Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/140471
SALES MANAGEMENT Some Thoughts On Closing BY GRAYSON SCHWEPFINGER Perhaps one of the most difficult things to master is the ability to close the sale. Apparently the fear of a prospect saying no is so great that in every survey I've seen in the last 20 to 30 years 60% to 70% of salespeople never once asked the prospect to buy the home! This is a terrible waste of knowledge, time and energy. Educating the prospect on how to find the right home and then letting him walk without buying means you're working for nothing! You've got to put a value on yourself and your knowledge and not give it away. The success of any closing technique or acceptance of any answer to an objection is dependent upon your having the prospect in a home that fits their wants, needs and pocketbook requirements. If you are in the wrong home then none of these techniques will work! If you are planning on becoming a professional salesperson then you must realize that in order to influence the prospects' decision, both the salesperson and the prospect must experience a certain amount of stress. If there is no stress then the prospect is allowed to make up their own mind at their own pace and the salesperson is not selling they are clerking. Is there stress when you control the sale and require the prospect to go through the interview sequence? Yes, there is! Is there stress in the demo when you control the presentation and explain all the value the home has to offer and act upon a buying signal with a trial close. Yes, there is! Is there stress in the close when you ask them to buy? Yes, there is! However by using the techniques we suggest, you spread the stress over the whole sales presentation a little bit at a time, it is a lot easier for both you and the prospect to accept. But let's say you skip the JULY 2013 24 THE JOURNAL interview, show any home the prospect wants to see without knowing how to feature benefit it to suit the prospects' value system. With this approach where do you and your prospect experience all the stress? The answer is, in the close! So the decision is yours, do you want to spread the stress over the whole presentation so it is easier to accept or do you want to save all the stress so you can bury them in it in the close? A third choice would be eliminate the stress completely by telling them everything they want to know, show them every home they point to and never asking for the order. Of course this way you educate without ever asking them to buy your home, so now they know what to buy from your competitor! Remember, every time you get two people in a selling situation one person is selling and one person is buying. The first thing you must decide is which one you are. Before we discuss specific closing techniques, let us examine some basic truths about closing. First, closing is only hard when you are trying to sell something your prospects do not want, don't need or are unable or unwilling to pay for. Second, no close can overcome a lousy presentation. There are no seven magic words you can whisper in prospects' ears that will make them buyers. Third, it is better to close too soon and too often, rather than too seldom and too late. Fourth, your customers cannot buy while you are talking. Ask for the order then shut up! Probably the most common way to use the order blank is to quote prices. Always use an order blank to quote prices, rather than using scrap paper. That way if the prospect agrees to the figures all you need is a signature to complete the sale. When asked for figures, simply slide an order blank in front of you and start filling in numbers. I usually don't fill in the name and address at this point it looks too much like they're buying and it gives them too much time to think. If the prospects say, "Hold it, we're not ready to order yet," respond, "That's okay, Todd and Laurie, the only reason I use this form is that it makes it easier to review everything." Then go back to filling in the numbers. When you have the right numbers written down, write "thank you" below where their signatures will go. Now turn the order blank around so they can read it and use your pen as a pointer, say, "Todd, Laurie, this figure is your total investment cost. This is your initial investment amount and this figure is your monthly investment amount within a dollar one way or the other. I think you will agree, they are all well within the budget you gave me to work with." If they agree, and if you did your Matchmaker interview right, they must agree. You then say, "Fine, would you okay this for me right above where I wrote thank you?" After they sign, back up and then fill in the name, home and phone number. Next month I will discuss the other 2 ways to use the order blank close. Until then – GOOD SELLING! T J Grayson Schwepfinger is a nationally known speaker and member of the manufactured housing Hall of Fame. He specializes in sales and sales management training and can be reached for comments or more information at his e-mail schwep1@ aol.com or his phone 610 533 4969. And his Website – graysonschwepfinger.com.