difficulty
making a decision.
9. is when attempting to close a
sale, look for buying signal, the
things customers do or say indicate
a readiness to buy. Buying signals
include facial expressions, body
language and comments.
11. is when you attempt a trial
close to test the readiness of a
customer and your interpretation of
a positive buying signal. A trial close
is an initial effort to close a sale.
12. Even if the trial close does not work,
you will lean form the attempt. The
customer will most likely tell you why he or
she is not ready to buy. While if the trial
close will work, you will reach more likely
your goal of closing a sale. In both cases,
you are in an excellent position to continue
with the sales process.
13. GENERAL RULES FOR CLOSING
THE SALE
Recognizing Closing Opportunities
Help customer make a decision
Create an Ownership Mentality
Do Not Talk Too Much and Do Not Rush
14. SPECIALIZED METHODS FOR CLOSING
THE SALE
Which Close
Standing Room-only Close
Direct Close
Service close
16. In an industrial selling situation, the
sales representative would talk about the
items of the sale, discussing points such
as which payment is expected. For
example, payment could be due 30 or 60
days after the date of the invoice.
17. THE SERVICE CLOSE IN RETAIL
In a retail selling situation, the use
of credit and checks, as well as special
buying plans, can be suggested. When a
customer questions the quality of the
merchandise, perhaps you can explain
that a warranty or guarantee is offered on
the product.
18. THE SERVICE CLOSE IN RETAIL
When your business offers the
same quality merchandise at the same
price as your competitors, your service
may be the only factor that effects the
buying decision.
19. Failure to close the sale
Do not assume that every sales presentation
should result in a sale. Research suggests that
perseverance is the way to succeed. In retail
setting, invite the customer to shop in your store
again. In a business-to-business selling situation,
ask if you may call again. in Business-to-business
selling, the selling is rarely closed on the first call.
Salespeople may negative with large accounts for
over a year before a year before closing the sale.
Also remember that every sales contact has the
potential to become a successful sale in the future.
20. Maintain a Positive Attitude
The attitude of the sales person who has
not made the sales should be no different than
that of the successful salesperson. It is very
important to the salesperson to smile and be
friendly even after failing to make a sale. In
business- to-business selling situation, it is not
uncommon for a buyer to be convinced by a
sales presentation, but in reality is not ready to
buy yet.
21. Preparing for future Calls
If you clearly sense an impending turn
down, it is better to make a graceful exit,
leaving the door open for a future sales call.
Some businesses send questionnaires or call
customers to check on how well they were
treated by the sales and service staff. The
result of these surveys is passed on to
salespeople so they can improve their sales
techniques.
22. Success in Sales
One popular misconception about selling
is that salespersons are born, not made. It is
true that effective salespeople posses certain
behavioral characteristics such as confidence,
problem-solving ability, honesty and has the
desire to be helpful .However, success in
selling is the result of training, apprenticeship
and experience. Learning one's products and
how to handle various situations comes with
experience and hard work.
23. QUALIFICATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL
SALES CAREER
1. Education
2. Personal Characteristics
3. Personality Factors such as persistence and the
ability to withstand rejection appear to be
positively related to successful selling.
4. Work habits and experience.
26. According to the
book of Beach and
Buskirk entitled Textbook
of Salesmanship 8th
edition/International
Student Edition that in
evaluating people, we
identify the differences in
mental characteristics as
they apply to selling. Let
us consider first the
following mental
characteristics.
28. Honesty
The mental characteristics with great
emphasis on the morals comes number one in the
list. Being honest with yourself, your employer and
the customer is very important to any business
concern, whether in selling or some other
occupation.
29. Responsibility
It has to do with carrying out promises
made and seeing a job through. The glib-
tongued peddler is always tempted to make
promise in order to make a sale and then
forget about them. A sales representative has
the responsibility of properly caring for the
selling aids provided by the company, such as
expensive manuals, catalogs, bulletins,
samples and selling paraphernalia.
30. Courage
It is the mental and moral force that causes
one to face danger, fear or difficulty. The sales
representative must possess courage than any
other type of employees because his work caters
to influencing and contacting others people,
whose likes and dislike are unknown to him. Many
men and women are discouraged to enter the field
of selling because they lack the necessary
courage that is required of successful sales
representatives.
31. Loyalty
It is an attribute based upon trust and
confidence to one's employee, fellow employees,
and the company. Loyalty must not be overlooked
by any sales representative in dealing with his
fellow salesmen as well with his superiors.
Employees who work well with his associates
minimize friction as it might cause conflict in a
business organization. One might even ask the
question, how can the company detect if the
applicant for a sales position possesses this
particular quality? By reviewing the applicant's past
work history or employment record will bring out
such information.
32. Resourcefulness
A salesman is resourceful if he has
the ability to handle new situations and
unexpected difficulties.
33. Confidence
It means having faith or trust in one's action
or endeavors. at the very outset, the company
should provide the salesman necessary information
related to the product or service and also everything
about the company.
34. Imagination
It is the power to form mental images of
things that are not before him. Salespeople are
learning to describe or give a vivid picture of the
things they are selling. With a good description
of the product coupled with an effective sales
presentation, the prospect will be induced to
buy the product even without intention of buying
one.
35. Showmanship
It is the skillful or the creative way of
imagining things based upon past
experience that are sometimes necessary in
selling.
36. Ambition
It is the desire to attain one's goal, to prove
one's worth in society, to do something worthwhile,
and to realize our dreams. In the life of a sales
representative, ambition may help him to outshine
others, to produce more sales for the company
eventually making him the "star" salesman, who
generates more business for the company Ambition
must have its limitations. Some sales representatives
are attempts to earn large commissions use unethical
practices which in the long run will never pay. Ambition
as a rule must be coupled with honesty.
37. Adaptability
Adjusting to different situations that the
environment calls for is known as adaptability.
A salesman must be flexible. he must adapt
himself or fit himself to any type of surroundings
without much difficulty. A salesman has to
"sway with the wind" in order to stay on his feet,
so to speak, and let not the unexpected disturb
him.
38. Industry
Diligence in an employment or pursuit is
often termed as industry. Industrious sales
people spend time wisely. They do not like to
roam around without accomplishing anything.
They use every opportunity to its fullest
advantages for himself and for his company
sales people believe in the saying "Time is
Gold" for they value time more than anything
else.
39. Observation
It is full recognition and notation of facts
and occurrences it is necessary for salespeople
to have a keen appreciation of the value of
observing things that go on around him.
Alertness and attentiveness are characteristics
that salespeople ought to have for they are
important qualities of a salesman.
40. Enthusiasm
It is strong feeling of excitement.
Enthusiasm is the fiery spirit that makes the
salesman enjoy his work, it is the enthusiastic
attitude of the salesman toward their products
that convinces them to buy salesman, who
appear to be bored in their jobs, show no
interest in their customers or the products that
they are selling do not make a sale.
41. Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is based on belief. We
cannot be enthusiastic about our goods in
which we do not believe. Having a thorough
knowledge of the product is the foundation of
salesmen's enthusiasm. According to Kahlil
Gibran, "Enthusiasm is a volcano on whose top
never grows the grass of hesitation."
42. Courtesy
This virtue is related to respect and
consideration of others. Although. We believe
that consumers are entitled to courteous
treatment all too often they do not get them.
Salesmen must not forget that consumers are
the "King" and for being the "King" they hold the
key to success of the salesman. Consumers
are easily "turned-off" buying; they just walk
away or turn the salesman away, thus making
no sale at all.
43. Tact
It is the diplomatic way of saying or doing
the right thing at the right time. A tactful person
avoids having enemies, he would rather win
friends. Tact means the proper handling of an
onion-skinned consumer so that he will be
happy and enjoy buying. On the other hand, if
the sales representative is insensitive he may
not be able to understand the feelings of the
consumer and becomes tactless.
44. Dominance
It is not an attitude of "lording it " over
other people of controlling other a person’s
right but rather the sales representative's
ability to make the customers regard him as
the authority. He can only be regarded as an
authority if he is very much knowledgeable
about product information.
46. MANNERS THAT A SALESMAN
OUGHT TO OBSERVE
1. Look pleasant and neat
2. Wear simple clothes
3. Good voice and diction
4. Have a firm handshake
5. Avoid Tapping the desk with the fingers or a pencil
6. Buttoning and unbuttoning
7. Avoid the repetitions of such phrases
8. Remember the names and surnames
9. Do not argue with the customer
10.Avoid stepping on sentences
11.Keep your promises
12.Smile
13.Keep physically fit
47. A. Wearing clothes that are in good repair.
B. Wearing clothes that are clean and well
pressed
C. Wearing clothes that are conservative
and importance
Being well dressed requires:
48. According to J.W Wingate, Fundamentals of Selling, a
salesman must observe the following principle:
Speak distinctly
Speak with moderate Speed
Speak reasonable loud
Emphasize key words and phrases
Vary the pitch
Speak in a conventional tone
Speak sincerely
49. TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SELLING
1. Speak people. There is nothing as nice as a
cheerful word of greeting.
2. Smile at people. It takes 72 muscles to frown,
only 14 to smile.
3. Call people by name. The sweetest music to
anyone's ear is the sound of his or her name.
4. Be friendly and helpful. If you would have
friends, be friendly.
5. Be Cordial. Speak and act as if everything you
do is genuine pleasure.
50. TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SELLING
6. Be genuinely interested in people. You can like
almost anyone if you try.
7. Be generous with praise. Be cautious with criticism
8. Be considerate of the feelings of others. It will be
appreciated
9. Be thoughtful of the opinions of others. There are
usually three sides to a controversy yours, the other
person's and the right one.
10. Be alert to give service. What counts most in life
is what we do for others. Add to this a good sense of
humor and a dash of humility.