CLOSING THE DEAL
Making the most of your Meet the Buyer appointments
Seamus McAdams
i2 TOTAL MARKETING
#DCCBOP
@DCCBOP
www.twitter.com/DCCBOP
AREAS TO BE COVERED

What is Selling?

Your Sales Presentation – creating a positive
impression with buyers

Closing the Meeting & Following Up
EVENT FORMAT

Pre arranged, private meetings

Meetings last for 15 minutes only,

Move on to your next appointment.
So,
 Focus, punctuality and precision is the key!
PURPOSE OF THE DAY

To make Buyers better aware of your work.

To develop new business relationships.

To increase your sales.
WHAT IS SELLING?
Understanding what customers are
trying to do
+
Helping them to make buying decisions
they consider sensible
THE BUYING PROCESS
Unawareness

Awareness

Interest

Active Interest

Purchase
MEET THE BUYER – WHAT THE BUYERS SAY!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Listen to us
Have your research done
Know what you want to know
Practice your questions
Avoid “war stories”
Follow up with any contact as discussed
Try to be as quick as you can
WHAT’S PREVENTING YOU FROM WINNING
SALES WITH CORPORATE / PUBLIC SECTOR?
IT’S ALL ABOUT:
Knowledge
 Skills
 Attitude

Is your attitude in good shape?
KNOWLEDGE
What do you need to know?
 About the buyer (the actual end user as well as
the buyer you meet today)
 The contracts out there and renewal dates
 Who is currently delivering them?
 How strong is the competition?
 What changes are taking place?
SKILLS
You need to know how:
 To research the buyer, the competition and the
market
 To be able to match suitable products and services
to different markets
 The buying process works for each buyer
ATTITUDE
You need to be:
 Positive
 Determined
 Self Motivated
 Able to get along with people
 Open minded & Flexible
 Confident
 Fearless
EFFECTIVE SALES PRESENTATIONS
1. PREPARING FOR THE SALE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Who am I going to meet?
Get the buyer name and organisation right!
What message do I want to deliver?
What products/services am I selling today?
Are they relevant to the buyer?
What Questions do I need answered
What support material will I need?
Prices?
Remember - 20 minute meeting!
PURPOSE OF THE MEETING - AGENDA?

To inform them about my company.

To introduce and gain feedback on products &
services.

To find out what/who is involved in the buying process.

To find out what next stage is.

To close the sale?
By the end of the meeting, the buyer needs to know:




Who You Are
What You Do
Why They Should Use You (benefits)
What follow up to expect, if any
2. APPROACH - FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT

Personal Presentation – Well Groomed

Manner – Relaxed, Confident

Be organised – Visuals Aids/Samples/Prices

Be clear and succinct

Set the agenda

Control the meeting with questions
2. APPROACH (CONTD)

Use active listening – listen twice
as much as you speak!
3. IDENTIFY CUSTOMER NEEDS
Why?
Knowing more about your customer than your
competitor, will mean that everything you do will be
better directed to meet the customer’s needs and
result in a successful sale.
IDENTIFY CUSTOMER NEEDS
How?

Do research on each buyer before the event.

Visit their website to get a good idea of their
customer needs.

Read the Buyer Profile.

Prepare questions in advance of meetings.
ASK OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS
During the meeting, probe with open ended
questions i.e. ones that don’t require a yes/no
answer.

Who?

What?

Why?

When?

Where?

How?
4. THE PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION
Aim to make what you say



Understandable
Attractive
Credible
MAKE IT UNDERSTANDABLE

Think about explanations and descriptions - try
them out.

Make explanations thorough and precise,
providing only appropriate level of detail

Match the level of technicality to individual
buyers’ knowledge and experience

Avoid excessive use of jargon
MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE
“People don’t buy products or services, but what they do
for them”

Explain the features - Sell the benefit

Benefits must be matched to the individual needs of the
customer

Benefits must be clearly described and illustrated to add
power to the case

Sell the price (don’t defend the price)
MAKE IT CREDIBLE
By Indicating:

Who you supply, customer reference lists can inspire
confidence.

How long you have been in business.

Where you trained/worked before.

Awards you have won/special commissions.

Why you think your product/service is suitable to the
buyer
THE PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION - SAMPLES

Use good, clean, presentable samples (no defects,
scratches or fingerprints)

Let the customer look at them uninterrupted.

How you hold and present your product will speak
volumes to the customer about how you feel about it.

Only move on in the discussion when their attention
returns to you.

Remove the sales aid so that it does not distract.
ACTIVE LISTENING
When buyer is answering your questions:

Demonstrate you are interested in what buyers say.

Maintain eye contact, take notes.

“Mirroring!!!”

Think about what your customer is saying and what
products/services you offer that are relevant to them.
5. HANDLING OBJECTIONS
Objections occur in every sales meeting
Don’t be surprised, be prepared!
HANDLING OBJECTIONS
Buyers use objections to:

Consider both the positive and negative aspects of the
offer

Take a considered view

Get you to talk about specifics (that are not necessarily
part of the planned presentation)

Clarify points not fully understood or adequately covered

Assess you and what is being offered
HANDLING OBJECTIONS

Regard them as a sign of interest, an opportunity

List previous objections and anticipate new ones

Prepare clear, succinct and persuasive answers

Don’t let objections deteriorate into arguments
HANDLING OBJECTIONS

Establish the real objection and clearly
acknowledge it

Deal with the objection immediately

Answer the objection completely

Check that the customer is satisfied with the
answer

Move on
HANDLING OBJECTIONS
Dealing with the Price Objection

Know your product and why it is more or less expensive

Know your competitor’s product and price and why it differs

Focus on quality, performance and “enhanced” benefits of your
product

Sell “Value for Money”
6. METHODS FOR CLOSING

Direct request -¨
Shall we go ahead?’ ‘How much would
you like?’ ‘When shall we start?’

Command -
‘Lets get this organised;’ ‘let me have
written confirmation and I will put matters
in hand’

Immediate gain - ‘If you give me the go ahead now, then I
can have it up and running by the end of
the month’

Fear close -
‘If you are not able to give me the
go-ahead today, that deadline is really
going to cause problems’
METHODS FOR CLOSING

Alternatives -
‘Would you like 10 or 20?’
‘Do you want to schedule this for this month?

Summary -
‘So, you are happy with twenty of these
and twenty of those in different colours.
When would you like them delivered?

Assumption -
‘Right, we seem to be agreed. Let me get
the documentation sorted and we can go
on from there’
Always close and always do it confidently
and positively
KEEP GOOD RECORDS
Do up a "lead card" which contains:
 the person's name, title, address, phone
number, e-mail address (all these can come
from a business card)
 needs/interests
 budget and timing
 Use this info for your follow-up
FOLLOW UP
Remember
It takes
up to
14 separate
contacts
to
secure
an order.
DON'T LET YOUR LEADS GET COLD!

Devote MORE time and effort following up your
leads as you did for the MTB event.

Generally the first contact should be in
writing/email within the first week.

Your letter/email should be an
acknowledgement of your meeting and the
subjects discussed

Your prompt handling of requests for
additional information will show potential
clients you value their time and provide
quality customer service.
Thank you for Listening
Good Luck!
Seamus McAdams
i2 Total Marketing
#DCCBOP
@DCCBOP
www.twitter.com/DCCBOP