13-1
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Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Chapter
13
Closing Begins the
Relationship
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Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
13-3
Chapter
13
When Should I Pop the Question?
Reading Buying Signals
What Makes a Good Closer?
How Many Times Should You Close?
Closing Under Fire
Difficulties With Closing
Essentials of Closing Sales
After Meeting the Objection—What to Do?
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
13-4
Chapter
13
Prepare Several Closing Techniques
Close Based on the Situation
Research Reinforces These Sales Success
Strategies
Keys to Improved Selling
The Business Proposition and the Close
When You Do Not Make the Sale
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Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
13-5
When Should I Pop the Question?
Closing is the process of helping people make a
decision that will benefit them
No magic phrases and techniques to use in
closing a sale
Close when the prospect is in the conviction
stage of the mental buying process
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13-6
Reading Buying Signals
Buying signal is anything that prospects say or do
indicating they are ready to buy
Asks questions
Asks another person’s opinion
Relaxes and becomes friendly
Pulls out a purchase order form
Carefully examines merchandise
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13-7
What Makes a Good Closer?
Ask for the order and be quiet
Get the order—then move on!
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13-8
How Many Times Should You Close?
Must be able to use multiple closes
Three closes is a minimum
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13-9
Closing Under Fire
The first no from the prospect isn’t necessarily
an absolute refusal to buy
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13-10
Difficulties With Closing
Closing is the easiest part of the presentation
Salespeople may fail to close because
 they are not confident in their ability to close
 they determine that the prospect does not need
the quantity or type of merchandise, or that the
prospect should not buy
 they may not have worked hard enough in
developing a customer profile and customer
benefit plan
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13-11
Essentials of Closing Sales
Be sure your prospect understands what you say
Always present a complete story to ensure
understanding
Tailor your close to each prospect
Everything you do and say should consider the
customer’s point of view
Never stop at the first no
Learn to recognize buying signals
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13-12
Essentials of Closing Sales cont…
Before you close, attempt a trial close
After asking for the order—be silent
Set high goals for yourself and develop a personal
commitment to reach your goals
Develop and maintain a positive, confident, and
enthusiastic attitude toward yourself, your
products, your prospects, and your close
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Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
13-13
Prepare Several Closing Techniques
The alternative-choice close is an old favorite
The assumptive close
The compliment close inflates the ego
The summary-of-benefits close is most popular
The continuous-yes close generates positive
responses
The minor-points close is not threatening
The T-account or balance sheet close was Ben
Franklin’s favorite
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Prepare Several Closing Techniques
cont…
13-14
The standing-room-only close gets action
The probability close
The negotiation close
The technology close
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13-15
Prepare a Multiple-Close Sequence
Different closing techniques work best for certain
situations
Multiple closes incorporate techniques for
overcoming objections
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13-16
Prepare a Multiple-Close Sequence
By keeping several difficult closes ready in any
situation, you are in a better position to close more
sales
Multiple closes incorporate techniques for
overcoming objections
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13-17
Close Based on the Situation
Different closing techniques work best for certain
situations
Customer is indecisive
Customer is expert or egotistical
Customer is hostile
Customer is a friend
Customer has predetermined beliefs
Customer is greedy, wants a deal
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Research Reinforces These Sales
Success Strategies
13-18
Common mistakes resulting in successful sales
calls
 Tells instead of sells; doesn’t ask enough questions
 Over-controls the call; asks too many closed-end
questions
 Doesn’t respond to customer needs with benefits
 Doesn’t recognize needs; gives benefits prematurely
 Doesn’t recognize or handle negative attitudes
effectively
 Makes weak closing statements; doesn’t recognize when
or how to close
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13-19
Keys to Improved Selling
Ask questions to gather information and uncover
needs
Recognize when a customer has a real need and
how the benefits of the product or service can
satisfy it
Establish a balanced dialogue with customers
Recognize and handle negative customer attitudes
promptly and directly
Use a benefit summary and an action plan
requiring commitment when closing
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The Business Proposition and the
Close
13-20
The business proposition
Use a visual aid to close
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13-21
When You Do Not Make the Sale
Know that you cannot always sell everyone
Don’t take buyer’s denial personally
Be courteous and cheerful
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13-22
Summary of Major Selling Issues
Closing is the process of helping people make
decisions that will benefit them
Constantly look and listen for buying signals from
your prospect
Tailor your close to each prospect’s personality
Close in a positive, confident, and enthusiastic manner
Plan and rehearse closing techniques
A good closer has a strong desire to close each sale
Keep cool, determine any objections, try to close
again
You can’t make a sale until you ask for the order!
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Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.