Finishing Strong, Part 8: The Closer

As we wrap up our Finishing Strong Series, it seems only appropriate that we end with techniques for closing the sale.

Many salespeople struggle with closing sales. If this describes you, perhaps all you need to do is look at the approach in a different way. What you are doing is helping your prospect make a buying decision. You don’t have to be pushy or blunt — there are lots of subtle ways in which to accomplish this.

Offer a Service
“Let us ship the product to you at no charge.” A “Yes” implies purchase.

Offer a Choice
“Would you like to receive our silver membership that includes the tennis courts only, or the platinum package that includes the sauna as well?” You’ll note that either choice implies purchase. You haven’t provided the prospect with an option to say “no.”

Offer a Purhcase Incentive
“If you order today, we’ll deduct an additional 15% off the original retail price.” This will provide the impetus for the prospect to act immediately in order to take advantage of the additional savings.

Scarcity
This is my least favorite option, only because it tends to be overused by internet marketers in general. “We are only offering 100 copies of this super-duper training course, and then it is gone forever!” How many times have we all heard that one?

If that truly is the case, convey that — but do it without over-hyping it. If the prospect does buy from you, only to find out that the quantity wasn’t limited after all, you will have lost your credibility. More importantly, you will have lost the customer forever.