I know, I know. Closing a deal is one of the scariest and most intimidating parts of being in business. That dreaded close. Dun dun dunnnnnnn… (<< insert scary music here) can make anyone feel like they can’t do what they know they can do.
The reality is, not everyone is open to help and even if they are open, they may not be open to help right now. Stop trying to help the people who don’t want change. Focus on finding those people who are ready for change right now or in the near future and help them to see why right now is the best time for them to put action behind their goals (and how you can help them to do so).
When you think about it, the most frightening thing about closing is the likelihood of receiving an answer of NO. That word, NO – just two simple letters put together, can be very harmful to your ego and confidence. No one likes to hear the word NO, especially when their livelihood depends on it. So I want to challenge you to change the way you think about rejection and the word NO.
Instead of thinking of NO as the worst possible most embarrasing moment of your life, I want you to think of it as an opportunity.
N – New
O – Opportunity
You see? How easy was that?
Okay, now on to my five steps to help you close a deal. Throughout my coaching and speaking career, I’ve found a few solid ways to get potential clients to say YES. Now these tips are not absolute, but they are inclusive of you building a relationship and learning about someone and their needs before you go into a conversation and try to close the deal.
Naturally, before you can close any deal you will need to identify who your target audience is. This is a basic step, but a necessary one in order for you to be successful. In selling, there must always be a need. You must acknowledge the need and it must be based on the problem your product/service helps to solve for a particular group of people. This is the only way my five steps will work. Here they are listed in sequential order.
- How they feel. The first of the step is to acknowledge how your potential customer feels about the problem. To do this, you must tell a story. Describe a problem situation your customer can relate to. A life event, personal event or otherwise which is known as the “why” behind your product/service. You must lead them into the story of how your product or service provides a solution to a very real issue.
- Name the odds. What are the statistics surrounding the problem that people similar to your customer are also dealing with? The people you are speaking to have to understand they are not alone in dealing with this problem. Support your desire to meeting the need by giving them statistics of people who have the same need.
- Make a statement. Provide a motivational statement or quote that will inspire them to believe that there is potential to fix the problem. They need to believe it is possible.
- Ask a direct question. Help them to imagine how it would make a difference to them in their life if they were able to use your product/service to solve their problem. Example: What difference would it make in your life if you were able to start [fill in the blank with whatever the solution is to their problem] right now?
- Define why they should act now. Create a sense of urgency. What would they lose out on if they don’t act now? What damage would be done? Time lost, increased exposure to harm, more stress? Saving money? Etc…
Remember, you are in business to help solve a problem. Stay focused on helping people and not personal gain. Money will not replace the value of how you make someone feel and it is not the answer to your success in terms of longevity. It is a temporary benefit. Do not build your business on a temporary goal of making money. Build it on the solid foundation of creating valuable relationships and investing in people.
Okay, you’ve gotten the basic steps to closing a deal. Now it’s time to get to work!
I look forward to hearing of your success!
Join me on Periscope where I give away a FREE tool every Friday to my viewers to help them become their best self, reach their goals and create an action plan for success. Download Periscope NOW and follow me @MVDavids.
p.s. Grab last week’s freebie by clicking here.
Chat soon
xo,
Mary