WHITE BOARD WEDNESDAY: 12 STEPS TO CLOSE ANYONE
One of the biggest mistakes that salespeople make year-after-year is trying to sell their product to prospects who either aren’t interested in it, don’t need it, or can’t afford it. They think they’re being macho by jamming a product down the throat’s of people who will never need it. But what they’re really doing is wasting everyone’s time and acting like a jerk.
Here’s the thing: as a sales guy, your goal is to close everyone who is closeable. That’s very different from trying to close everyone who picks up the phone. Understanding the difference is the first step towards mastering the Art of Prospecting. And those of you who have learned the Straight Line know the importance of doing this in a very scientific way.
Suffice to say, it is absolutely critical to know who your target market is. You must be pitching the right people, and you must understand exactly what they need.
Now, if you have done your homework and you’ve executed some masterful Straight Line prospecting -- then you’re probably going to be speaking to a lot of what I like to call a “buyers in heat” or a “buyers in power.” These are the decision-makers who are absolutely going to make a purchase in the near future. And these are the people that you must close 100 percent of the time, no questions. Because there is no greater failure than losing an order that your competitor will scoop-up in the very near future.
Let me repeat myself: you must close all of these people. That is your job. And if you can’t close them, I guarantee you -- someone else will.
Fortunately, there is a distinct 12 Step Process to getting this done every time. These are the 12 steps of every sale for you to close everyone who is closeable. Check out my White Board Wednesday about how to master this art.