(Please do not translate this, Overview:Content)
Overview
| DS5-1 |
Confidence and self-esteem are just two of the factors that separate the successful salesperson from the unsuccessful one. In this module, you’ll learn techniques that will raise your confidence levels to give you the very best chance of closing a deal. You’ll also learn why saying the right phrases is crucial to seal a sales deal.
(Please do not translate this, The Ugly Truth:Content)
The Ugly Truth
Let’s imagine a common scenario: A salesperson who has two hot prospects lined up. The salesperson has taken both prospects through the sales journey and is feeling excited because he or she believes the chance of closing both deals is high.
So, the salesperson calls the first prospect for their final answer and the prospect says they are sorry, but they won’t purchase the vehicle because the price is too high. The disappointed salesperson genuinely believes the prospect.
The salesperson is still confident about the second hot prospect, but the second prospect says because of the current economic situation, they’ve decided not to go ahead for the moment. And once again, the salesperson believes them.
| DS5-2 |
If you, as a salesperson, start by making a great first impression, conducting a friendly needs assessment, presenting yourself and the product professionally and providing an amazing test ride experience, you have really set yourself up for success. Now, from here, if you can get the last step right, the sales proposition, then you have an incredible chance of closing the deal.
(Please do not translate this, Let’s begin:Content)
Let’s begin
The sale is completed only when the customer agrees to buy the product, and that happens only when the salesperson closes the deal.
Closing is defined as “the moment when a prospect or customer decides to make the purchase”. Very few prospects will self-close, making it necessary for the salesperson to instigate the close.
No matter how experienced you are, or how many deals you have closed in the past, revisiting the basics of closing is always a positive and worthwhile investment of your time.
So, saddle up folks, and let’s get on with it.
(Please do not translate this, Make it personal:Content)
Make it personal
Personalization matters. Over 70% of customers expect a personalized experience when they walk in the door. Younger generations in particular, such as millennials, presuppose a personalized experience. The easiest way to start making an experience personal is to say the other person’s name often throughout the whole experience.
| DS5-12 |
Names and culture
The use of names can be different with different cultures. In Korea and Vietnam, the family name comes first. For example, in the Vietnamese name, Dinh Cong Trang…Dinh is the surname and Trang is the first name.
Females don’t take their partner’s family name after they get married. While in English, you could have Mr. and Mrs. Smith, in Korea, it is highly likely that the husband and wife have different family names, for example, Mr. Lee and Mrs. Kim.
It’s important to recognize that it’s impossible for us to share everything. There is so much information available about the importance of remembering and using names. It’s not only this program that provides you with the information, it’s also up to you to apply your knowledge and experience in how to use peoples’ names. You need to adapt our message to suit you and the culture you operate in.
| DS5-13 DS5-14 |
Hopefully, by now, you realize how important it is to use a person’s name when trying to help them come to a decision. But it’s also important to address them correctly. Avoid calling them boss or mate, or any other terms besides the name they wish to be called by.
It’s also important to remember people’s names. You can’t repeat a person’s name often if you can’t remember it. Forgetting, or using the wrong name, can be a disaster.
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(Please do not translate this, Most powerful selling words:Content)
Most powerful selling words
We are all susceptible to suggestions. That’s what adverts are – suggestions. The top advertising agencies on the planet now have enough collective data to know exactly what words and phrases are the most effective when it comes to selling products.
We buy products and services all the time. There are words that turn us on and words that turn us off from committing to a purchase. It’s an advertising company’s business to know and use the most effective words and phrases that have a positive impact on increasing the likelihood of us buying a product or service.
(Please do not translate this, Most powerful selling words: Exercise)
[Q] Exercise
What words do you think are the most powerful selling words, according to advertising companies? What single words (not phrases) do you think help to sell a product? We hear and see words such as “sale” or “discount” that are designed to help us make a decision. Have a stab at guessing what you think are the top-selling words below. Avoid using Google. Use your brain. This is not a test. There is no pass or fail. It’s a bit of fun to help get you thinking.
(Please do not translate this,The Language of Sales: Content)
The Language of Sales
We summarize the Top 10 Selling Words, as follows:
1. You
Combined with your name, it really gets your attention. “Hi Andre, how are you?”
It sounds friendly and makes your customer listen more attentively.
2. Free
Don’t just offer a test ride – offer instead a free test ride. The same applies when offering a quotation – offer a free quotation.
3. New
New is hard-wired into our brains. We see it everywhere because it works by triggering a positive response.
4. Love
Love is the most powerful emotion a human being can experience. It’s a very persuasive word when used correctly.
5. Easy
We all want products and services to be as easy to access or use as possible. Technology is all about making life easier.
6. Safe
No one wants to be put in harm’s way – the word can also be used for non-health issues. For example: a safe investment, a safe process, etc.
7. Proven
No one wants to be a guinea pig. The word proven provides confidence – something that is tried and tested.
8. Discover
It’s part of human nature to discover – it’s one of the reasons we love to travel
9. Amazing
Everyone wants to be amazed. The word tugs on our emotional strings and encourages us to take action.
10. Guarantee
The word guarantee suggests little or no risk. It’s a word that evokes a feeling of assurance.
Turn theory into practice
Below is just one example of how to use the Top 10 Selling Words to sell a test ride immediately after a vehicle presentation.
| Additional video |
Note: There are many more selling words than the ten we shared with you. However, we strongly suggest learning and focusing on the Top 10 Selling Words provided as they are easy to remember and use. The words should be on big posters on the wall in the sales room, or on the back of doors in staff areas. You should use them as a screensaver or keep them in your wallet. The more you brainwash yourself to use the words, the more natural and habitual using the words will become, and the more you will sell.
One more thing to add [add picture]
Imagine you are in a queue at the checkout counter in a supermarket and someone skips the line of waiting people and asks to pay for their one item. How would you feel? Probably upset and annoyed, right? Now imagine the same scenario, but the person that skips the line turns around to everyone queueing and says, “Sorry, I’m in a real hurry because my child is sick and I need to get them to the hospital!”. How would you feel then?
The word that we are programmed as humans to accept is the word “because”. It’s not a selling word on it’s own, but added to selling words, and incorporated in phrases and sentences, it becomes one of the most powerful, influential, and suggestive words we can use.
The best part is that the reason doesn’t even matter. The only thing that matters is that you have a reason, no matter how weak or lame that reason might be. Just be sure to use the word “because”… because it works.
The unspoken objection
| Additional video |
So when best to use it?
If you have been paying attention and absorbing the lessons shared, you should know by now that body language is a dead giveaway of a person’s true feelings. If you feel the customer is not trusting you – then tell them to trust you.
Example: At the end of the sales negotiation, you could say, “Trust me, (customer’s name), this is the very best price you will get anywhere in the market today”.
Words to avoid
“No – can’t do”
Sometimes you have to say “no”, but there are ways to say it that make it seem a little more friendly, and saying it in a friendly way will not destroy all the work you’ve put into the relationship. For example, a customer has asked for an extra discount, on top of what you’ve already provided, for spare parts on his vehicle. Your manager will not approve any more discounts.
Try saying, “I would like to help, but I have tried to get more discounts for other customers before and failed – sorry”. It’s still a “no” – but it’s a soft no. Interestingly, Google’s Assist and Apple’s Siri are both AI voice assistants that are programmed to avoid saying the word “no”.
Policy
Try to avoid the word “policy”. The word makes it seem like your company is inflexible and hides behind rules rather than putting the customer first. It’s ok now and then in situations where there are no alternatives, but if possible, try to use another word. The word “policy” often makes the customer more upset.
Calm down
Telling a customer to calm down often has the opposite effect. If you want them to calm down, look at them and say calmly, “What can I do to help?”.
(Please do not translate this,Making customers more open to your suggestion: Content)
Making customers more open to your suggestion
Every one of us has experienced a time when someone has changed our mind or convinced us of something new. How did that happen? What was the process and what behaviors influenced us to see their point of view positively?
| DS5-4 |
It builds motivation
In my experience, people are motivated to do something new or be open to a new idea when they truly feel that it will be personally helpful to them and that it will work better for them than what they’re doing now. Feeling that something will be personally helpful to you is very different than thinking you “should” do something.
For instance, up until about ten years ago, I knew that I “should” exercise. I was informed about all the benefits, and I was well aware that it was increasingly important to my health as I aged. I just didn’t connect with it personally. The benefits were very abstract to me. Then, just after I turned fifty, my siblings and I went to celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday. Two things happened. I saw how frail and weak my mom was – and I saw how wonderful my sister looked. She’s only a few years older than I am, and she had recently lost quite a bit of weight through exercise and eating healthier. The contrast between her renewed vitality and beauty and our mom’s increasing ill-health finally made it real for me – I got it!
So, how can you help customers have that “got it” moment about your suggestion? Customers tend to be motivated to change when they’re offered – as I was – a clear example of the personal benefits. – Robert O’Connell
(Please do not translate this,The Climax: Content)
The Climax
In sales, persuasion is not a form of manipulation. If anything, it’s helping the customer realize what his needs are and what bike will meet those needs. For many customers, the buying decision is 80% complete before they reach the dealership. They’ve done enough research and know what they’re looking for. The only thing you need to do is provide quality service, genuine advice, and guidance.
| DS5-11 |
Closing techniques
There are literally hundreds of different documented ways to close a deal. Some people seem naturally good at it, but the fact is, they are using closing techniques that work.
Sometimes they have even developed or converted a closing technique to suit their own particular style. There are standard closes, such as the “best time to buy” close or the “assumptive” close. If you don’t know about these closing techniques, invest in yourself and take the time to look them up online. You may discover a close that you particularly like and want to use in your closing approach.
In this module, we are going to share just 4 closing techniques. It’s so much better to be fantastic at 4 closing techniques than to be average at 20 (or more).
(Please do not translate this,The Option Close: Content)
The Option Close
So many salespeople even fail to close making an appointment. Let’s suppose a potential customer has made an inquiry on the company website and you’ve been lucky enough to have been given the contact and their details by your sales manager.
Opportunity can appear out of nowhere. Imagine opportunity as a small spinning disk that suddenly appears a few centimeters in front of your eyes. What are you going to do? If you look at it and delay – poof! – in a flash, it’s gone. So the first thing you need to do is grab it – don’t wait. Call the prospect – they have given you permission – to measure their level of interest.
As soon as you receive the details, you call the customer. Don’t try to sell the product on the phone…your goal should be to get an appointment in person.
So, you ask the prospect when they can come to the showroom. The prospect tells you that they can’t this week because they are busy, and next week they will be out of town on vacation – for two weeks. They say, they’ll call you when they get back. The result is, you have failed to get an appointment. The truth is, they will probably never call you back. And when you get around to calling them back – it’s too late – their interest has cooled.
The best answer in this situation is to use the option close. Most receptionists in the medical and dental field use the option close. They don’t ask: “When would you like to come in?”. Instead, they offer you a choice. “The Doctor can see you tomorrow at 3pm or the following day at 10.30am – which suits you best?” That’s how simple it is.
If you ask someone the question, “Would you like to buy this pen?” – it’s easy to say no! However, if you offer the choice between two pens, say a blue pen and a black pen, and then ask the question, “Which pen would you prefer to buy – the blue or the black?”, now you have dramatically increased your chances of closing.
| DS5-7 |
(Please do not translate this,The Shut-Up Close: Content)
The Shut-Up Close
The problem for many salespeople is they don’t know when the customer is ready to buy. So they keep talking, and talking, and talking…until they often talk themselves out of the sale. Another observed behavior is when salespeople avoid questions that might be answered with the word “NO”. Salespeople hate to hear a customer say “No”. The result of not wanting to hear a “No” – is salespeople often discuss matters without ever coming to the point. It goes the same way for customers, too. They often find it hard to say “Yes”, as many are naturally hesitant or indecisive. It means that a lot of time can be wasted, and “time is money”, as they say.
| DS5-8 |
There are only two things that can happen if you follow the guidance: either the customer will say “yes” or they will raise their final objection(s). It sounds easy, but sometimes you will need to be emotionless and silent for 5 minutes or even more. The customer will look at you quizzically, and maybe raise an eyebrow, all in an effort to make you speak – but don’t – stay focused on the game. You continue to look at them (without staring – do break eye contact occasionally). Often the customer will rub their chin or stroke the side of their face. This means they are considering it – whatever you do now, don’t talk – wait for when they look at you and say “Ok”.
| DS5-9 |
If you start thinking about it too much – it won’t work. You need to do it – take action.
Benefits:
· Saves valuable time for you and the customer
· Forces a decision, either way
· Exposes the main objection(s)
· The more you use it – the more your confidence will grow
(Please do not translate this,The Suggestion Close: Content)
The Suggestion Close
We are all prone to suggestions. Across many studies, research has shown that deliberate suggestions can influence how people perform on learning and memory tasks, which products they prefer, and how they respond to supplements and medicines, which accounts for the well-known placebo effect.
| DS5-10 |
Ten years ago, Starbucks started to close stores across the USA due to increased competition. In response, they decided to floodlight the food cabinet to make the food look more appealing.
Secondly, once a customer had placed their drink order, the staff was trained to ask, “Would you like something to eat with your drink?”.
It was mandatory to say the simple script. It could cost them their job if they forgot to say the phrase.
The combined result was a significant increase in profits. Asking a person if they wanted something to eat put a thought in their head that wasn’t there before.
That’s how simple it is to use the power of suggestion. Put images in the mind of the potential customer. The way you use the power of suggestion is by creating emotions in the prospect with words or pictures.
You can do the same when selling a vehicle. Say statements that make them imagine owning the vehicle or enjoying the experience of riding it or showing it to friends and family. For example, you can say, “You’re really going to enjoy the way this motorbike handles on the road”.
Using the power of suggestion at the closing could go something like this: “The sooner we get the paperwork out of the way, the sooner we can hand over your bike, so you’ll be free to enjoy the amazing feeling of being on the open road anytime you want”.
But this close will work best if you plant the seeds of imagination and suggestion in the customer’s mind early in the vehicle presentation and during the test ride experience. By doing so, you actually get the customer to “close” himself by using these positive thoughts. The customer will actually think at the end of the sales presentation that these images and thoughts were their own from the start.
Understanding and using the power of suggestion, right from the needs assessment, all through the vehicle presentation, and during the test ride experience, means you will be following the most important rule in closing – the “ABC” rule – Always Be Closing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X3p42GaM5I 2.10
(Please do not translate this,The Reverse Manager Close: Content)
The Reverse Manager Close
Many customers will ask to see the manager at the end of the sales negotiation. For some salespeople, this is infuriating, as asking for the manager often slows the process down and adds a new personality to the process. Some salespeople love it, as the manager takes responsibility for the close.
But for some managers, it can also be annoying, as they don’t have time to close every deal and would prefer the salesperson be able to close and take responsibility himself.
The situation comes about because the customer often wants to deal with someone who they think has authority or is on the same status level as they are. They may even think the salesperson is too young or inexperienced.
| Additional video |
Manager note:
The close is offered to help empower your salespeople to close a deal and free up time for you as a manager to focus on leading your team. However, it’s the manager’s call if a salesperson should be allowed to use the close. You may feel as a manager that your salesperson is too inexperienced or that you know how to close a deal better and have accounted for the time in your work schedule.
You, as a manager, know your market, the culture, and your team best. If you feel the close is not appropriate for your market – you can advise your team accordingly.
As a salesperson, do not use the close unless you have been given permission to do so by your manager.
(Please do not translate this,Summary: Content)
Summary
Closing is often the hardest part of the sales process. However, the closing techniques we have provided are proven to work. But they only work if you have practiced them and followed the correct process. You may have your own closing techniques that work – don’t stop using them.
The closing techniques suggested are added weapons for you to use. There is a wealth of information online. We strongly suggest you invest some of your time, reading, researching, and talking to your colleagues and manager(s) about the subject. If you wish to become successful at anything – you need to invest your time. Closing a deal is a discipline that requires effort. There are no short-cuts!
(Please do not translate this,Do don’t: Content)
Do’s & don’ts
(Please do not translate this,Do: Content)
Do learn and use the Top 10 Selling Words
Do use a customer’s name 5 times for every 30 minutes of conversation
Do ask the customer to trust you (only one time per customer)
(Please do not translate this,don’t: Content)
Don’t use the words “no”, “can’t do”, “policy”, or “calm down”
Don’t destroy the Shut-Up Close by making a sound or expression
Don’t forget to use the word “because” throughout the whole process
(Please do not translate this,Evaluation: Content)
Evaluation
