High Performance Sales Closes are like Unicorns.
They exist, but you don’t really sees the magic until after it’s happened – and then you realise.
Sadly, too many sales leaders think that being able to close is the difference between hitting the sales target and missing it!
This is not the case,
Lack of closing skills is responsible for very few lost sales…
The difference between the sales target hit or miss is more to do with what happens BEFORE the sales rep gets anywhere near the close.
The truth is – really successful sales people ask for the business a handful or times, in many different ways, all before they get the order.
BUT you will never, ever see a high performance sales rep…
- Hard close in one mic drop
- Shock the prospect with the ask
- Put all their sales closing ammunition in one basket
Because they:
- Don’t need to
- Know these hit and run tactics just don’t work
- Appreciate that good sales closers have to first execute a series of micro-closes
High Performance Sales Pro’s Don’t Use a Single Lock and Load to Close
High performance sales teams – I mean those teams that:
- Systematically close business – high conversion rates
- Have accurate sales forecasts that the fulfil
- Deliver in line with their sales key performance indicators
All have a totally different way of seemingly, effortlessly closing more sales.
They:
- Don’t rely on the close to secure the business
- Don’t leave it all until the end.
- Remove all risks as they go through the sales process.
- Weight the odds in their favour at every stage in the sales call
- Always assume the answer will be ‘yes’
- Maintain control of the sales process
- Hold the prospect accountable to key milestone dates and activities
- Signpost their intentions to the buyer at every step of the way
- Open out all the unknowns so that there is nothing to derail the process from landing where it should, when it should!
And, what’s more…
They don’t ask for the business until they know the answer will be YES!
In fact, some of the sales high flyers will wait for the buyer to ask…where do I sign?
How do they do this?
They angle their prospect interaction so that during the sales process the buyer is selling to themselves…and, when the time is right, the buyer is so committed to their own decision that they are begging the sales person for the opportunity to buy.
Talk about turning the tables.
You know what also happens?
- Sales people who sell like this close faster.
- Typically discounting less.
- Have a more stable sales pipeline
- Can worry less about making target
- Close more sales, more often.
High Performance Sales Teams Know How to Lay Good Sales Foundations
And NOT leave it all to the close!
Think of it like this…
Your ability to create a ‘sales no-brainer’ for your prospect is directly related to your sales success.
A ‘no-brainer’ value sales proposition + friction free sales process = success
If it’s not a no-brainer value proposition for your buyer then the sales process won’t be
- Fast
- Easy
- Guaranteed
In fact, it might not be a close at all…and you may even need to
- Spend time negotiating
- Discount
- Suffer the indignity of being in a race to the bottom with less than worthy competitors!
And, surprise, surprise, before you know it you’re in a world of sales pain!
What Does Value Mean?
You ability to close the sale, close fast, close profitably (and enjoy the sales process!) are all directly related to how much value you can create for your buyer.
What is valuable for Buyer A maybe of little value to Buyer B, and Buyer C might need a different type of value too.
And that’s the thing with ‘value’…it’s highly subjective.
Value can only be seen via the lens of the specific buyer…and that what typically splits the sales field.
High performance sales closes have their foundations built on value.
And this is what separates ok sales people form high performance, world-class sales professionals…can the sales rep build value so that it means something to the prospect?
How Do You Get Your Prospect to WANT What You’re Selling?
First things first – you can’t make anyone WANT anything!
But you definitely can engage with the prospect via the art of influence and persuasion.
But that still won’t be as powerful as a great value proposition.
Using the principles of influence and persuasion you will be able to help the buyer open up their mind wide enough and for long enough for you to help them understand their current position versus an alternative and potentially better position!
And this is the very specific route high performance sales teams will take to engage with buyers in an economically and resource efficient way.
They will structure their sales process that way so that it delivers a:
- Safe and sharing environment
- Supporting a peer-to-peer exchange of information
- Evolving into a fruitful conversation
- With mutual understanding of aims, goals, challenges, options and solutions
And so that the sales person can fully understand what a ‘value’ based proposition will need to look like for that buyer.
BEFORE they pitch!
Is that what you do?
Here’s What Under Performing Sales Reps Do…
They typically verbally vomit their product/service features all over the prospect…and hope that the prospect picks out the interesting bits. And, that the prospect finds enough good bits in the garbled delivery to work out that it’s a match…. and we wonder why soooo many sales prospects go AWOL.
It’s not tough to figure out why reps are being ghosted in record numbers!
Is this happening to your reps?
High Performance Sales Closes Rely on 4 Critical Elements:
High Value Proposition, Zero Friction, High Prospect Engagement, Demonstrable ROI
Create a high value proposition based on excellent sales qualification questions – build a sales solution that the buyer wants…because they built the solution themselves, based on your questions.
Zero friction in the sales process is simple once you have the buyer telling you exactly what they want – your job is to listen, expand and extend, and them sell it back!
High prospect engagement is the cornerstone. Think of it like this – if you’re talking at the prospect, they you’re in marketing – you’re a sales brochure, a website. The prospect needs questions and understanding, not talking at. You have to involve the buyer.
All of the above should mean, any rep can directly positioned their solution to solve all of your buyer’s pain points, with a strong ROI on the purchase.
Taking all of that into consideration – what can the sales prospect possibly say ‘no’ to?
If this is not how you build your sales structure or create your ‘no-brainer’ high value, friction free value proposition then maybe now you can see why you might not be getting the sales results you need, want, and feel you rightly deserve?
How to Sell More, More Often!
So, now your sales pitch is not about closing but it is all about creating a value-heavy no-brainer, high ROI sales call structure!
One that has the prospect asking you where to sign!
If you can create a situation where the buyer has to conclude – ‘well, I’d be mad not to do this’ …then you have an order.
And if you can get the buyer in such a position that the buyer can’t help but start selling your solution back to himself then…
Jackpot!
High performance sales closes are Unicorns:
- You don’t see them coming
- They aren’t where you think they are
- Magic happens when they are around
- They leave you asking yourself…did that just happen?
So, How Close Are You To Having Your ‘No-Brainer’ Sales Pitch?
Because ‘nearly there’ just doesn’t cut it.
Selling ice in a hot place with a water shortage – name your price.
That’s no-brainer.
Even the national/state lottery…for some people, it’s a no-brainer to buy a ticket. Sure the odds are crippling, but for such a small amount, it’s worth a go.
Plus it’s easy.
Still Not Got a Value Based No-Brainer Sales Structure ?
Then don’t bother wasting the sales prospect’s time.
You’ll do far more harm that good.
You’ll be entering a competitive sales race that will exhaust you and tie up your resources with no guaranteed reward.
And you will burn an opportunity!
Why would you do it?
The 6 Key Elements of a No-Brainer Sales Pitch
You must show the prospect/buyer:
- That you fully and completely understand their current solution, and what it delivers for them as an organisation
- A ROBUST ROI for your product/service vs the incumbent
- The true cost involved in him saying no to you
- How his current thinking can be improved. To do this you need to respectfully challenge him so as to reframe your product/service as the solution
- An easy way to do business with you, at reduced risk and increased payback
- How your product/service is without competitors or competition
If you can’t do all of the above, then you’re just one of the many mediocre sales pitchers out there.
Don’t be those guys.
High performance sales closes don’t exist.
High performance sales people do.
It’s your choice.
Now You Know that High Performance Sales Closes Don’t Exist…What Next?
Book your place at our Sales Improvement Workshop.
A 2 day intensive sales workshop designed to change how you sell, how you think about selling and how you structure your prospect engagement.
This is the sales training course that builds high performance sales teams! Proven to work across B2B sales teams that want to enjoy the highest levels of success, remove barriers to growth and who want to keep their competitors awake at night!
It covers everything that we’ve spoken about above and much more more – hit the link yo get more details
This is the only sales training and sales improvement course you should consider attending if you’re looking to seriously upgrade your sales game and build a sales culture, sales methodology and commercial focus that will consistency deliver orders, revenue and margins.
Once you start to understand and see how high performance sales teams sell then you will never sell in any other way ever again!
Alternatively, if you’re looking for a deep analysis and insight into why you’re currently getting the sales results you are and what you can do about it, then check out The Morton Kyle Sales Audit
And, if you’re struggling to sell because of buyers going AWOL after you’ve sent the sales quote – don’t get caught out – read How to Follow Up Sales Quotes
There are no magic high performance sales closes that will totally change you sales results, because that sort of change needs a change of heart, mind, positioning and the skills to influence and persuade, so come and join us on The Sales Improvement Workshop and start selling in line with your sales ambitions
You won’t regret it!
Carol
0779 002 1885
With so much information available about how to improve sales, the best sales methods, the changing needs of buyers, what sales process to use… it’s often tough to know where to start if you want better sales results.
That’s why we create CLARITY from CONFUSION!
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