Closing Sales - 7 Steps to Plan and Prepare Your Sales Call

This is the first of my series of 20 articles onyou make your presentation. In addition you
Closing Sales and Becoming an All-Star Salesdemonstrate that you're interested in him. It helps
Person. This article is an overview regarding howyou build rapport and build credibility.
to structure a sales presentation. There areStep four, Present. Here is where you do most of
seven steps. Some you already know, so it will bethe talking. This is where you provide a solution
a refresher or reminder. Some you know, butfor your prospect's need. It's critical that you
didn't know that you knew it. This will make youcreate a desire on your prospect's part to have
more conscious and confident. The rest will bethat solution otherwise, there is no point in going
brand new, and as such will excite and motivateany further.
you.Step five, Close. This is what it is all about. The
The new knowledge is a foundation for addingclose generates action. Nothing happens until
new skills that you'll develop and this will increasesomething gets sold. You must ask a closing
your confidence and enthusiasm and ultimatelyquestion. Subsequent videos will have detailed
make you more successful. These steps will helpcloses and there are many, many more in my
you develop rapport, understand your prospectbook, All Star Selling.
better and help you be more persuasive.Step six, Post-close. After you complete the sale,
1. Prepareyou don't just want to pack up and leave. You
2. Approachwant to do what you can to reinforce the
3. Probepositive decision that your buyer just made. A
4. Presentgood port-close will also eliminate buyer's remorse.
5. Close or completeHere's how: you put your client in the future,
6. Post-closehappy with what he has just decided to buy.
7. Alternate Close.Then you summarize the details of what happens
I'll review them with you in more detail, andnext, so there won't be any surprises or
subsequent articles will give you even moreunrealized expectations and ask for referrals.
in-depth information you can use to be moreStep seven, Alternate close. If your close fails,
successful.you can go back to step two and make a new
Step one, Prepare. You have to plan first. Whatapproach or ask more questions or make another
do you want to accomplish, who's going to bebenefit presentation or close again differently or
there? What can you expect, what research candeal with the objection, resolve. In other words, if
you use? You want to be prepared for everyyour close is not successful, you can recycle back
possible contingency. We'll go into more detail into the approach of the probe or make another
subsequent articles.benefit presentation.
Step two, Approach. What is it? It's what you sayWinners prepare. Take a few minutes to plan the
to get started. What's the purpose of a goodoutcome you want and you will achieve it. Fail to
approach? It establishes your credibility and buildsplan is like planning to fail. This first article provides
rapport. Regarding small talk, some people like it,an overview of the entire process. The next 19
others don't. That's the advantage of learning asgo into specific detail. What you've just done,
much as you can about your prospect as part ofyou've grasped the importance of taking a
your preparation.planned, structured approach to selling. You're
Step three, Probe. Why probe? Well, topreparing to succeed. Study the science of closing
understand your prospect, to learn about hissales and eventually you will master the art of
needs, his priorities and his decision makingclosing sales.
process so you can relate better to him when