Sales Training - The ABCD of Closing the Sale

If you have been in sales for any length of time Ithat ABC does not work. What you do not know,
am sure you will have heard of a book or aalthough happily I do, is that there is another
process called 'The ABC of Selling'. The ABC isapproach that does work. I've called it ABCD.
quite simple. It stands for Always Be Closing.I learned by trial and error and some may say I
Over the years it has become a well-known sellinglearned the hard way. I disagree because I have
mantra. You may already know where itloved every single moment of it. However, if you
emanates from and if you don't, by now I'mhad asked me thirty years ago; Tony, here is a
guessing you know what's coming.short cut through some of the trials and errors.
Yes that's right it's American.Would you like it? I would probably take your
So, given that most sales training materials andhand of at the shoulder.
one of the most influential sales books everSo, I decided to write this book to help
comes from the States and, if we can agree thatprofessional salespeople like you and I to
UK and European citizens don't like to be sold to,appreciate the subtle differences we have to
it should be no surprise to learn that most peoplemake in our sales approach in order to succeed in
in the UK dislike salespeople as most of themthe UK and European environment.
have been trained in a manner that isAnd the first lesson you have to learn is this:
inappropriate to our fundamental culturalThe role of a British salesperson is not to 'sell' in
requirements. In other words, no wonder wethe American sense. If you want to sell to British
have such a bad reputation!customers (and most European customers that
The British are differenthave somehow acquired the famous British
British people (and in this I include most Europeansreserve), you have to do something different.
and anyone from Delhi to Cape Town viaYou have to create demand!
Kingston, Jamaica whose origins are culturallyABCD
British), respond to salespeople along a line thatMy ABCD stands for.............. 'Always Be Creating
starts at caution and proceeds through suspicionDEMAND.
to outright hostility. We want things; of course weCall it Desire, if you like. I often do. In our job we
do, and most of us have had to sell at someare contacting, networking, following up, and our
point in our lives; Britain is among the greatestaim is never to concentrate on the close: our
trading nations on earth. But as individuals wechallenge is to create demand for what we offer.
value our privacy, and unashamed ABC selling isEverything we say and do should ensure we
invasive.increase the amount of desire the customer has
Always Be Closing assaults our finer sensibilities.to do business with us, so much so I believe we
We are the modest virgins of the sales world,can safely say, "It is not our job to SELL, it is our
who must be wooed with a consultative approach.job to make customers want to buy from us!"
Being talked at by someone who is overtly aimingCall it facilitating the buying process if you like.
for a sale turns us well and truly off. We want toOnce that's done, closing is the easiest part of the
feel that we are in control and that we arejob. In fact, if you create enough demand, you
getting what we want. Not what the seller wantsdon't ever need to close. The client or customer
to sell to us.does not need to be "closed on". Like an expertly
I am British and I have chosen to make my livingcreated meal, when it is done, it is done. No
for past 30 years in sales. I know, as you know,further work required.