What kind of a Sales Closer are you?

Whether you are actually working in sales or trying to close an interview to get a job. A Sales Close is necessary. Which of the below is you?

Closing a sale is converting commitment into a decision

·     How do you achieve a decision?
·     What is a pre-closed decision?

For example, “if I present you with a candidate that meets or exceeds your expectations next Thursday morning, are you prepared to make a decision by Thursday afternoon?”

How do you reach a decision?
·     Have all information available
·     Importance placed on the information
·     Pressure of circumstance
·     Emotional state

Note: decisions are easy to make when every factor points to positive benefits

Question: what is a pre-closed decision?
Answer; a series of small decisions. If both parties are unable to agree it is best to take no further action unless/until the circumstances change and agreement to proceed can be achieved

The basic principles of closing
·     Plan the close: – role-play the close as it builds confidence. Be sincere, enthusiastic and positive
·     Close early and often: – you will never lose a placement closing too soon, but can by closing too late
·     Be assumptive: – assume a positive decision can be made
·     Close and wait: – you can only take action when you have information
·     Listen:– often client and candidate want to say yes. Listen out for the “buying signal” and ask a closing question.

‘The Winston Churchill’
Also known as the ‘Ben Franklin’ or the ‘t bar’ close.
Excellent technique for helping someone see the positive logic of moving in your direction.
It is a decision-making aid for ‘non-sales personalities’ who don’t buy the feel-good factor or vision alone.
It is a list of positives and negatives that help reassure that a “yes” is good for them.
It shows that you have empathy with them and allows you to remove the fear of making a wrong decision.

‘Feel, felt, found’
Also known as the ‘similar situation close’.
Relate a story or an example to the client or candidate.
People often substitute themselves with the ‘main character’ in the story.
Needs to be practised and role played to become fluent and natural but worth the input as is very powerful on HR, procurement and CFO due to logical agreement and the ‘real nature’ of a mini three-line case study.
For example:
“…Mr client, it’s interesting you should say that, I know exactly how you feel. My current clients tell me they felt exactly that same way. What they have found however is really interesting…”

‘The alternative choice’
Perhaps the most common technique in ‘small sales’.
The secret is that the buyer has more choices than the choice “yes” or “no”.
For example: “Would you like to see my candidate?”Is a closing question true, but only gives one choice — yes or no.
“Would you like find out more about my candidate by having a conversation with them over the phone or face to face?” Is three choices — yes or no or phone or face-to-face.

‘The Sharp Angle’
This is simple technique to pick up.
It’s about testing the question you are being asked and flipping it back in the form of an advancing question.
For example:
Client – “Would he accept a lower basic if we increased the annual bonus?”
Consultant – “Would you offer him today if he would?”
Or
Candidate – “Does the company offer a relocation package?”
Consultant – “If they did, would you be interested?”
‘The Take Away’
The principle is based upon ‘time kills all deals’ being a mantra for all salespeople who live by the principle of ‘kill it now/kill it soonest’.
NB: this technique will not, repeat not kill a deal. What it will do is accelerate the death of a deal that was already dying.
For example: “Mr client, I do understand the problems you have internally in organising diaries, however I have been withholding this candidate from another of my clients who expressed an interest … So as not to muddy the waters with you as it were.  To be fair on the candidate, should I go ahead and introduce it to them or wait?”

‘The Reduce to the Ridiculous’
The perfect close for both client and candidates who are arguing on fee or salary details.
You need to do your homework first or at least have a calculator on your desk. (Don’t panic, remain calm, don’t rush this technique.)
Whether client or candidate, concentrate on ‘the difference’ – the amount in dispute.
Reduce it to its lowest denominator by spreading over a 12-month period – or over 52 weeks, and then reduce this again by days, as you need to.

‘The Cherry Tree’
Used on closing a person who is an emotional and quick decision-maker.
Based on the principle that people buy with both logic and emotional triggers, it latches onto the ‘hot button’ of the buyer.
For example: the candidate comments on the amount of R&D funding being spent on new design adaptations of a particular product and how that when they complete the new design it will be “light years ahead of his current company…”
To the trained recruiter this is the candidate’s ‘hot button’ and is a buying signal – this is the candidate’s ‘cherry tree’.
Our role is to close the candidate – not on money or company name, or on promotional prospects alone (these are ‘logic’) but to keep reminding him of how good it will be when he gets to work on ‘the new design project’.

‘The Impending Doom’
Not dissimilar to the ‘take away’ in sales psychology, but subtly different as here there may well be real issues of timing, location, re-location to deal with.
Is often used to confidently encourage a client to interview your candidate ‘for fear of losing them’ through another offer – of promotion etc.
Also effective when a candidate is ‘hedging’ or not returning calls on time etc.
For example: “Mr candidate, my client has suggested that you are in serious contention for this role following your last meeting and our subsequent conversations. That said, the project as you know is larger than any one man and can’t be postponed so please come back to me within 24 hours.”

The ‘One Deal won’t Make or Break me’
This technique is very consultative and empathetic. It is in fact a ‘pre-close’ or a ‘tee up’ for a close as you are reassuring both the client or candidate that this decision is not about the ‘deal’ or the money from the deal.
It does open up the conversation to the ‘feel, felt, found’ and ‘sharp angle’ techniques.
Also, it positions you as an advisor (as indeed you are) to help your client get the most appropriate individual and the candidate to get the most appropriate career move.
Or you both agree that it is not right as it is in this moment in time and close so that you both can move on.

‘The Assumptive’
If there could be an all-round classic close – this must be it.
Confused buyers never buy; nervous buyers never follow through on the initial ‘yes’. People suffer from a state of mind called ‘buyer’s remorse’, where they regret saying ‘yes’. This conditions people to say no even when they are interested.
They certainly won’t buy if they think the person selling does not believe in their product or solution.
You must assume that your client will benefit from your candidate and you must assume that your candidate will benefit from your client. Then make the closing statement.

By Tony Seager, Co-founder of Seal Recruitment Training Solutions.