Have you ever been frustrated by trying to give business to someone who is too distracted to take your money?
These types of occurrences are great reminders of what NOT to do when an interested prospect is in our presence. The whole idea of getting a sale is to make it EASY for the other person to say Yes!
1. Terms and Conditions
Although most of us are not licensed as attorneys nor do we conduct business as such, we do need to carefully explain our terms and conditions for doing business. Should penalties or timelines for payment be involved, explain those too.
Additionally, explain industry terminology so that it is easily understood. Otherwise, misinterpretation and extenuating circumstances may result in incorrect assumptions thereby creating complications. This destructive path will most likely kill the sale. In other words, before you can make a sale, everything must be crystal clear in your mind as well as that of the client-to-be.
Your prospective client needs to know precisely what you are offering to deliver, the when, how and processes involved. A timeline might be very helpful if your sale is complex. In this case you might also wish to list the others who are to be involved each step of the way.
Once you officially acknowledge your timeline, whether verbal or written, it is your responsibility to adhere to it. Should an unforeseen circumstance arise to cause delay, notify your prospective client ahead of time. In fact with your apology, ask for forgiveness and permission to proceed. Your client will greatly appreciate your attentiveness.
2. Question, Listen, Clarify
Rather than quickly going over all of your terms and conditions in monologue form, explain each one by one. After each, ask if there are any questions. We each interpret concepts differently so there will be plenty of room for misinterpretation.
For example when you schedule a bus for an event, is the time for arrival for pickup or is it actual departure time? The details need to be spelled out.
Your job is to uncover any confusion. Listen carefully to the questions and underlying questions asked of you. In simple terms, without using jargon, clarify to the best of your ability. Once you have done this, ask one more time, “Do you have any questions?”
The time you take to understand your prospect’s viewpoint and thinking will increase their loyalty toward you.
3. Verbalize Agreement(s)
Once it appears you are both or all in agreement with terms and conditions, and all misunderstanding is cleared up, it becomes the time to restate what you plan to deliver and your prospect agrees to accept. Review point by point all that you intend to deliver and ask for follow-up questions. Once your prospective client agrees on all, it’s time to either ask for authorization on the contract or accept the money.
Timely follow-through in delivering promises, as you move through the above steps, will make it very easy for your prospective client to say Yes! Over time, these steps will become habits. These habits build trust and will define your personal brand.
The end result is you will encourage larger sales, repeat business, referrals and testimonials – all of which will put you on the wave of the Smooth Sale!
Author:
Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, (800) 704-1499; was designated as a “Top 25 Sales Influencer for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, Sourcebooks and best selling, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, Career Press.
