TED Magazine - February 2017

SELLING HAS ONE KEY MEA- surement: closed sales. Until the deal is signed, all the ef- fort in the world is merely an investment. Every salesperson wants to close more sales; every manager wants accurate projections. Are there secrets to achieving this? Yes. Let’s look at a few: 1. It’s a purchase, not a sale. Despite all the bravado and books that talk about managing or even challenging a prospect, the reality is that power lies with the prospect. He or she will decide whether the sale ultimately happens, and when. Fortunately, it’s the same situation for all businesses. The salesperson who understands this reality will out- sell competitors who believe that they are in charge here. Once one accepts that it’s all about that pros- pect buying, tactics can change to increase the odds of winning. 2. Pay attention to desire, desire, desire. People buy because they want to. That’s how they choose one supplier over another. With enough desire, a sale is unstoppable. The reasons behind that desire will vary. What drives one customer may be unim- portant to another. The best sales- people are attuned to those differ- ences and are on the lookout for the cues of what matters most in each particular situation. 3. Get beyond the idea that “it’s all about price.” If asked, most prospects will give the same automatic answer: Price is the overriding concern. But a mo- ment’s thought shows that this isn’t the case at all. Suppose a salesperson said the cheapest price could be had by ordering and paying a year in ad-
SELLING / MANAGEMENT
FIVE SECRETS OF
CLOSING SALES
How to achieve more sales—and get accurate projections. by Ken Wax
vance, and then picking it up at 3 a.m. on a Sunday—with no war- ranty or return privileges. How many takers for that “best price”? Here’s a tactic to get beyond the “we only care about price” assertion. With a smile, the salesperson says, “I’m curious. Suppose there was a law that every company had to offer the same price. How then would you choose a supplier?” The reply will reveal the other factors that are im- portant to the prospect so that the salesperson can sell into those wants. 4. Test instead of hope. Salespeople want to believe all is going well, but people are busy, pri-