Welcome to our forum.
Steve, Is "Asking for the Sale" as litteral as it sounds? (ie "Do we have a deal?" ) How does a salesperson "ask for the sale" ?
Steve already explained one example."Well Anne, that'a everything I can think of..."
If you don't "close", you don't eat!
Of course you have to ask for the sale. That doesn't mean some sleazy closing technique. I don't know what the stats are, but it is well known that a large percentage of sales presentations end without the salesperson asking for the sale.To Anne's points...yes, there are different stages of shopping. I, too, gather information. I, too, want to be left alone part of the time. However, the customer needs to be treated with respect and, even if the customer is information gathering, the salesperson needs to do what he can to move the sale along. Sometimes people come in saying they are just looking, just gathering information, just thinking...and they leave with a new spa.You never know. 8-)
I think one major point that needs to be added is: mirroring. I've been in professional sales for almost 15 years, (retail and business to business) and you have to learn that the hard way, that if you don't mirror the consumer, you may not make the sale.A person like Anne needs her "space", whereas I love being "sold" and given tons of information. If you treat each client the same, you will not get the results you're looking for.IMHO....Mark
Thanks Steve. I'm enjoying this. Sales has always fasincated me, as I've met some folks who have seen some outrageous success, and others who have done everyhting "right" and had the best product, but still not make a go ot it. Also, to a certain extent, we are all salesmen.Anyhow to play devil's advocate...I wonder, you say you get 85% closure when you do an "at house" consulttion. I wonder if this is so much a function that they are in thier comfort zone, or the simple fact that bringing a saleman into thier home signals that they are further along the sales path than "just looking"? I think it's a great tool, as if I am serious about buying, but not 100% sure on the purchase, if i give up my free time for you to come out, I'm somewhat serious, and I will have put some serious thought into the purchase and before you come over, talk with my spouse about "are we really going to buy from this person? Or just use this expereince to pick his brian?" (I'm doing this with my decks. I've got one very exspensive architect who I made contact with at a home show INSIST he come to the house. I know I can't afford him, but if he wants to spend the time desinging me a deck, while I pick his brian for details and what he suggests. then' that's fine.