When To CLOSE The Sale: Selling Skills vs. Pushy Punks
The internet is making sales people soft, literally and with their selling skills.
Sitting on their asses surfing the web instead of getting to the gym is making sales people fat.
Sitting on their asses surfing the web instead of picking up the phone and asking for the order is making them poor.
Selling is a contact sport.
Sure, social media, when used properly, is a fabulous tool in your prospecting, marketing and selling arsenal. Note that phrase “when used properly.” All of you reading this have a computer, a cell phone (probably a smart phone), a DVR and a fancy dishwasher. You’ve owned them all much longer than you’ve had access to social media and you still can’t use any of them “properly and fully.”
How often do you see a co-worker – or savvy 11-year old – do something on a computer or iPhone and say out loud “I didn’t know you could do that!”
If the tools you’ve owned for decades are not used optimally why do you think social media is different?
If you want to live like most can’t you gotta do what most won’t, which boils down to two things:
- Prospect.
- Close the sale.
I’ve written quite a bit on prospecting so let’s sharpen our selling skills today by focusing on closing the sale.
You Must Have The Courage Of Your Convictions
Sales people don’t make sales for one of two reasons:
- No training. (Which applies to 97.268% of all sales people and I touched on in my Wimpy Salesmen post.)
- No conviction. (There’s an old saying in the financial advisor industry, “Why aren’t stock brokers rich? They don’t believe their own bullshit.”)
Conviction crushes the crutches of “no training” and “the economy” every time.
Case in point: two months ago my wife hurt her back while exercising. She had never been to a chiropractor before. I was out of town when she did it and she called me from the ER. I told her to go see our friend, Dr. Nick Schembri, owner of West Coast Chiropractic in Murrieta, CA.
Since she was already at the ER she went ahead with the exam there, which, to no surprise, showed nothing on the X-rays and they wanted to give her Valium. Great. Treat a physical issue chemically with no program for repair, restoration and rejuvination.
So she went straight from the ER to Dr. Nick and a MAD-WOMAN WAS BORN! (In a good way of course.)
You talk about CONVICTION! In under 60 days she has learned more about the human body in general and her body specifically than she had known in her previous — years (age withheld to protect me.)
She tells her story – in depth – at least once a day, some days 10 times. I kid you not.
She sings the praises of chripractic care in general and those of Dr. Nick specifically to anyone that will listen. And listen they do.
She has sent several people to Dr. Nick in the last 60 days as referrals and met others there to introduce them. She has passed out his coupons and referral cards and planned mini-reunions around his monthly family days.
In short, my wife has been moved by the “Chiropractic Spirit” and she is closing people on the need to do as she says and as she does.
Is that closing? Hell yes it is.
“But, Wes. She’s not earning a commission. She’s not doing this as a sales job. She’s not getting paid for telling people her story. She’s not an actual salesperson for Dr. Nick. But, Wes,…” (Wait for it. Wait for it.) …”My business is different.”
You’re missing the point. (Just like you’re missing the point on the power of social media, but I digress.)
The question you should be asking is “How can I get that convinced - that CONVICTED - about what I do in order to eliminate all fear, all hesitancy, all limiting self-doubt about what I sell so I can tell the world and EXPECT the sale?”
Sidebar Uno: Tony Robbins explains the power of questions – change the questions you ask yourself and change the direction of your life.
Sidebar Dos: The truth doesn’t matter if you’re asking the wrong questions.
When you are passionate and convicted in what you do you not only expect the sale you drive the interaction, the guide the discussion, you assume the close and it happens because your willpower was greater than the prospect’s.
We read dozens of times in the Good Book that people are sheep. Even “big, powerful executives” are looking for people to stand up and be counted, to make decisions and to be clear and confident enough to help them make decisions. If you lack belief in what you do, what your company does, what benefits you bring then you can bet your ass you will not make the sale.
When your prospect believes more in your shortcomings than you believe in your upcomings (that’s a new sales word I just made up) a sale is lost.
To close more sales you can be a pushy punk and try outdated gimmicks like the alternative of choice close, the feel-felt-found close or the if-then close or you can sharpen the most reliable of all selling skills, the courage of your conviction.
Like surfing the web or picking up the phone, the choice is yours.
Rich Fleischer
Wes,
I read one of your articles about “conviction” and I thought it very appropriate. I have a business I am launching, a social media site for salespeople that helps them find referral partners and exchange information, leads, and referrals. I would like to use some of your articles in my “tip of the day” section. Of course I would give you credit. Would that be OK? Thanks, Rich
thesaleswhisperer
Sure, Rich. Thank you for reading and for thinking of me.
Deborah
So, this all sounds great, I am convicted but how do I sell my services on social media? I work for a hospice company and my job is to get referrals. I can close the deal face to face with families and patients but how can I get more referrals? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Deborah
thesaleswhisperer
Deborah,
Social media is an interesting beast. People forget the first word is “social.” When you’re at a neighborhood picnic or pool party to you want to be “sold?” Social media is a great tool to “spread the word” so tell great, compassionate stories. Get the readers – your Fans and Followers – involved. Move them emotionally. Get them engaged then they’ll “buy” whatever it is you’re selling. That may require you send them to your website to opt in for more information or for a consultation. Maybe you employ more advanced social media tools that enables them to sign up there on your Fan Page. There are a lot of moving pieces here but at the end of the day we must all tell a compelling story in a compelling manner. How good are you at telling your story?
Wes