Winning or closing a sale is an important aspect in the sales process, because of the fear the customer might say no, most salespeople fail to ask for the order. In this blog, I explain the importance of closing a sale at the right time and every time.
Do you remember, actor Murali, he comes as a pleasant gentleman, does everything to impress his heartthrob but till the end of the movie, he won’t express his Love, even he is Ok to give his life rather expressing his love and lose his sweetheart.
In our story Murali takes the role of a salesperson:
After calling his customer eight to nine times, the salesman Murali gave a demonstration about the new software
The following conversation took place
Salesman: it’s nice software isn’t it
Customer: Yes,
Salesman: it saves you a lot of time in preparing your reports, analyzing your data isn’t it
Customer: Yes,
Salesman: it has a nice visual dashboard, do you like it
Customer: Yes,
Salesman: it’s in the cloud, so you don’t have to maintain it .it’s easy for you right
Customer: Yes,
The salesman continued to show the demonstration, stacking more and more features and benefits.
The customer become impatient and asked, could I try the software?
The customer tried it loved it.
Finally, our salesman Murali asked, if you like the software why not let me have the order
For that customer replied “You haven’t had asked for it” Please install one for our office
Most sales scenarios are like this ‘we are waiting for the customer to give us the order and the customers don’t know what to do next and waiting for us to lead them.
Salespeople are going out meeting customer after customer, giving demonstration after demonstration, building relationships after relationships strong enough to give him a bride, but not asking for a sale?
Salespeople fear asking for the order. Solopreneurs think it’s below their dignity to ask for the order.
The biggest problem in sales today is not in the demand gap, but in identifying the right customer and closing a sale, most importantly closing them at the right time.
Like any good movie comes to an end, closing a sale is as important as business.
The scenario discussed is hypothetical, but every sales situation is unique. There is no thumb rule to say when to ask for an order, but if you have made your proposal strong enough and the customer is red hot, strike the deal, Not before, not after, exactly when the customer is showing all the signs of interest.
Your Sales process might be a simple 3 steps retail sales or it might be a complex 9 steps B2B process, but sales opportunities need an end and it’s the responsibility of salespeople to ask for the sale.
After you explain all the benefits and not asking for the sale, you are only doing a favor to your competitors, preparing your customers for competitors. Someone is going to take away your Sales.
Someone else is going to marry; Mr.Murali
If you have given every information to your customer, shared your credentials, proved your value, then ask for the sale. You have every right to ASK FOR THE ORDER.
Ask and it will be given to you.
Still, your sales team is struggling to close new Sales; no worries, our new training framework covers it all. Before I ask for your order, come let us get close
Please take 1 minute to comment on your views, I value them.
yes this is a very common tendency with most sales men
I DID MANY TIMES THANKS RAMESH FOR MAKING ME FROM MURALI TO MADHAVAN
A unique example using Murali. It has happened in my sales experience too. Hesitation in closing the sales, I have lost a few orders
Thank you
You have made it point specific and simple; very insightful post! Thanks for sharing!