The Easiest Way I've Ever Known To Ask For The Sale!

Hi everyone ..

This past week much of our discussion here on the blog has been about closing business.  It used to freak me out.  I could handle all elements of the sale but when it came to asking for the business, it felt like a huge wall went up between the prospect and myself.   

Then I was introduced to what was referred to as a track.  It worked like a charm and I have never looked back. 

It begins with your mindset.  Your objective going into your first meeting with a prospect is that you are looking for a "match" between their needs and your solutions.  As much as they are exploring you for your solutions, you are exploring them for being a good client.  To make this happen  you must ask lots of questions and receive lots of replies. Take the pressure off of yourself and enjoy the session.

Once you've done all your adventurous exploring you can see if all tallies up into a match for both of you. If so, have your prospect verbally agree that a match exists and that all the criteria is there for moving forward and completing a deal. Ant, at this time, the question you ask is, "what do we need to do to put this together?"  Or something similar, What needs to happen to have this up and running for you?  Let's make this happen! What do we need to do? etc.

If your prospect says,  "who do I make the check out to?" you are good to go!
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Otherwise sit down and together map out a timeline of what needs to happen. 
- Do you have a time line when all has to completed?
- Do you need to speak with other clients of ours?
- Also include what needs to be done from your side of the partnership.
This is also a great time to pre-ask common objections and get those answered early on.

Once you both have your timeline in hand it is all downhill.  You are working from a predefined agreement that makes calling your prospect quite comfortable,  asking how a certain task on the timeline is moving along quite comfortable, etc.

One additional thought.  Include in your timeline what you do after the sale.  State that your policy is to check in every so many months and get an agreement for that.  That way you won't feel awkward and like you are just calling for more business.   

All of this is just basic communications.   Finding a match between a need and a solution and identifying how to put it into action.  That simple. Nothing more, nothing less. Creating links for making a strong connection between the two of you.  Too often people think "sales" can jump over these links and that some type of hocus pocus makes it all happen.  Skip the hocus pocus and just lay out the details.
Both your prospect, now client, and you will be happier.

No more asking for a sale.  Start creating partnerships.

keep your business garden growing ... margie
www.todaysway.net