Closing a sale is a great feeling of accomplishment. You've spent time working with the customer explaining all the advantages of your product or service, and why they should purchase from you and your company. But making the sale is more than just what happens at the end of your sales pitch. You've got to make the sale happen right from the start. First I will go over some techniques that will help you start to close more sales, then I will go over actually closing the sale. Ready? Let's start!
First, have confidence! Customers are looking for you to instill confidence in their decision to buy from you. You can do this by being confident in the product or service you're trying to sell, and being confident in your presentation and product knowledge. If you can convince the customer that it would be unwise to buy something else or from somewhere else, you've made your sale.
Knowledge! Always answer the customers question as in depth as possible, but it's important not to alienate them with jargon they may not know. Talk to them like a peer and make sure they understand. Keep the information relevant to the question and don't just ramble facts or specs. Don't Lie! If they catch you in a blatant lie or contradiction, say goodbye to your sale.
Establish a friendly rapport! Lighten up the atmosphere, smile and get to know your customer. Share personal experiences with products or positive customer feedback from past sales. Interact with the customer before and after the sale in a friendly way. If you do well here, they'll be back. People like to buy from someone whom they have a friendly rapport with.
Now you've done your job of prepping the customer to buy, its time to actually make the sale. The trick is not to be overly pushy most people don't respond well to this type of sales approach. Ask for the sale! Politely ask them if they are ready to make a decision, and if they are not what you can do to help them make their decision. Tell them to buy! Tell them in a very friendly but confident way that, you think they should make a purchase. Start with something like "That is perfect for you John, I recommend you buy that because..." Be sure to make a good case of why you think they should buy.
Sweeten the deal! If you can add something on for free or give them a discount, a lot of times this will create the sale if they are undecided. Take away other options! Convince them that this is the best deal they are going to get. It doesn't necessarily have to be the cheapest, but just the all around most advantageous for them. Point out why your company is better than the competition, or the main advantage of a particular product or service.
And finally, take away the finality! Explain the return policy or satisfaction guarantee, and how its advantageous. Often times this will make the difference, because you've presented the customer with a less risk option. Making a sale is really about helping the customer to make a decision, and you can help them and your sales by using the techniques and tips I've covered. Now go make some sales happen!