The ability to close deals with maximum speed and minimum fuss is hugely valuable for sales professionals.
Having a range of strategies that you can fall back on to keep customers on side and increase the chances of them committing to a quick purchase can boost your conversion rate and fuel revenue generation and growth for the business.
Here are six of the most effective techniques to get deals over the line at maximum speed:
1. Know the decision maker
Going into a sales meeting without a clear idea of who holds decision-making responsibility is likely to result in a lot of wasted time, since you could find yourself giving your best sales pitch to someone who has no authority to commit to anything.
Your preparation for every engagement with a potential customer should include identifying the decision maker and doing everything you can to get a face-to-face meeting with them.
If the decision maker(s) sends someone else in their place, it's still worth tailoring your pitch to address the more senior stakeholder's likely concerns, which will make them feel more comfortable to commit to a purchase.
2. 'Now or never'
One tried-and-tested way of creating a sense of urgency in your sales is by using the 'now or never' pitch. This essentially involves encouraging the customer to agree to a quick sale to secure a limited-time incentive, such as a discount or an opportunity to get other, complementary services at a lower price.
This can prove highly effective if your priority is to get the deal over the line as quickly as possible. However, it's also important not to put the customer under too much pressure, which could frighten them away.
One of the most valuable qualities any salesperson can have is knowing the difference between a confident, assertive approach and just being pushy.
3. Prepare for objections
Being able to give good responses to common objections and queries from customers is one of the most basic and important skills of any sales professional.
It's particularly important if you're hoping to make a fast sale because you want to address any concerns or uncertainties your prospect has as quickly and definitively as possible.
Well-informed, no-nonsense objection handling can put customers at ease, since it shows that you're aware of their chief concerns and you know how to deal with them. This relies on going into every client meeting well-prepared and fully aware of your prospect's priorities.
4. Summarize
For someone to feel comfortable enough to commit to a purchase, first they have to feel confident that they are in possession of all the key details and knowledge they need to make an informed decision.
One effective way to give sales prospects this reassurance is to finish your pitch with a summary of the most relevant and appealing selling points you have outlined so far. Gathering all of the most important information together like this can increase the chances of a quick sale because it gives an impactful recap of everything the customer stands to receive if they decide to buy from you.
5. Keep focus on the customer and their needs
However keen you are to get a deal over the line in the shortest time possible, it's vital not to lose sight of the fact that the customer is king. The conversation should always be driven by what you can do for them and how they can benefit from your product or service.
Nothing is more likely to put the sale in jeopardy than giving the impression that your top priority is improving your own sales figures and you have little interest in securing the best result for the customer.
6. Be ready to beat the competition
One of the most common obstacles sales professionals have to overcome is explaining why their offering is better than that available from their competitors.
You’ll put yourself in a much stronger position to complete a quick sale if you have done your research and come up with a number of reasons why the customer should choose to buy from you over one of your rivals.
Being able to make a concise but convincing case for why you are better than the competition will give your prospect more confidence and increase the likelihood of a quick sale.
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