Successful salespeople live and survive the Sales Cycle. They practice each step diligently, believe in the process, and do not deviate. It is a process by the numbers. The final step of the cycle is the “closing” which represents the culmination of all the efforts from the initial first step. The closing is the most crucial step in the cycle because everything that has been done leads to the closing.
If there is no closing, there is no business, and all the effort and time spent earlier will be lost.
The close means asking for the business, signing the contract, collecting payment, and delivering the product. This is the step that every salesperson needs to be successful. Many people have approached me over the years to question the meaning of “asking for the business.” The good part of selling is that much of it is common sense. Asking for the business is exactly that, asking the prospect to buy. Life is like that; we get what we ask for. Seldom does anyone buy without being asked. As mentioned earlier, most people do not want to part with their money and thus we must ask for it.
Successful salespeople learn how to ask when to ask, and what to ask.
In their earlier steps, they have prospected, pitched, and answered objections, and now that they feel the selling has progressed favorably, they can ask for the business. I remember vividly a sale where I asked for the business with this statement, “I have described all the benefits of our product, answered all your objections to your satisfaction, and therefore, you have no reason not to buy, so here is my pen, please press hard as there are 6 pages to this contract.” It was accompanied by a comforting smile to reassure the confidence that was established between the prospect and me.
When is the right time to close and ask for the business?
Anytime. There is no specific time to ask for the business. It normally is when the salesperson feels the prospect is ready to buy. In fact, successful salespeople are asking for business all the time, testing the prospect if he is ready. He believes that if you do not ask, you will never receive. He spots the proper buying signal(s) from the prospect and is confident that the time is right to close. I recall an occasion when I saw a twinkle in the prospect’s eyes and saw him reaching for the pen in his pocket. That indicated it was the right time.
Successful salespeople are trained in the sales cycle and dedicate their careers to honing sales skills while following the process. We train salespeople on the sales cycle and training is the prelude to success.
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