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At the tender age of 21, I began my career in selling at New York Life. I found that just hearing the word, “close,” sent chills through me. It’s one thing to sit and talk to a prospect, but it’s quite another thing to know that, at some point in the conversation, I would need to ask for his or her business. The grizzled salespeople repeatedly told me, “Closing is the easiest step in selling,” but I didn’t really know when to ask, or what words to use when it was time to ask. Asking for a commitment, or as we say in the sales world, “closing,” really isn’t that hard, yet it continues to intimidate and overwhelm so many who try.
The truth is, it doesn’t take courage, or genius, to find the words to ask someone for their business. So why do so many struggle when it’s time to ask for a commitment from someone else? Quite simply, I think we’re putting all our focus in the wrong place.
“The toughest part of closing is not asking for someone’s business; it’s finding the right transition to ask for someone’s business.”
I believe that when we sell, we grossly underestimate how important transitions are, particularly when it comes to closing. By instinctively putting all our energy into what to say, rather than concentrating on how to earn the right to say it, we’re focusing on the wrong problem. I’ll prove it to you. I’ll tell you exactly what to say, and we’ll see if it helps you.
One of the easiest ways to ask someone for their business is to use a direct approach, and one of the most common phrases used to do that sounds like this: “I’d love the opportunity to work with you.” It shouldn’t offend anyone, and the more you say it, the more natural it will become. Now you no longer have to stammer and stutter looking for the correct words, and you are now equipped with one of the most successful phrases used in selling. As promised, we just solved that problem… but do you feel it’s solved? Personally, I think most will still stammer and stutter because they don’t have an actual transition to utilize that phrase.
The actual problem we need to solve is how to ease into that phrase of asking for someone’s business, and it can be accomplished using three-words to help you transition. Those three words are: “Don’t you agree…” When you use those three words, and follow those words with a light, and I mean light summary of what you are proposing, it might sound something like this: “Don’t you agree with what I’ve shown you today, you’ll be getting everything you were looking for to assist you?”
When a prospect hears that question, which actually represents a mild trial close, they know they are about to commit to something, and that’s the magic of that three-word transition. Because you have already given them a nudge to closing, they will either object, or they won’t. That’s why we utilize trial closes. If there is an actual objection, you want to hear that objection here, and not when you actually ask for that person’s business. For the record, once you formerly ask for a commitment from someone, and get an objection, your chances of success drop by 24%. That’s because you’re not only battling an objection, you’re battling the ego of your prospect who, in a sense, you now have to disagree with in order to accomplish your task. Flushing out an objection here allows you a moment to clarify the objection, and address it, without backing your client into a corner to commit to working with you or not.
Assuming you’ve earned the right to be at the closing stage, I don’t think you’ll be hearing a lot of objections. You are asking them to agree with what you’ve told them will address what they are looking for. In a way, you’re asking them if you heard them correctly and if your solution is what they really need. Starting a question with the words, “Don’t you agree…” isn’t exactly an easy question to respond “no” to. I believe you will get the answer you’re looking for, which is a “yes.” Once you do, you can tell your prospect, “I’d love the opportunity to work with you,” and confidently wait for his or her response.
Learning the key to closing provides another example of trying to solve the wrong problem. If you want to learn to confidently close, study your transition, and the rest will be easy.
Related: Keep It All in Balance