How the Consultative Seller Closes Deals
One of the most common questions I get from frontline sellers is “How do I get a client to actually do something (AKA a closed sale / a key advance) without coming off as a pushy, obnoxious salesperson?” While I could easily write a book about this, we’ll focus on key levers to move the client to take action. The holidays are rapidly approaching— it’s closing season. Let’s dive in.
Assumptions:
You’ve taken the time to understand what matters to your client(s) personally and financially
You’ve anchored all touchpoints in the value your product/service will deliver, not in features
You’ve built genuine relationships with your client stakeholder(s)
Now it’s time for your client to actually commit. What should you consider doing to increase the chances they close?
Pre-meeting agenda: While every client call technically should have an agenda emailed 1-2 days beforehand, sending the agenda for a commitment-oriented meeting is a non-starter. Your client should know they’re going into a meeting where they’re going to make a decision.
Confidence: You need to be outwardly confident that this deal is good for your client; they need to feel your conviction. “For every sale you miss because you're too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you're not enthusiastic enough” - Zig Ziglar.
Your confidence needs to be backed by data, social proof (i.e. “doing this would put you at parity with competitors/give you a competitive edge”), and your— potentially self-appointed— title as an industry expert who knows what’s good for your client.
Provide Options: Offer different ways to commit, giving your client a sense of control in the process.
Clear Calls to Action: Make it obvious what you want them to do next, whether it's requesting a proposal, signing a contract, launching a campaign, scheduling a call, etc. Don’t shy away from this. Also, make it clear what they’re getting from you, whether it’s revenue generated, improved services, etc.
Candor: If you’re getting explicit or implicit pushback from your client, be calm and respectful. Ask questions. But certain customers may not act or speak straightforward. Address the elephant in the room: “I’m sensing some hesitation here. What did I fail to address? What’s giving you pause?” This will make clear which objections need to be smoothed over.
Closing deals may seem like an art (and to some degree, it is). But if closing deals is an art form within sales, then we’re all artists. Because everyone can follow frameworks like those above that dramatically improve close rates.
Utilize the tools that help deals advance in a call this week. And know that when you don’t use these tools, your close rate will decrease. Let me know how it goes.