Close Every Sales Call

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Didn't Close the Order? Close on the Next Step!

 

You had a great sales call!

 

The prospect was interested. You asked good questions, established their needs, presented your product and answered their objections. But they aren't ready to buy.

 

Did you fail to close the sales call? - Not necessarily!

 

You should always try to close the order when the opportunity is there. But sometimes there are legitimate reasons why the customer can't make the decision today. Maybe they need to talk with someone else. Maybe they need additional information. Maybe they need a proposal, a demonstration, a sample, or approval from management.

 

Whatever the reason — don't walk out the door without closing on the NEXT STEP!

 

Too many sales calls end something like this:

"Thanks for your time. I'll send you the information and give you a call next week...."

 

What's wrong with that?

You haven't really accomplished anything. You have left the next step completely up in the air. You send the information, call next week, leave a voicemail, send an email, and suddenly you're chasing the prospect. They already know what you have and what you want, so they don't have the same incentive to meet with you.

 

Instead, try something like:

"I can come back on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon to help you test the material.  Which day works for you?"  In this case, I'm closing by using the Either-Or tactic.

 

Now you have something!

You didn't close the order, but you DID close the next step.

 

The next step might be another meeting. It might be a product demonstration. It could be a trial, a plant tour, a meeting with another decision maker, a formal proposal, or even an agreed date for a decision.

 

The important thing is that you and the customer both know what happens next.

 

Remember — every sales call should have an objective before you walk in the door. Obviously, the best objective is getting the order! But when that isn't possible, your objective should be to move the sale forward.

 

Don't confuse a friendly meeting with a successful sales call. A prospect telling you that your product "looks interesting" doesn't put anything in your pocket.

 

Advance the sale!

Before you leave, ask yourself: What is the next step — and have I gotten the customer to agree to it?

From a pre-call planning standpoint, consider next steps and the possible ways your upcoming call could go and prepare for the possibility that you may need to pivot.

 

If you didn't close the order today, that's OK.

CLOSE on the NEXT STEP!