Close Deals Faster With These 5 Steps The sales process is finding out who the buyer is, what they want to buy, why they want to buy it and what you can do to fulfill that want.
By Grant Cardone Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The first thing I would look at in any sales process is how to shorten and simplify it. I focus on this because of the countless times I have seen buyers demonstrate a sensitivity to time.
Whether filling up the gas tank, checking out a gym membership, shopping for an outfit or for groceries -- time is on your buyer's mind. "How long will I be here? Am I going to get stuck with someone I don't want to spend time with?"
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Basically, the sales process is finding out who the buyer is, what they want to buy, why they want to buy it and what you can do to fulfill that want. The ultimate goal should be to finish the transaction, get the prospect to take action and give you something you value in exchange for something your prospect values. This is where most people panic, freak out and become most uncomfortable -- which indicates a lack of knowing what you are doing.
Here are five steps that will bring you massive success in sales and help you close deals faster:
1. Set your intentions up front.
The goal of the greeting is to introduce yourself, make a good impression and put the buyer at ease. If you don't have a relationship with the client you don't want to waste their time trying to make a great impression. If you do know them, you don't want to waste time with small talk and not getting down to business. What we want to do is use this step to open the door to the reason we are there: To move the prospect into a buyer.
2. Bring price up before the demonstration/presentation.
After your greeting, you want to start out by outlining price, well before you get to the presentation or demonstration of the product or service. Tell the customer the price up front, so that you can spend the rest of the time explaining why it is priced that way. People are going to resist you. You have to be great at building the value of your product or service so that it exceeds the value of the customer's money.
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3. Periodically check for a close.
The close is the critical exchange point. It is the point when you quit selling, get the buyer to take action, and an exchange occurs -- they obtain something you have and you obtain something they have. You must constantly be checking for opportunities to use a close to move forward. This reinforces your concern for your time and the time of your prospect. And remember, no one wins when you don't close!
4. Simplify objections.
There are only four reasons your customer won't buy: money, time, stalling or the product. You remove the variables and simplify the transaction. Of all four of these, the one you get the most is product. It's not about money or time -- they are not sold on the product. The economy is not a factor, the customer's intelligence is not a factor -- you simplify the objections so you can control your responses to them.
5. Introduce management.
I call this technique the "third-party touch" where you introduce anyone other than yourself. It could be management, a co-worker or an administrator in your business. This shows transparency, which builds trust with your customer and confidence that they are being well cared for. If the manager is unable to see the customer in person, have them send a quick video message to the prospect.
The pro closer becomes more successful due to knowing their game -- they can adapt when necessary and correctly control outcomes. The lack of commitment to practicing, drilling and rehearsing this skill is the biggest missing ingredient in people getting what they want in life. These are not skills you are born with -- you have to develop them!
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