Feel Good Closing on a Sales Call – Part 1

I worked in direct sales for over ten years.  My sales ratio was above 70%, and here is what I believe.  The better job you do leading up to closing, the less effort you have to put in to the actual close.   That means the more the prospect wants what you are selling, the easier it is to write up an order.  Makes sense, right?

Feel good closing is about just that - feeling good.

• The better you feel, the better, more confident closer you’ll be. 
• The better your customers feel, the better closer you’ll be.
• People may not always remember what you say, but they’ll remember how you make them feel.

When you make people feel good, everything goes better.  This applies to sales and to interaction with people in general.

• You feel more confident.
• Often, they offer helpful information without even having to ask for it.
• The energy in the room is better.
• It is healthier... laughing is good for the body and spirit.
• You are more likely to take action rather than second-guessing yourself.

Dale Carnegie taught the concept – getting people interested in you begins with taking interest in them.

If you make someone feel good before you ask them on a date, you are more likely to get a yes.  It is the same for customers. If you make them feel good during your presentation, you’re more likely to get a sale.

Tips to making customers feel good:

Build rapport and have fun with them

• If you have a great product or service, it is likely they will have interest in it.  Work on making them like you and enjoy the time they spend with you.
• Compliment them and be sincere.  What do you like about their home, their business, or their personality?  What did the person who referred them say about them that was complimentary?  Share it with them.
• Show appreciation and be courteous.  Say thank you – a lot.
• Ask for their opinion on something.  It shows them you believe in their advice.
• Ask questions and get to know them. What do they do for fun or like to eat?
• Ask questions when showing your product.  “Do you ever..?”   Example: If you are showing a gardening product, ask if they ever cultivate dirt.  If you are showing a cooking product, ask if they ever cook a certain type of food.  If you are showing a hunting product, ask if they’ve ever been hunting.

Help them feel comfortable with, and fall in love with, your product

• Enthusiasm – your excitement is contagious so be enthusiastic about your product.
• Use the products – it’s more effective to have them actually try it rather than just speaking of how great it works.  When they feel for themselves the ease of use or great performance, they are more likely to see the product’s benefits.
• Share stories of other satisfied customers.  If you have clients in similar situations or with similar needs that are happy with your products, share those examples.

Let them know you and the company are worthy of their support

• Does your company or you donate proceeds to any charities?
• Are you involved in giving back to your community in any way?
• Can you give examples of how you offer exceptional service to your clients?
• If you have answers to any of these, share them with your prospects.

Consensus principle

• Very few people like to be the first to do or try something.  Most people feel more comfortable knowing others have already tried it and say it’s a good product or service.
• Have testimonials from clients.  Carry a book of testimonials or show them where to find them on your website.
• When choosing how to phrase things or answer questions, good verbiage to use is, “Many of our customers...” or “most of our customers…”.   For example, if a customer asks, “Can I buy a piece or two rather than the whole bundle?”  A good way to answer, keeping in mind the consensus principle is, “Absolutely.  There are many options.  Many of my clients prefer the bundle because they save more money with the package and they get all of the products that are useful to them.”  Of course, always be honest.  If you rarely sell bundles, don’t use the previous verbiage.  However, if you do sell a lot of packages, it’s better to answer it with the previous example than just by saying, “Yes, you can do either.”

Humans are emotional beings.  Your sales success is more closely related to how you make them feel than to how many features and benefits you can share with them. Focus on giving your customer an enjoyable experience and you're going to enjoy it more too.  Plus, your sales will reflect the positive impact feel-good-closing has.

To see more helpful tips on Feel Good Closing, click here for part 2