synergy training e-article

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Apr 2008
by Shaun Adams,


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Well, "just ask" for the sale I hear you say, I mean, how hard can it be!. And sometimes I think the same. And.... in the past 5 Sales Boot camps I have run, everyone (bar none) says they know how to ask for the sale, so what's all the fuss about? However the Sales Gurus around the globe still insist that 4 out of every 5 sales presentations result in a sale not being asked for.

Now if that were the case then that really would be a state for concern. I mean, imagine that for every missed sale due to someone not 'asking' effectively we were losing £100s of pounds and if that were only 3 sales a week, that could amount to £4,000 a month for even a small club operator!

I am writing this NOT to go into the 101 ways to close a sale, but just a quick 'check up from the neck up' to question if we are truly asking for the sale or not.... and in a way we all know we should be.

So are we really asking? Well, while training a new Impact Sales Team recently I decided to put it to the test. Now you know my style is not the 'Cool Blue' preference so don't expect data cross referenced for the past century - you aint getting it!, But from the 3 major chain clubs we did a Mystery Shop (VA, DLL, FF) - NONE of them asked for the sale. The best we got was "So, would you like to join?".

Yes, I here you at the back, of course, yes, this is a request for a sale, but 2 things here, firstly it was a shame as this question was then followed up (within 5 seconds) with "you can take as much time as you want". Now, considering I was playing the 'Earth Green' personality and I was only taking a few seconds out to internalise the question and understand my feelings about making a commitment, every time another question came along and interrupted my thought process (bad, bad Sunshine Yellow Sales person), I had to spend more time thinking and internalising - resulting in that dilemma for the MC of me wanting to think about it at home where I know I can think and feel more clearly.

But the main mistake was ...... you got it! the 'Closed' question. "would you like to join?" - Answer = Yes or No. And many times the prospective member does NOT want to go through the pain of joining, but they do want the benefits of what it will bring. However your question did not focus on the them making a commitment to one programme or another or which price option was best for them.

So how should I ask for the sale? - Here are a few questions and..... am not going into 'how to close a sale' here, as this will be covered in future Sales Ops e-articles. Now as long as I have done a thorough Needs Analysis, summarised their goals, covered the Benefits in depth, even anchored them to 'getting started' at our club and am closing when they are 'ready to buy' (covered in Buying Signals), I can use any of the following:

1. The Assumptive Close - This might be one of the most powerful of all closing techniques and one of my favourites. (directly after feeding back a summary of their goals and taking them through the simple price options) - "James, you do have a lot to benefit from being a member and from what you've told me about the kind of exercise plan you would like, you are going to really love the programe we create for you. If you can simply authorise here, I can arrange your personal induction for a time that suits you this week." - This close can work so well as many prospective members are afraid to make decisions.

2. The Optional or Choice Close - Another one of my favourites. With this close, you focus on one or two relatively minor choices. In agreeing to one or the other they are in effect, agreeing to buy the membership itself. (directly after you have giving them the price options) - "Jayne, the membership options we have for making a commitment today are.....you can either spread your payments monthly or if you would like to make a further saving of X, you can Pay In Full (pif) for the year. Which option works best for you? Great, let's get you started."

There are 2 others my sales teams use regularly - the Benefits and "I Recommend" close, which I will cover in future e-articles.

Remember the last thing you want to do is be trying to remember your words, right at the crunch point - any hesitation on your part will be sensed and picked up on by the PM (prospective member) and will cause them to hesitate and ultimately to want to go a way to think about it. So whatever you choose as your 'default' closing question - make sure you practice it so you can deliver it seamlessly and avoid either asking closed questions or worse still none at all.

Happy Selling!

Shaun, is Director of Sales & Training for Synergy and an excellent sales trainer who appeals to both experienced and non-sales staff. Shaun is an inspiring motivational speaker and available for training days, conference speaking and workshop delivery.

If you are interested in Sales Training, Sale Team Coaching or Sales Promotion support; ....Contact Shaun

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