Being successful in business requires having the ability to close the deal. It involves getting potential clients to say yes, even if they initially respond with a no.
Though this seems like it should be relatively easy, especially since you have confidence in your products and services, the reality is that no business has a 100 percent close rate.
But how do you get the highest “yes” rate that you can?
Know Your Prospects
If you tried to sell a boat to a man who lives in the desert, how successful do you think you’d be? Not very, right? That’s why it is absolutely critical to know your prospects.
What do they like and dislike? What are some of their biggest fears? What type of jobs do they do? How old are they? Do they have kids? The list goes on and on.
If you can’t currently answer these questions about the people most inclined to buy from you, Customer Think shares that you can conduct surveys, look at past purchases, or otherwise just come right out and ask your customers these questions.
The more you know who they are and what is important to them, the better you’re able to tailor your sales pitch in a way that hits all of their key points and addresses their current needs.
Be Prepared for A No
What are the top three reasons people choose not to purchase your products and services? Put another way, when they give you a no, what is the reason that generally follows?
Knowing why your target audience tells you which obstacles you have to overcome to get them to say yes. According to Branding Strategy Insider, some of the most common include not realizing they need the product or service, it requires a behavior change on their part, it’s too expensive, or they’re unfamiliar with the product or service itself.
Talk with your sales team. Together, compile a list of all of the reasons they’ve been given for not making a purchase. Pick the top three to five and come up with ways to overcome them.
“Sell an Outcome”
Business growth expert Russ Ruffino, the founder and CEO of Clients on Demand, says that turning a lead into a customer is “not simply a matter of charging money. Rather, you need to sell an outcome.”
In other words, you’re not necessarily going to get anywhere with a prospect unless they know the results you have to offer. This is often referred to as selling the benefits of a product or service versus focusing on its features.
Ruffino adds that this outcome should have a transformation component. It should tell them how choosing to work with you can make their life better, easier, happier, or richer.
Get them to see themselves in this transformed state—a state that you helped create—and you’ll have an easier time sealing the deal.
Work on Yourself
Though your goal is to get the person you’re conversing with to commit to a buy, the reality is that whether or not you’re successful in sales depends on you.
Highly successful salespeople tend to have certain characteristics or traits. Sales Hacker indicates that these include being upbeat, passionate, empathetic, well-prepared, and highly engaged.
So, the more you can display these particular qualities when talking with prospective clients, the more likely it is that they’ll want to buy from you.
By knowing what is important to your prospects, understanding their buying obstacles, offering a transformation versus a product or service, and honing your sales-related skills, you’ll be able to turn most any no into a yes.