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7 Outdated Sales Closing Techniques That Are
Flat Out Terrible!
Written by Leslie Ye
In Glengarry Glen Ross,
Alec Baldwin plays Blake, a belligerent
trainer sent to shake up a tired, underperforming sales team.
Blake
storms into a room of unsuspecting reps and starts screaming about
prospects. “Only one thing counts in this life -- get them to sign on the
line which is dotted!” Fortunately for Blake, his character claims to
have earned $970,000 in a year. Unfortunately, he’s dead wrong about what
ultimately counts in sales. Even in the age of Glengarry Glen Ross,
when "Always Be Closing" was the mantra echoing in sales reps’ heads,
he was wrong.
The old
sales playbook -- dragging prospects through a sales process and
strong-arming them into a purchase -- only worked because there was no
better way for buyers to buy.
Today,
things have changed. Buyers have access to more information and more options
than ever, and salespeople who still operate under the 'Always Be
Closing' model will find that ironically, more doors than ever are
closing on them.
Many
sales tactics have changed with the times. But closing is an area where reps
still struggle.
It’s
easy to see why. The idea that prospects need to be “closed” is, in
and of itself, a dated concept. Today, salespeople educate prospects so they
can decide on their own whether they’ll buy or not.
“Closing” shouldn’t be something that gets done to prospects. Instead,
it should be a mutually agreed-upon outcome that’s a natural byproduct of a
helpful, educational sales process.
Traditional closing tactics are left over from an old era of sales. These
techniques are particularly cringe-worthy -- avoid them at all costs.
1) The Assumptive Close
As its name suggests, the assumptive close operates under the assumption
that a prospect is going to buy, even when they haven’t explicitly said so.
Reps will ask prospects things like, “So what day should we get started?”
in the hopes their buyers will get in the mindset of purchasing the
product.
Why
it sucks: Treating prospects as if they’ve decided to purchase and
hoping they’ll forget that they haven’t yet is a transparent effort at best,
and insults their intelligence
at worst.
2) The “Cradle to Grave” Close
This strategy is designed to handle prospects who say it’s too soon to
purchase. Salespeople using this close tell prospects that in life, there’s
never a good time to buy -- so they might as well buy now.
Why
it sucks: Actually, there is such thing as a bad time to purchase. The
“cradle to grave” close ignores legitimate objections and breaks the
cardinal rule of prospect relationships:
Make prospects feel respected and
heard. Don’t dismiss buyer concerns -- that’s something Blake would
do.
3) The Alternative Close
A spin on the traditional assumptive close, the alternative close presents a
prospect with two product options. For example, "Would you like to buy
the red shoe or the blue shoe?"
Why
it sucks: It’s an even more aggressive version of the assumptive close.
Prospects won’t be tricked into
buying with this tactic, and will easily see through your efforts to do so.
4) The “Something for Nothing” Close
This close offers prospects something free or deeply discounted if they’ll
buy today, such as an extra product, or an item that would normally be an
up-sell.
Why
it sucks: This close is not only bad for your prospect, it’s bad for
you. Not only do you come off as desperate, this close leads to unrealistic
long-term expectations. Are you willing to set the precedent that every time
your prospect pushes back, you’ll have to provide something free? Also
consider what it says about your brand if you’re willing to give things away
for free. The “something for
nothing” close cheapens your product’s value.
5) The Sales Contest Close
This close attempts to leverage whatever sympathy your prospect might have
for you. In this close, sales reps offer a deep discount or free add-on, and
explain the freebie by telling their prospect they’re in the race for a
sales contest.
Why
it sucks: Like the “something for nothing” close, reps who use
this tactic set a bad long-term precedent. Even worse, this close asks
prospects to buy for a reason completely unrelated to their situation.
Prospects don’t care if you’re one sale away from President’s Club --
they care about solving their
problems. And by bringing the focus onto yourself, you’re showing
that you don’t.
6) The Sharp Angle Close
This close is used in response to a prospect question about the product.
When a prospect asks, “Does the product do X?”, a rep responds, “If it did,
would you be willing to buy today?”
Why
it sucks: Your primary responsibility as a salesperson isn’t just to
close deals -- it’s to close good deals that benefit both you and your
prospect. If your prospect is still asking questions, it’s because they
don’t fully understand the product and its value. Instead of using their
question as an opening to make a hard sell, answer it.
7) The Takeaway Close
When the prospect expresses hesitancy around the price, a salesperson using
this close removes something they know the prospect wants. For example, the
rep might say, "Okay, if you don't want to go any higher than $400, I'll
remove the option to get priority support. You've said priority support is
really important to you, but that's the only way we can meet that price."
Why
it sucks: This strategy relies on the human aversion to having things
taken away. The problem with using it? You're backing yourself into a
corner. If the buyer replies, "I can't afford the first price, but I need
priority support. I guess I have to go with Competitor X," abruptly
changing your mind will make you look sleazy and manipulative.
Sales is
better for the buyer and better for the seller when trust is established
and reps aren’t employing shady tactics to make a sale. So ditch the
tricks and the gimmicks. Being
helpful, open, and transparent is the right thing to do -- for yourself,
your buyer, and your business.
___________________
Comments From Jeremy... Unfortunately,
these 'outdated' closing techniques are still being
taught by most of our companies, IMOs and sales trainers. And it
is a major reason why so many agents struggle in this business.
Your success
in sales is not about how good you are convincing people to buy your products or services. Your
ultimate success is based upon whether or not your prospects
believe that you are working in their best interests. Can
they trust you?
By learning
to ask the ‘right questions’ you can help people to
identify their problems for themselves. You’ll help them to
establish their own priorities! And, you’ll help them to take
action on a solution that they are comfortable with.
My favorite
close is... "What do you think?" "Does that make sense?"
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When you ask
the 'RIGHT' questions!
"The Reason So Many Advisors
Struggle In This Business, Isn't From A Lack Of Qualified Leads,
It Is From Their Inability To Turn Their Leads Into An
Appointment, Let Alone A Sale."
“When you are
asking questions, have no expectation of making a sale. Come
from a place of simply wanting to help your prospect. This
mindset will help you and the prospect to discover if your
products or services are the best solution to their problem.”
______________________
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