Times have changed.  Times will continue to change.  Information flows more freely than ever.  Consumers are educated and aware of most common sales tactics.  Yet many of you reading this right now still try to close people the old way.  

The old way?  You know things like “The take-away” close “the what’s next?” close and most of you still rely on good old fashioned pressure to make things happen.  While these are all great and effective closes, they have been used by the masses on consumers for years.  If your targeted demographic is 35 and up, you can rest assured they have heard the same old sales tactics many times.  

I’m a big believer in pressure sales.  My take on pressure is different than the average salesman though. Consumers are under a lot of self pressure.  They don’t need us sales-folk to apply any more.  I’ve found the most effective way of selling, is by listening.  

By asking the right questions your prospect will give you the answers and clues to if they are going to buy or not.  You can use questions to determine wants vs needs.  The greatest thing about questions and listening is that the prospect will tell you everything, if you ask.  Customers want to be heard.  The last three sales people they encountered did not give a shit about what they had to say or what they needed. You get a chance to be different.  A chance to build trust and bonding.  A chance to lend an empathetic ear.

If you know what it is that your prospects must have, you can package your services or products and deliver them in the way your customer wants them.   It’s not about what you want or what you have to offer.  It’s not about your dedication, knowledge and customer service skills.  I could give a shit who does my insurance as long as it’s cheap.  Same goes for mortgages.  At the same time, I will over-pay to someone who listens to me and provides exactly what I need in the time frame I want it.  Turns out, I’m not weird.  This is a normal buying habit.

If you are missing out on sales lately this could be one of your problems.  Think of it this way. If you have to spend an extra 20 minutes on the phone with each customer, you’re building greater bonds. You earn the right to ask for their business.  You’ve receive klout from the law of reciprocity.  And last of all, you have less calls to make because of higher conversions. BAM!

The next sales call you get on, before you go spewing off what it is that you “have” take the time to find out what they “want”.  If you will invest your time and empathy into  your prospects they will invest their dollars with you.  Try it.  I won’t hurt and you’ll make more money in the process, I promise.  

Jumping too quickly to a close, may scare more clients off than close them.  Remember, it’s 2013 and we can connect with anybody any time.  Just because a person does not buy today, does not mean they won’t buy in the future.  Even better, you don’t have to make an offer to people that you can’t help.  You can’t blow a sale if you don’t make an offer.  Sometimes when you listen to customers, you get fair warning that they may be more headache than they are worth.  

Patience in sales is a must these days.  As much as I hate to say it, it’s true.  You have to take time and properly close the client on their terms according to their needs.  The more restraint you show and the more empathy you have, the better your chances of closing someone.  The next time you are about to present the offer and close a customer ask yourself these three questions.

1 Do I know exactly what this person needs?

2 Is my product a perfect fit for their needs?

3 Would I like working with this person?

Once you can answer all three questions with a definite “yes” you should be good to ask for the business.  If you get resistance or push-back, ask more questions.  Many times it’s not about “no” it’s about “know”.  These days clients and people in general love soaking in information.  The more they know, the better informed they feel to make a decision.  Don’t be afraid to demonstrate your expertise to the customer. 

If you want to talk sales and especially if you are in the real estate business. i.e. mortgages, title, appraisal, home warranty, inspector etc… Sign up for a free strategy session with me.  I promise to listen.  If we feel there is a bond and you want to work with me after we talk, I might make you an offer.  Either way, you will leave the strategy session with a free marketing plan.