Make this 2020’s game changing resolution

Say just enough to close the sale. If the decision makers are ready to make a commitment, let them commit! Get out of their way. Make this your sales new year resolution. You can thank me later. When a girl says, “Would you like to kiss me?” it’s not a question. It’s an invitation for you to kiss her. It’s not a request to impress her with your ‘PowerPoint presentation’ that was leading to the very kiss. Get out of your way.

Reasons you do not get out of your way

There are several reasons why sellers impede the sale by continuing to give information yet the buyer is ready to purchase. First, the seller could simply be self-absorbed and not see the signs that the buyer is ready to, well, buy. So he talks himself out of the business. Caught up in what he is saying, he does not notice the buyer mentally switching off. After all, have you ever heard of someone listening his way out of the business! Another reason why sellers overtalk, is because they simply don’t know that they just need to say enough to close. They were never taught this. Until now. A third reason is because the seller wants to impress the buyer. As if to say, “I have worked on this presentation for weeks. I am also learned in this field. You will not take away my moment in the sunshine even if you are ready to buy. You must listen to me.”

Yet another reason why a seller may overshoot his window to close, is because he is sanctimonious. Driven by self-righteousness, he sees it as unethical (sinful actually) to limit the pitch to only what is necessary for the buyer to make a purchase decision. So he spells out all the nuts and bolts of the service to appease his self-perceived moral superiority. Whatever the reasons, you have lost sales because you said more than was necessary, stop. In 2020 and going forward, say just enough to close the sale.

Your reasons are invalid

None of the reasons given hold any water. When you are self-absorbed you will keep wondering why your conversion rates (to sales) are so poor yet everyone tells you how stellar your presentations are. And you don’t get rewarded on presentations made but sales closed. Next, hubris has no place in selling.  The more you impress the buyer with your knowledge the more you make him feel small and highly unlikely to buy; if you find one who wants to impress you back, it becomes a debate not a sale. Good luck with that! And finally, self-righteousness, just as with hubris, only serves to waste the buyer’s time and aggravate him out of a sale.

When the iron is hot, strike. When you see signs that he is ready to buy, close. Even if it’s minutes into the pitch. So long as your conscious is clear that your solution solves his problem, show authority and say just enough to close.


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