Closing A Sales – Advice From An Expert

Anyone who works in sales knows that the whole reason for the existence of their job is right in the title of their occupation; to sell goods and services. Though a salesman does not want to come off as snobby and simply a means to increase the bottom line of his company, the idea is still to obtain a commitment from the customer. There is of course a good amount of selling himself, but an effective salesman must understand the importance of how to close a sale.

One method that salesmen use to close a sale is the direct close. This method may seem a little pushy, but those who know how to use it find it effective. What it boils down to is that after the product has been explained, the sales rep puts it to the customer to take it or leave it. The customer feels as though a decision must be made, and somewhat quickly. It might be a yes/no question, but one that sometimes creates a feeling of obligation in the customer. He or she does not want to disappoint the salesman and will therefore be more likely to commit.

The next step close is another way to gain commitment from the customer. This style of closing is meant to remove the opportunity for the customer to refuse. As the name implies, this close guides and even somewhat pushes the customer toward undertaking the next step toward finalizing the deal. Here, the sales rep lays out all of the details of the product and then asks the customer for an ID to run a credit check or gets out a form and starts to fill it out. Because a credit check and filling out a form indicate that a deal is nearly finished, the customer is more likely to go along with the process.

The either/or close is similar to the next step close in that it does not present a yes or no question to the customer. After all of the plans and features of a particular product have been laid out, the salesman simply asks the customer which one he or she wants. For example, a cell phone sales rep might ask the customer if he or she wants the iPhone or the Blackberry. It is a yes/yes answer for the rep, because he is not asking if the customer wants a phone, but which particular model the buyer wants.

Closing a sale does not involve demanding that someone buy something. It does, however, require some gentle persuasion and lack of refusal options. By allowing the customer to become obligated, the chances of making a sale are much higher.

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