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Inspiration

Always love that make sense to your prospect and addressed any questions and con-

cerns.
closing • Be yourself. Adapt sales materials and aids to your personality and your
prospect's situation. Don't force yourself to use someone else's language.
Prepare a variety of closing questions you would be comfortable asking
before you meet so the transition to the close will be as seamless as pos-
re you meeting your sales sible.
goals? If not, disappoint-
ing results might include • Forge ahead. If you've listened well, identified a merchant's pain points
A lack of effort, disorganiza- and effectively conveyed how you can help, you have earned the right to
tion, insufficient training and sup- ask for your prospect's business. If you've been respectful, it is unlikely
port, poor listening skills, inadequate the merchant will be offended by your efforts to close even if your product
industry and product knowledge, or service turns out to not be a good fit.
self-doubt and more. However, some Green emphasized that closing ability separates the successful from the
merchant level salespeople (MLSs)
appear to have the all requisite per- unsuccessful and noted that an effective sales process contains many
preliminary closes. "Salespeople must close prospects to set appointments,
sonal qualities, knowledge and sup-
port but still find success eluding agree on the prospect's needs and decide which program best meets those
needs," he wrote. "Keep a clear memory of your successful preliminary closes
them. In many cases the culprit is
trouble with closing. to help boost your confidence when it's time to ask for the order."
Green also stated that each point of agreement between you and the buyer
"Closing is the natural conclusion takes you closer to a successful buying decision. "Remember that each point of
of a well-handled sale, yet it is often
seen as an anxiety-laden moment of agreement simplifies the prospect's final decision to buy. Review each point of
agreement as you wrap up your presentation."
truth," Paul H. Green wrote in Good
Selling! SM: The Basics. One critical fac- Keep these things in mind, and you may soon find
tor affecting sales performance is atti-
tude. "Your emotional state will show you always love closing.
during a presentation," Green wrote. Kate Gillespie, President and CEO
"If you are nervous or face the close
with dread, your emotions can jeop-
ardize your sales. Your prospect will
perceive your emotions as a lack of
confidence or honesty."
Attitude adjustment

While there is no "magic pill" that
will change a negative to a positive
attitude, here are tips that can help
you become adept at closing:
• Don't take rejection person-
ally. Rejection of your offerings
is rarely a rejection of you, in-
dividually. Rejection is an inte-
gral part of sales. Some trainers
encourage agents to embrace it.
"Go for no," they advise, real-
izing each prospect that hands
you a no answer, brings you
closer to those who will answer
yes.
• Plan ahead. To avoid asking for
a prospect's business too early
or too late, build a close into
your sales presentation before
the meeting. Pick the point that
seems most appropriate, such as
after you have effectively iden-
tified a potential problem, pre-
sented your solution in terms
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