Common Hurdles that get in the Way of Closing a Sale - and how to get over them!
Picture the scene: after months of trying to get through to a prospect, you’ve finally reached the decision maker. You take a deep breath and start the hard graft of building a relationship, fact-finding and pitching your service... And then it goes quiet.
Picture the scene: after months of trying to get through to a prospect, you’ve finally reached the decision maker. You take a deep breath and start the hard graft of building a relationship, fact-finding and pitching your service...
And then it goes quiet.
What went wrong?
Where did you lose their interest?
Why couldn’t you close the deal?
Here are 5 common hurdles to closing - and how to get over them:
1. You didn’t spend enough time building trust
Successful sales relationships are built on trust. Without it, you will always struggle to close. In order to build the trust needed, follow these two simple rules:
- It works both ways, show them that you trust them too. Make it clear that you take them at their word and respect them; they’re likely to reciprocate.
- Be honest. Nothing causes trust to erode quite like hiding the truth from a prospect. Be honest about your goals and motives so they can help you achieve them.
2. You haven’t explained the value of your product well enough
There’s a key distinction between price and value. This is often overlooked. Price is how much your product or service costs, value is what it will add to your customer’s business. This can be a financial gain, but it can also be measured in time saved or stressors removed.
How you pitch value to your customer depends on your reading of the client and what matters to them. Some business owners will spend more money on a service that saves them time than they will on a service with a high financial return. To establish what matters to them, you have to invest the time in getting to know them and their priorities.
3. You’re not listening hard enough to uncover the right problems
Your sole job as a salesperson is to uncover the client’s issues and offer them a solution. But they won’t always tell you the problem in simple terms - they may not even know what it is themselves. Your task is to listen to the silences, the bits they don’t say, the moments when frustration flashes across their faces mid-sentence. And that’s where you target your solution.
4. You asked for the business too soon
Read your prospect. Don’t ask for the business before they’re ready. This is a sure-fire way to close the door on your pitch.
5. You didn’t ask for the business when they were ready to buy
This may seem contradictory after #4, but not asking for the business can be as detrimental as asking for it too soon. Have confidence in your convictions and your reading of the situation. If you think they’re ready to buy, if they’re showing all the signs of liking your offer, ask for the close. You may be surprised how easily they’ll say yes, but how long they would’ve spent going back and forth before confirming if you hadn’t asked.
These are just some of the reasons why you may be struggling to close your deals. I’d love to hear your stories about using these techniques and how they’ve helped you.
For more info, or to help perfect your closing techniques, get in touch:
Email julie@thesalesace.co.uk
Call 01604 532004.
