There are two common mistakes that beginning sales professionals make that often cost them thousands of dollars in lost sales. And it can be very frustrating - especially if you are talking to a person who is actually willing and able to buy, but something that you did moves him away from the purchase decision, and you lose that prospect.
The first mistake the beginning sales people make is that they simply don't ask for the sale. Because they are afraid to ask for it, they are afraid of getting a no. As long as you don't ask, there is always hope - but if you ask for the close, that hope could be smashed in the blink of an eye. However, if you never ask for a close, guess what you're never going to get? That's right - the close.
The second mistake that many beginning sales people make is that they ask for a close at the wrong time, and they ask for it in a way the turns the prospect off. For example, they ask: "Do you want to buy this now?" But this question is a closed question, and in the eye of the prospect, it is also a threatening question, and thus has a very high likelihood of being answered with a rejection. It is still better to ask so bluntly than not to ask at all, but if you want to skyrocket your sales success, you need a much more refined way of closing the sale.
Once you have determined that the prospect is ready for the close, you ask him or her: "Can you see why we're so excited about this product or service?" If they answer yes, it's time to get their commitment. If not, you know that you still have some work to do, but you haven't completely shut the door close, as you would have with the question" Do you want to buy this now?". Another question you can ask instead is: "So how do you feel about all of this now?" Again, a positive statement indicates a high likelihood that you can now move on to the final close, get their final yes - and their money.
