How to Close a Sale

Source: Public Practice E-News

The following includes excerpts from an article by Krista Remer and Jennifer Wilson of ConvergenceCoaching.

A few popular closing methods you may wish to try are the:

• Straightforward Close--The most direct closing method is to simply ask if the prospect is ready to make a decision and, if they are, how they feel about awarding the business to your firm.
  
  This method can make some people, especially those new to selling, uncomfortable. But the prospect may be expecting it.
  
  
• Reverse Close--With the reverse close method, you ask a question that you hope elicits a "no." For instance, you may ask, "Can you think of any reason why you wouldn't want to move forward on this engagement with our firm?" If the answer to this question is "no," you can move on to the straightforward close.
  
  
• Trial Close--Another popular closing method is called the trial close, where you ask something like, "Can you tell me the likelihood of your firm moving forward on this engagement with us?"
  
  Based upon their reply (and potentially some verbal and non-verbal cues), you may need to go back into handling objections or perhaps make a straightforward (or even assumptive) closing statement. Be careful not to get into a circular conversation where you are unable to move forward and close the business.
  
  
• Assumptive Close--It is not for everyone. You will presume that the business is already sold--a bold move. First, ask an open-ended question to uncover any further issues and the prospect's thoughts about moving forward, as in the trial close. If no issues are raised, then you may say something like, "It appears that you are comfortable with all aspects of our proposal and have no further objections. If you agree that that's the case, would you like to begin this project next Monday or the first of the month?"

For the complete article, click here.

From Public Practice E-News, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, February 2010, http://www.tscpa.org/.

Krista Remer is a consultant and Jennifer Wilson is a partner and co-founder of ConvergenceCoaching, LLC, a leadership and marketing consulting and coaching firm that specializes in helping CPA and IT firms achieve success. Learn more about the company at www.convergencecoaching.com.