A Master Class in Closing Sales V1

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2014 ViSteps Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.www.SalesVision.com.au is a business wholly owned and operated by ViSteps Pty Ltd.

A M a s t e r Cl a ss i n Cl o s i n g Sa l e s

LearnStep-by-Stephow improve your sales

closure rate by up to 50%

www.SalesVision.com.au

By Shawn Collins

This is the abridged ebook version of the soon to be released book A Master Class inClosing Sales


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Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Part 1: Critical Components to setup a Master Close 5 Business Value Proposition (BVP) 5 Probing Questions 6 Questioning Depth 7 Persuasion 10

o Hopes 10o Anxieties 11

The Personal Plan using Visualizations 13 Overcoming Objections Step-by-Step 16

o Know your competitors products backwards 16o Know the best and worst case scenarios for each point of

comparison 16o Use best and worst case Scenario visualisations to overcome

objections 17

Part 2: Sales Style What Works 18 Script or no Script 18 Natural business conversation 19 Avoid clichs and hyperbole they dont work and youll lose credibility 19 Confidence and Certainty 20 Reputation 21 Regain Attention with difficult questions 21 Mesmerise with repetition Close like the President 22 Voice Pace and Tone 24

Part 3: The Master Close Step-by-Step 25 Bring it to a Logical Conclusion - Paying is merely a formality 25 Closing Conversation Structure Flowchart 26 Closing Conversation example 26 Leave it alone 28

Conclusion 28


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Introduction

For about one year I had been selling education products, on the surface I was doing well,ranked in the top 10% of the sales reps in the company. The sales manager was happywith me, I mean after one year to be in the top few was actually a really goodachievement. But I wasnt satisfied; the reason was that there was another guy that

earned double what I earned! Yes, the top salesperson consistently sold about 50% morethan me, and his commission was nearly double mine.

In my previous sales role I was the top gun. I had to find out how this guy did it. Sure hehad been there longer and had more prospects in his database, but his closure rate fornew leads was almost unbelievable. How could this person be so much better thaneveryone else?

I was on a mission, I spoke to the sales manager and arranged to move desks; I was nowsitting next to the top gun.

My master class in sales had begun. Everyday, whenever he spoke I would try to writeevery single word down that he said. I then arranged to get voice recordings of hisconversations; I studied them over and over, noting every pause, uptick and downtick in

his voice. After about 6 weeks of studying him, I had a series of eureka moments. I haddiscovered what I believed was his secret ingredients. It was like I was in the Matrix,looking at it all in slow motion.I went about documenting how he did it. Within a few more months I was the no.2 salesrep and climbing. It took me about 6 more months and I finally caught up to him.

I still wasnt satisfied, my next step was to go about reading every sales training book Icould find to see if somebody had already done all the hard work and documented all ofthis. The conclusion I came to was that the vast majority of these books while giving someuseful tips, were too conceptual, too general or gimmicky, only a small percentage of themactually showed specifically and methodically how to be get extraordinary results, but eventhen there were unexplained gaps in the sales cycle, specifically the art of closing the sale,the way that I had learnt myself.

That was about 12 years ago, since then Ive worked as a Business Development Manager,Sales Manager and Sales Trainer in a variety of industries. Ive worked with some of thebest sales reps in the world, sales reps that I would consider to be in the top 1% ofperformers of their industries.

Now I have a new mission, to document step-by-step how to get an extraordinarily highsales closure rate. I want to empower sales people with the right technique and structuresso that they too can see their sales climb. I want to provide a structure which can beadopted and adapted to each persons individual style, and to each industry.

This book is the result of that mission.

Every concept that I talk about in the following chapters I will also follow up with specific

real world examples with sample dialogue. Again, the goal of this book is to provide astep-by-step guide.Where appropriate a conversation structure will be included. Its not about memorizingscripts or secret words; its about knowing the right conversation structure to use, at theright time.

This book is for those who already have some sales experience; it is not meant forbeginners or people who have no sales experience. If you have never worked in salesbefore by all means read this book, but really you should first read a sales for beginnersbook, to get a proper understanding of the full sales cycle.This guide has a laser focus on improving the sales closure rate for existing sales reps.

So are you ready to improve your sales closure rate by up to 50%? If yes, read on.

Som e p e o p le h a v e a sk e d m e , am I u n c om f o r t a b l e sa y i n g t h a t I c an

i n c r e as e som e o n e s s a le s b y u p t o 5 0 % ; t h a t s e em s a l o t .


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Let me tell you a story, before answering that question.

About 11 years ago I was playing tennis, I served the ball and I felt a sharp pain in myshoulder. The next day, I couldnt move my shoulder at all with out extreme pain. I wentthough the medical system, and finally a shoulder specialist told me that I had a rotator

cuff tear and I could elect to have surgery to try and fix it, he said it had about a 50%success rate, and that I would need time off work and that my shoulder would be in a cast.He said the other option was to get physio and eventually the pain would subside. But ineither case, my shoulder would never be the same and to forget about ever playing tennisagain. I got physio and eventually the pain did go away. Apart from the pain it was hard toaccept that I wouldnt play tennis again, a game I had played all my life and loved.

Skip ahead 6 years. Im working as a business development manager selling outsourcingsolutions to companies in Australia and the USA. A friend asks me to play Badminton; Ipolitely said that I have a busted shoulder and thanks but no thanks.

That night I was thinking about a book I had read the year before The brain that changesitself by Norman Doidge M.D. Basically its a book about neuroplasticity. How the brainfaced with changes will adapt and form new neural connections, when they are forced to,

effectively forming new neural patterns and connections allowing you to do things youcouldnt do before. There is one remarkable case study of a stroke patient who waslearning to speak again. To sum it up Neuroplasticity will permanently alter the way yousee your brain and human potential. There are several good books on the subject now youshould read up on.

The next day I said yes lets play, but I would play with my left hand (Im naturally righthanded). I wanted to test my brain and see how I could develop my coordination in thehope that I could play competitive tennis again but left handed.

The idea was to first develop some coordination playing badminton (build the neuralconnections in my brain that deals with coordination in my left hand), I also had to buildmuscle strength in my left wrist and hand.

The first match I felt ridicules, I just had no coordination with my left hand at all, I couldbarely hit the shuttlecock. I had to keep apologising to my friend, the result was nosurprise, I lost 3-0 without me winning one point.

But my friend had a lot of patience (and apparently no one else to play with). We playedonce a week for 1 year. This is what happened. After about 6 weeks I could regularly get 1or 2 points in a game.After about 4 months I could get up to 5 or 6 in a game. At this stage I had still had neverwon a game. After about 9 months of play I finally cracked him. I beat him 3 games to 2.After that we were about equal.

Next step tennis, with a much heavier racquet and much more pressure with ball onracquet. I wanted to relearn how to play with my left hand. I started tennis lessons with a

professional coach, with all the coordination I now had though badminton and with theextra weight training I had done, I was now ready to hit my first tennis ball in about 7years. The rest is history; I can now play with my left hand to a high enough standard towin plenty of games. I think the moral of this story is obvious.

From my first game of badminton to now, I didnt improve 50%; I improved about 500%(or even 5000%).

In sales, the amount to which you can improve depends on the answer to the followingtwo questions.

What skill level do you currently have?

Will you focus on improvement by methodically analysing every aspect of yoursales method?


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If you are already at the top of your game, the top of your sales team, you are probablydoing many of the things in this book and as a consequence you may only see a smallimprovement in your sales, but still a small increase in your sales closure rate may equateto thousands of dollars in sales commission.

If you read this book and you realise you can improve a lot, then 50% improvement in

sales could easily happen within a 6 month period, if you work methodically andthoughtfully to improve.

The bottom line is that by continually trying to refine and improve your sales method, youwill see extraordinarily results.

So are you ready to improve your sales closure rate by up to 50%? If yes, read on.

Part 1: Critical Components to setup a Master Close

Business Value Proposition (BVP)

When you first call any prospect, you have to know what your business value proposition isto get their attention. It has to be specific and it has to relate directly to the prospectssituation.

The format of a BVP is:

We specialise in Plus the BVP as shown below

Direction + Business Priority + Amount

Examples:

Decreasing Customer churn by 8% Increasing the average sale value by 24% Saving the average household $780 a year on their energy bill Decreasing the average delivery time by 3 days

Examples of the Direction element

IncreaseDecreaseStrengthenCutReduceImproveGrowSaveEliminateMinimizeMaximise

Examples of the Business Priority element

Delivery timeCompletion timeLead conversion rateAverage sale valueMarket shareCustomer retentionCustomer satisfaction rate

Churn rate

The Amount Element should by a number or a percentage


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You should have a few different BVPs depending on the industry and the specific issuesthat a prospect faces.

For example, if you are selling Freight handling solutions to manufacturers. You mightknow through a competitors press release that a company has lost a contract due to late

deliveries. You might say:

We specialise in reducingthe average delivery timeof freight by 2.6 days

If you read company press releases and you know that a prospect is looking to expandtheir distribution to other parts of the country. You might say:

We specialise in expandingthe national delivery footprintof manufacturers within 3weeks.

If you have researched the prospects business and you open with stating that yourspecialisation is the very same issue that they are currently facing, well, thats dynamite.

Probing Questions

Probing questions during the qualification stage are crucial; the answers you will receivewill form the basis of the rest of your communications with the prospect.

Dont just rattle off question after question, the prospect will start to get uncomfortableand close up; you have to make it like a normal conversation. You will be directing theconversation in order to find out what the prospects ultimate goals are.

You are trying to uncover what the prospect really wants. What is the core of their need,what are their hopes, dreams and fears? Many times your product is something they needalong the way in order to meet some other ultimate goal.

You should try to find the ultimate goal; you have to understand the full journey that theprospect is on.

The deeper your questions go, the better you will understand the prospect.

Have a look at the example below; it is a sales call with someone interested in buying aproject management certification course:

Sales Rep: So, why are you interested in doing a Project management certificationcourse?

Prospect: Ive been working as a Project Manager with an Engineering company for2 years, but I just want to get some official certification behind me.

Sales Rep: 2 years thats along time, do you like it there?

Prospect: No, not really, there is no career progression, and my manager is notinterested in helping me with my career.

Sales Rep: Oh ok, I understand. So, what do you want with your next job.

Prospect: I want to work at a higher level with a more reputable company. Most ofthe guys I went to university with are doing really well, and I think I am fallingbehind.

Sales Rep: What are your old Uni friends doing now?

Prospect: Well, I just spoke to one hes earning 180k and running a whole divisionof the Acme Company.


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Sales Rep: How much do you want to earn for your next job?

Prospect: Well, Im on 80K at the moment, and Im looking to buy a place so Ineed to earn over $100k for my next job.

Sales Rep: Youre buying a place, nice. So, youre just renting now.

Prospect: Yeah renting with my girlfriend.

Sales Rep: So, she is sick of renting and wants to get a place?

Prospect: Thats the plan, yeah.

Sales Rep: Yeah, I rented for 5 years, twice the owner sold and we were kickedout, it was so annoying.

Prospect: Yeah well, our landlord just put the rent up $30 and he wont fix thewindows that leak when it rains.

Sales Rep: You should make a complaint about him.

Prospect: I was going to but I dont want to have bad relations with him, I dontwant to get kicked out again.

So what have we learnt from this series of questions.

Hes not happy with his job His manager does not support him He wants to work at a higher level, with a more reputable company. He thinks he is falling behind His old uni friends earn more money than him One friend earns $180k; he earns $80K but needs to earn $100k He wants to buy a home with his girlfriend. His rent is going up $30 per week and his windows leak when it rains. He is scared of getting kicked out of his rental place

The above points will be used over and over again, in all conversations with this prospectfrom now on. It will also form the central part of the conversation when you go to closethe sale (this will be discussed in depth in Part 3: The Master Close Step-by-Step)

These points should be saved in your CRM for future reference. Before you talk to thisprospect again, you should read your notes.

Questioning Depth

The questioning depth to which the sales person goes should be determined by the

complexity of the product, for example:

Selling Cable Internet may need 5 levels Selling a round the world package holiday for a family of 8 may need 20 levels Selling a new HR management system to a multinational company may need 50

levels

With our previous example; I think 5 levels of detail are sufficient, as shown below:

20% of sales reps go this deepLevel 1Hes not happy with his jobHis manager does not support him

30% of sales reps go this deepLevel 2


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He wants to work at a higher level, with a more reputable company.He thinks he is falling behind

40% of Sales Reps go this deepLevel 3His old uni friends earn more money than him

One friend earns $180k; he earns $80K but needs to earn $100k

9% of Sales Reps go this deepLevel 4He wants to buy a home with his girlfriend.His rent is going up $30 per week and his windows leak when it rains.

1% of Sales Reps go this deepLevel 5He is scared of getting kicked out of his rental place

Lets take a step-by-step look at exactly how the sales person drills down with theirquestions, and directs the conversation.


Is a top level question; why are they interested in the product?Prospect: Ive been working as a Project Manager with an Engineering company for2 years, but I just want to get some official certification behind me.

Sales Rep: 2 years thats along time, do you like it there?

The sales rep knows that he has to find out something that the prospect isnot happy with, so knowing that he is working, its common to ask if theylike it.

Prospect: No, not really, there is no career progression, and my manager is notinterested in helping me with my career.

Sales Rep: Oh ok, I understand. So, what do you want with your next job.

Prospect is not happy, so logically they are looking for something else.Prospect: I want to work at a higher level with a more reputable company. Most ofthe guys I went to university with are doing really well, and I think I am fallingbehind.

Now we are getting some good information. He is comparing himself to hisuniversity friends. The rep knows that when people start comparing

themselves, they are showing what they value in themselves and others.

Sales Rep: What are your old University friends doing now?


Its generally not polite to ask how much someone earns, but it iscompletely fine to ask how much they want to earn. The Sales Rep is alsogoing to use the amount to establish need later on.




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Bingo, you now have some really good personal information about theprospect. The conversation is then led into renting, its generallyunderstood that it is better to own than to rent a place. So the rep is tryingto establish more needs.



The sales rep is really leading the conversation to where he wants it to go;also making use of a popular narrative in the media - renting horrorstories.



The sales rep now uses a personal anecdote to elicit more details from theprospect.



Established good rapport, and really getting to rock bottom.Sales Rep: You should make a complaint about him.


You notice how this sounds like a normal conversation. The reason it does is because it is.The more you can make a sales conversation sound like a normal conversation the better.

It should be a normal conversation between two people who have just met or who haveonly spoken a few times. The only difference is that you are directing it the way you want,not leaving the conversation direction to chance.

Here is another example of different focus points in the conversation.


Prospect: Ive been working as a Project Manager with an Engineering company for2 years, but I just want to get some official certification behind me.

Sales Rep: Engineering, so you studied Engineering at University?

Prospect: No, I was a Business Major. I just fell into this job, because well, its all Icould get at the time.

Sales Rep: Oh ok, I understand. So, what would your ideal job be?

Prospect: I want to work at a higher level with a more reputable company. Most ofthe guys I went to university with are doing really well, and I think I am fallingbehind.

Sales Rep: You are falling behind, what do you mean?



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Sales Rep: You should make a complaint about him.


Persuasion

Hopes

Knowing the hopes of your prospect is critical in the sales process. It doesnt matter whatyoure selling there are always hopes; Hope for a favourable outcome. If you say that yourprospects dont have hopes in relation to your product, then I suggest you have a look atchanging career paths. Once I nearly choked on my coffee when a sales manager told mehe didnt think his customers had hopes in relation to his product.

The hopes and dreams we have sustain us; they give us something to work towards, tostruggle for, and to struggle against. They light up our minds when we are feeling down.

He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.Friedrich Nietzsche

In the Nazi concentration camps, one could have witnessed that those who knewthat there was a task waiting for them to fulfil were most apt to survive.Viktor Frankl, Mans search for meaning

Frankls book Mans search for meaning is one of the great works written on the search

for meaning through hope and purpose, I highly recommend that you read it, if youhavent already.

At our foundation, our hopes are intertwined with the meaning we find in our lives. Itdoesnt matter if you sell something which is not perceived to be life changing; it is aboutconnecting your product with the short term and long term hopes and dreams of theprospect.

Examples of hopes for different products below:

Solar Panels for the roof

Save money on electricity bills, to then buy my daughter a violin Have less reliance on power companies, I think they are monopolistic and

have been gauging consumers for years. Help the environment, and set a good example for my daughter


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HR Software System

To unify the HR and the Talent management aspects of our database To use one platform to manage all staff, allowing for massive insights into

individual effectiveness and productivity

Use the software rollout as a case study in the book Im writing called HRExcellence How to find and keep gifted people.

Management Training

Earn more money to pay my mortgage off Get a new job with more respect in a multinational company Travel and see the world through work.

Cable Internet

Use it to stay in touch with family that live in other cities Get extra tutorials for my daughter who is studying French in high school, I

want her to be fluent in French it was always my dream Learn how to do a blog. I want to start my own based on my experiences

of working at the local hospital emergency ward

Cloud based Mobile software development tool

I want to make cool games that my friends can play I have an idea for a game that will make me the next Bill Gates I love gaming so if I could do it for a living than that would be awesome

Weed Killer

My garden has the potential to be the best on the street I just spent 4 months landscaping my new garden and I want to keep it

looking like it is now. I love grass. Especially the Santa Ana variety, my goal is to have it cover

most of my property, I just love to walk on it

I could go on and on. Please put your thinking caps on. If you want to get extraordinaryresults, you have to know the hopes of your prospects, the more specific the better.

You should get together with some of your colleagues, and write a list of all the hopes thatyou have heard from your customers. On any product you could write 10, on someproducts you could write 50 or more. The key is that you should already be familiar withthe common ones, and direct probing questions to discover them.

This is the key; you have to already know the complete spectrum of hopes in relation toyour product. Then in the qualification stage, you must listen carefully to the prospect

responses, ready to direct the conversation into different areas, and when you spot somehopes, you drill down to really get to the bottom of what is driving them.

Anxieties

The opposite of hopes are anxieties, which is feeling or showing worry, nervousness, orunease about something with an uncertain outcome.

We see the inducement of anxiety for the purposes of persuasion everywhere around us;you just have to scratch the surface.

How would you go about persuading a nation and its allies to start a pre-emptive war?


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Well, you do what every political strategist already knows. You try to find the worstpossible scenario that will induce anxiety and then keep repeating it over and over untilpeople feel it in their bones.

"We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."--Condoleezza Rice, Sept. 8, 2002

"Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof--the smokinggun--that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud."--George W. Bush, Oct. 7, 2002

"We know he has been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons,and we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons."--Dick Cheney, March 16, 2003

So, lets be clear about the above quotes. They are saying if we dont go to war now, thenwe all risk dying in a nuclear attack. Thats a strong worst case scenario, although theprobability of it actually happening was wildly inaccurate.

Anxiety is part of the human condition, nothing will ever change that. We become anxious

when we think things wont happen the way we want them.

What about religion, you would need to induce some series anxiety.How do you convince people to actually change what they believe and then follow you?

Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.Jesus

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than fora rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus

"Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."Matthew 10:28

The last quote states it all pretty clearly.

Jesus could quite possibly be the greatest persuader who ever lived. He had a message, hesold it, and 2000 years later its still going strong.

Ok, back to our smaller worlds.

Prospect anxieties are normally the opposite of their hopes

Hopes Anxieties

So l a r Pan e l s f o r t h e r o o f

Save money on electricity bills Waste money on electricity billsHave less reliance on power companies, Ithink they are monopolistic and have beengauging consumers for years

Be totally reliant on power companies, Ithink they are monopolistic and have beengauging consumers for years

Help the environment, and set a goodexample for my daughter

Damage my local environment, and not seta good example for my daughter

HR S o f t w a r e Sy s t e m

To unify the HR and the Talent managementaspects of our database

Have the HR and Talent managementaspects of our database separate

To use one platform to manage all staff,allowing for massive insights into individualeffectiveness and productivity

Without one integrated platform to manageall staff, very difficult to have deep insightsinto individual effectiveness and productivity

Use the software rollout as a case study inthe book Im writing called HR Excellence

An unsuccessful software rollout will damagethe credibility of the book Im writing called


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How to find and keep gifted people. HR Excellence How to find and keepgifted people.

Ma n a g em e n t Tr a i n i n g

Earn more money to pay my mortgage off Never pay off the mortgage

Get a new job with more respect in a

multinational company

Be stuck in current job, with no respect or

opportunitiesTravel and see the world through work Be stuck here

Ca b l e I n t e r n e t

Use it to stay in touch with family that livein other cities

Lose contact with family

Get extra tutorials for my daughter who isstudying French in high school, I want her tobe fluent in French it was always my dream

My daughter never learns French becausewe didnt get cable internet

Learn how to do a blog. I want to start myown based on my experiences of working atthe local hospital emergency ward

Never have the opportunity to share myexperiences working at the hospitalemergency ward

Cl o u d b a s e d M o b i l e s o f t w a r e

d e v e l o pm e n t t o o l

I want to make cool games that my friendscan play

To not make cool games, and share themwith my friends

I have an idea for a game that will make methe next Bill Gates

Someone develops my idea before me, andI miss the opportunity to make money outof it

I love gaming so if I could do it for a livingthan that would be awesome

Get stuck in a job I hate, when I had theopportunity to do something I love

W e e d K i l le r

My garden has the potential to be the best

on the street

My garden is a mess, I would be completely

embarrassed if anyone saw itI just spent 4 months landscaping my newgarden and I want to keep it looking like it isnow.

I just spent 4 months landscaping my newgarden and weeds destroy it

I love grass. Especially the Santa Anavariety, my goal is to have it cover most ofmy property, I just love to walk on it

I love grass. Especially the Santa Anavariety, I would die if weeds startedspringing up everywhere

The Personal Plan using Visualizations

By now you would know the Hopes and the Anxieties of the prospect. These will form thebasis of all other communications with them. Each phone call, each visit, there will be

reminders. Every time you repeat them, they are visceral reminders, they set off emotionswhich the prospect themselves cant articulate or even be aware of. It is creating anincredible bond between you and the prospect. When it comes time to close the sale, itsdynamite.

These Hopes and Anxieties should now be used to craft two short powerful visualisations.Visualisations that take place in the future.

Visualisations are used in several other disciplines, namely professional sports coaching,psychology and anything to do with high performance or changing ingrained attitudes.Visualization has also been called guided imagery, mental rehearsal, and a variety of otherthings. Generally speaking, visualization is the process of creating a mental image orintention of what you want to happen or feel.

One famous study from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio compared people whoactually went to the gym for weight training against people who just visualised about going


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to the Gym and lifting weights. The study found that those who actually went to the gymincreased muscle mass by 30% and the group that only visualised weight training gained13.5%! Yes, visualising about an activity has a physical affect on the brain and body.

Professional athletes have been using visualisations for decades. Tiger Woods has beendoing it since he was a teenager. He uses highly detailed images and step-by-step run-

throughs of his entire performance, engaging all his senses in a mental rehearsal. JackNicklaus once said I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head.

These visualisations can include any of the senses. They can be visual (images andpictures), kinesthetic (how the body feels), or auditory (the sound of a jet plane). Forexample through visualization, an athlete can call up these images over and over,enhancing the skill through repetition or rehearsal, similar to physical practice.

As a sales rep, you must craft visualisations for your prospect (No, this is not from the filmInception), then you skilfully use them at the right moment. This will resonate and preparethe prospects mind and when the time comes to close the sale, they will be ready to buy.

With your sales visualizations its about placing the prospect in the future situation where

you already know they want to be. In the case of the Anxiety scenario it is aboutdescribing a future situation when they are living their anxiety.

Its about painting a picture of the future that feels real, where they could almost touch it.By describing a scenario with the words that they have already told you, you can create acompelling argument for action.

The key is to be methodical; methodically use the visualisations at the right moment,normally every time you speak to the prospect. After every conversation the prospect willcome away from it thinking wow that guy really understands me. Their excitement levelwill be lifted every time you talk. The visualisations you create will hopefully live andrepeat in their minds over and over until next time you talk, when they may saysomething like you know, I was thinking about what you said. This is a sure sign thatyou have chosen the right visualisation.

Now we have to create a Best and Worst case scenario visualisation. This will plug into anyconversation structure you want to use, as shown below.

Here is an example dialogue using the previous scenario at the end of a qualificationconversation.

Be s t Ca s e S c e n a r i o v i s u a l i s a t i o n :

Sales Rep:In 1 year from now,I want you to be in a new Project Management job, a job where you can thrive.I want you to be proud of the company you work for, proud to talk to your old university

friendsI want you to take the next step in buying your home and to never have to worry aboutlandlords or flooded floors again. Is that what you want?

Prospect:Oh, yeah thats exactly what I want.

Sales Rep:Ok, so, Ill send that proposal over to you this afternoon. Please have a read of it tonight.Then tomorrow Ill call you at around 11am and well go over the details, ok?

Prospect:Ok, No problem talk to you then.

Sales Rep:Ok bye.


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W o r s t C a s e S c en a r i o v i s u a l i s a t i o n

The worst case scenario visualisation is normally used later in the sales cycle, when theprospect is trying to put off buying by making unrealistic excuses. Basically it is used whenthey dont take action on a milestone that you have set, in the below example the prospect

has not read the proposal by the agreed upon time. This will be looked at in more detail inthe Overcoming Objections section.

Prospect:Um, no, I didnt read what you sent me I was watching Game of Thrones last night and Inever got a chance.

Sales Rep:Oh ok, so you decided your going to stay at your current job?

Prospect:Oh, no, Im going to get another job.

Sales Rep:

Ok, yeah, well have a read of the information tonight, the only reason why I rang isbecause I remember what you told me yesterday about your current situation.

And I dont want you to be in a situation 1 or 2 years from now and I call you and yourestill in the same job, still have the same manager and still have a flooded house every timeit rains.

Do you know what I mean?

Prospect: oh, yeah.

Sales Rep: ok, so have a read of the proposal tonight and well talk tomorrow.Prospect: ok talk to you then.

Best Case Scenario conversation structure

In (insert time frame) I want you to be in a situation where

Create a narrative including the most important Hopes

Is that what you want?

Worst Case Scenario conversation structure

In (insert time frame) I dont want you to be in a situation where

Create a narrative including the Anxiety

Do you know what I mean?

When should you use the Best and Worst case scenario visualisations?

Every conversation you have starting from the qualification conversation should finish withthe Best case scenario visualisation.

Any time the prospect doesnt complete an important agreed upon milestone, like readinga proposal, use the Worst case scenario visualisation.

In the closing meeting or phone call, you could use either, both or neither. It depends onhow the conversation goes. The final part of this book looks at the closing conversation in-depth.


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Overcoming Objections Step-by-Step

Know your competitors products backwards

A pre-requisite to properly overcoming a prospects objection is to know your competitors

products backwards.

You need to know all the key points of comparison for each of their products; then youhave to know how each of these product points compares to yours.

You should focus not only on the product itself but the whole ecosystem within which theproduct operates.

A simple example is below for a Project management Training Course

Po i n t s o f c om p a r i s o n A l p h a S c h o o l D e l t a S c h o o l

Price $4000 $4500Teacher Experience Rated 7/10 Rated 8/10

School Reputation Rated 9/10 Rated 7/10After hours course support Email support 7 days/week,9am to 11pm

Phone support 6 days/weekMon-Sat 9am to 9pm

After course completionsupport

Email support for 12 monthsafter completion

Phone support for 3 monthsafter completion

Library access Extensive 15,000 booksAccess 7am to 6pm - 7 days

Moderate 4,000 booksAccess 7am to 11pm Monto Sun

Exam pass successes 84% 92%Chance to network They have an end of course

professional networkingdinner

They have no networkingevents

Job help No job help Help prepare resume andmake at least 2introductions to recruitmentagencies

We will use this above comparison table in our examples to follow.

Also, in my experience the more complex the sale, meaning the more points of comparison(over 20), the easier it is too overcome objections. So, if you are ever looking at a newsales job, dont be afraid if the product or industry looks too complicated; by reallystudying the points of comparison, you will be able to excel in the role.

Know the Best and Worst case scenarios for each point of comparison

Before talking to the prospect you should already know what the best and worst case

scenarios are for each product comparison point. Have a look at the following table.

P o i n t s o f

c o m p a r i s o n

Be s t C as e S c e n a r i o W o r s t C as e S c en a r i o

Price Save money Waste moneyTeacher Experience Have an expert teacher and

MentorHave a an inexperienced teacher

School Reputation The school name opens doorsfor you in the job market

Has a bad reputation and couldaffect your job prospects

After hours coursesupport

The teachers are available foryou when you need them

You dont get the support you needwhen you need it

After coursecompletion support

Get long term mentors intothe future

Be on your own with no support

Library access Have access to all the facilitieswhen you need them Not have access to all the facilitieswhen you need themExam pass success You pass your exam with a You fail the exam and you waste


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high mark your time and moneyChange to network Meet all the other alumni and

make professional connectionsfor life

Meet only a few people and missthe change to make professionalconnections

Job Help The College introduces you toan employer and you get a job

No Job help and you spend monthsand months looking for work.

In the qualification stage of the sales cycle, you need to determine what is important tothe prospect in relation to the points of comparison.

Examples of what may or may not be important for these two prospects; have a look atwhat the prospects said:

P o i n t s o f

c o m p a r i s o n Ma r k J o n e s B i l l Jo b s

Price Price is not an issue Im not working at themoment so I need to savemoney

TeacherExperience

As long as they are patient and canexplain complex issues with ease

As long as they are qualified

Schoolreputation

Im not worried about that I think its important forgetting job interviews

After hourscourse support

I need after hours course support, as Iwork at odd times, and may bestudying at night

I have free time, so I dontreally need after hourssupport

After coursecompletionsupport

I will need after course support, as mycompany is funding this coursespecifically so that I can run a majorcompany project. Ill need all thesupport I can get.

Yeah that would be nice

Library access I dont care about library access; Ill goto the scheduled classes and then study

from home.

Yeah its very noise where Ilive and I need somewhere

quite with all the recoursesto study properly.

Exam passsuccess

Yes its somewhat important I have to pass this exam

Chance tonetwork

Yeah that would be nice Im new to this city so Ireally need to network andmake as many professionalcontacts as possible.

Job Help Not relevant Yes, as much as possible. If Idont get a job in the next 12months, I really dont knowwhat I will do

In the qualification stage you have to discover this through your questioning. To overcomean objection effectively this understanding is a pre-requisite.

Use Best and Worst case scenario visualisations to overcome objections

Now you have to craft a best and worst case scenario visualisation for each point. This willbe used in the conversation to overcome competitor comparison questions.

Using the previous example, look at the following price objection.

P r i c e Ob j e c t i o n

Sales Rep from Delta College:How did you go with the proposal I sent over?


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Bill Jobs:Yeah it was good but I decided to go with the Alpha school, its $500 cheaper and youknow I want to save as much money as I can.

Sales Rep from Delta College:Yes, it is $500 cheaper but they dont help you get a job. I thought that is what you

wanted.

Bill Jobs:Um, yes it is but I also have to save money.

Sales Rep from Delta College:Yes, I understand you want to save money. But the end result for you is that you must geta job.

You know that as part of our package, we help optimize your resume then introduce you totwo of the best recruiters in the city. On average our graduates get a job within 9 weeks,with the Alpha school there is no job help at all, who knows how long it would take you toeven get an interview, do you see what I mean?

Bill Jobs:Yes, I know what you mean.

Sales Rep from Delta College:You see the fear I have for you is that, I could call you in 12 months from now and you arestill looking for a job. Imagine youve paid all that money for your course, youve studiedhard, did what you have to do, but in the end youre still out of work.

So, this is the plan with us, you study hard, you finish the course and get certified, thenwe help optimize your resume, then you go to see the recruiters that we organize for you.Does that sound like what you want?

Bill Jobs:Yes sounds good.

Part 2: Sales Style What Works

Script or no Script

Many sales managers ask me if their sales reps should be using a script or not. Thisquestion applies mainly to telephone only sales.

In my experience, when a sales rep is just starting out or really doesnt know what theyare doing, it is better for them to use at least some scripts for parts of their conversations.But this can only take them so far. Eventually they will need to master all the information

in the script, master all the product knowledge. When they have done this they shouldthen just follow a pre-determined conversation structure.

Unless you are a top actor, scripts sound fake, and the customer will intuitively know this.Unless, you can craft a truly natural sounding script, then I would stay away from them.

Also, scripts are really only for the beginning of conversations. If you feel more confidentreading from a script the very first time you speak to a prospect then that is ok. Just makesure you practice it over and over, and make sure it sounds natural.

Your voice intonation is critical. Imagine Robert Di Nero or Meryl Streep delivering yourlines. You have to make the words come alive; you have to make them believable.

So this is what I recommend.


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If you are just starting out in sales and your sales manager wants you to use a script, youshould take the script and memorise it. Then practice with a friend or family member overand over until you master it. Basically if you have ever had acting training, it is exactly thesame. You are learning your lines. But saying the words is not enough; you have to makeit believable, you have to make it come alive.

Scripts are good for the being of a conversation or to give answers to standard productquestions. Nothing else can be scripted, and certainly closing a sale cant be scripted. Thisis why real sales can never be automated. (On the other hand customer service jobs canand are being automated)

I havent used any scripts in 15 years. But I still have a conversation structure at the backof my mind when Im in a long sales conversation. Thats over the phone or face to face. Iam always directing the conversation.

Natural Business Conversation

The more you can make a conversation with a prospect natural sounding the better. Thereis nothing that will turn off a person more than if they feel you are trying to sell to them.They clearly will know you are a sales person, but that doesnt mean you have to act like a

stereotypical one.

The goal is to have a business conversation. It should be friendly, interesting andinformative.

I say business conversation, because it cant quite be the same as talking to a friend.Steer clear of controversial topics religion and politics (unless you already know wherethey stand on those issues).

You should be a trusted advisor, a person they can rely on to tell them the way it is.

Avoid clichs and hyperbole they dont work and youll losecredibility

Dont use sales clichs. They make you sound sleazy and people just turn off when you usethem.

There are still many sales books (generally books written pre 1990s) that push theseclichs, dont use them, they dont work and make you look ridicules.

There are some cases where TV advertising campaigns use these clichs, but almostalways it is in an ironic or self-mocking format. For a TV marketing campaign it may be ok;it is not for sales people to follow this example.

Sales clich examples:

But wait! Theres more! Once in a life time Never to be repeated

These are crossing over to the clich category:

One-stop shop Industry leader Breakthrough Groundbreaking State-of-the-art Cost-effective Next-generation Disruptive Cutting-edge Mission-critical Leading-edge


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Turnkey Best-of-breed Outside the box Game changer Customer-centric Break through the clutter

Always be on the look out for clichs. Whenever you feel yourself cringing at what you orsomeone else is saying, it means those words have now crossed over to clich; time tostart being creative again.

Clich Questions

What keeps you up at night?What question havent I asked?Is price your only objection?

Effective questioning is all in the framing. What I have found highly effective is framing itwith a current issue the company is facing, the more controversial the better. Forexample:

Given yesterdays article in the Wall Street Journal about your HR issues in Japan, how doyou intend on further expanding into China with out facing the same problems?

Is much better than: How do you intend on expanding into China?

I read the Federal government is about to reduce the subsidies on Solar Energy, how willthis affect your budget for your IT integration?

Is much better than: What is your budget for the IT integration?

How do you think the ruling in your Supreme Court case will affect your expansion plans?

Is much better than: What are your expansion plans?

I saw your CEO on the late news last night; Hes very passionate about your new acnedrug. How are you planning the logistics for the anticipated demand spike?

Is much better than: Are you planning a review of your logistics?

The key is specificity; the more specific you are with the prospects situation the more theywill listen and the more the questions and conversation will resonate with them.

Confidence and Certainty

Sounding confident is paramount. Notice I said sounding confident, not only confident.When you are just starting out in sales or have just started a new sales job, quite oftenyou are not confident at all; actually you might be the exact opposite.

I can remember in a job interview for a fairly high level sales job, the sales manager toldme my sales target was $100,000 per month, and asked if that will be a problem for me.My answer of course was Yes, No problem. The reality was that I was thinking Thatsseems a lot for this product, but if other people can do it, there is no reason why I cant.

All sales people at some stage lack confidence, or lose some confidence. The key is to notshow this to the outside world. To a prospect never show a lack of confidence, or doubtyourself publicly. People can loose faith in you instantly.

Im not implying that you should never say you dont know something. I say it quite often,but its how you say it that matters.


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People love to buy from confident people. I can think of many times, I have wanted to buysomething and the salesperson seemed really unsure of them self; this made me verynervous about them, their company and their product.

Below is a conversation I had while trying to buy a plane ticket.

Me: I can change this flight with no extra fees right?

Sales person: Um, yeah I think so.

Me: You think so or you dont know?

Sales person: Um well, I am reading through the terms and conditions and I cantsee anything about it.

Me: Um, ok, let me think about it, Ill talk to you later.

In this situation the salesperson clearly didnt know the answer to my question. Instead ofhesitating and seeming confused they shouldve just put me on hold and got a definitiveanswer off their manager. They would have then given me the definitive answer and I

would have purchased my ticket there and then.

Reputation

You must always protect your reputation. You do this by always telling the truth.If you start to get a bad name, eventually no one will trust you and you will beunemployable in sales.

Losing your reputation doesnt happen over night, it is usually over a longer period of time,where you have not been telling the truth. Basically if you lie to someone they wont buyfrom you again, and no one they know will buy from you. Eventually if you lie to enoughpeople, no one will want to deal with you at all. Unfortunately Ive seen sales people look

at short term gains while ignoring their longer term careers.

Telling the truth makes you feel good, and above all else it is the ethical and right thing todo, if you have to lie about your product than you should find another company to workfor.

Quite often I am in situations where clients ask me things that I know we cant deliver. Inever exaggerate; I know that it is kryptonite for our company and long term future. Andthe amazing thing is that, many times, the client will come back to me days or weeks laterand buy from us. Telling the truth is great for sales!

Regain Attention with difficult questions

As discussed earlier having an in-depth knowledge of your own product, your competitorsproduct and your industry in general is a pre-requisite for sales success.

On top of that; if you feel your prospect isnt paying full attention to you, its always goodto ask them something that you think they dont know.

You only need 2 or 3 of these questions ready. When the client is not paying attention or isgenerally not engaged in the conversation, asking them shocks them into a defensiveresponse.

So, have your 2 or 3 questions memorised, concentrate on some obscure study or someobscure fact that could really affect their decision.

They will respond to your difficult question with something like:


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Um, well, no I didnt know that

Or they will ask a question.

What do you mean?So, how will that affect me?

In most cases they will re-engage with you, and you can drill down with your questioning.

Some examples in different industries are below:

So, how will you deal with Microsofts certification exam expiry policy?So, whats your plan for the Google Chrome Version 35.0.1916m upgrade?

Mesmerise with repetition Close like the President

The way you structure your sentences has an incredible impact on your message. Salespeople can take many of the techniques of good oratory and incorporate them into their

day-to-day sales conversations. There have been mountains of books written on effectivespeaking and speech writing, I suggest you do as much reading as possible on the subject,it will only help you.

This book is all about practical steps sales people can take to improve, so here well look atsome of the most relevant techniques for sales people. One book that stood out for mewas Say it like Obama and Win by Shel Leanne. It focuses on his speeches leading up tohis win in the 2008 presidential election. His extraordinary speeches with a strong call toaction were instrumental in his election win. He simply couldnt have won the electionwithout them.

Yes, used in the right circumstances and with the right artfulness sales people too canresonate and connect with prospects like a political pro. The first technique I have used foryears is r e p e t i t i o n .

At this stage, you should use YouTube to listen to and watch these speeches, a book canonly describe the feeling; you need to watch these speeches to fully appreciate them.

One of the most famous speeches of all time was by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963. Havea read of part of this speech and see how he nicely uses I have a dream. His speech wasso powerful that it galvanised support for the cause and was a catalyst for change. Thephrase I have a dream basically is now owned by him and still to this day guides minoritygroups to action.

I h a v e a d r e am that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaningof its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are createdequal."

I h a v e a d r e am that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of formerslaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at thetable of brotherhood.

I h a v e a d r e am that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering withthe heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformedinto an oasis of freedom and justice.

I h a v e a d r e am that my four little children will one day live in a nation wherethey will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of theircharacter.

I h a v e a d r e am today!

I h a v e a d r e am that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with itsgovernor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and


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"nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls willbe able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I h a v e a d r e am today!

I h a v e a d r e am that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and

mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crookedplaces will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and allflesh shall see it together."

Do you want to know how to create urgency in a sale? First see how the President does itat the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner 2007. He combines the use of repetition with the worstcase scenario visualisation perfectly.

I am running in this race because of what Dr. King called "the fierce urgency ofnow." Because I believe that there's such a thing as being too late. And that houris almost upon us.

I d o n ' t w a n t to wake up four years from now and find out that millions of

Americans still lack health care because we couldn't take on the insuranceindustry.

I d o n ' t w a n t to see that the oceans have risen a few more inches. The planet hasreached a point of no return because we couldn't find a way to stop buying oil fromdictators.

I d o n ' t w a n t to see more American lives put at risk because no one had thejudgment or the courage to stand up against a misguided war before we sent ourtroops into fight.

I d o n ' t w a n t to see homeless veterans on the streets. I don't want to sendanother generation of American children to failing schools.

I d o n ' t w a n t t h at future for my daughters.

I d o n ' t w a n t t h at future for your sons.

I d o n o t w a n t t h a t future for America.

Below is a sample of repetition and a best case scenario visualisation, from hisannouncement in 2007 that he would run for President. It also is a good example ofsetting up the working together theme.

L e t ' s b e t h e g e n e r a t i o n that ends poverty in America. Every single person willingto work should be able to get job training that leads to a job, and earn a livingwage that can pay the bills, and afford child care so their kids have a safe place togo when they work. Let's do this.

L e t ' s b e t h e g e n e r a t i o n that finally tackles our health care crisis. We can controlcosts by focusing on prevention, by providing better treatment to the chronicallyill, and using technology to cut the bureaucracy. Let's be the generation that saysright here, right now, that we will have universal health care in America by the endof the next president's first term.

L e t ' s b e t h e g e n e r a t i o n that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil. We canharness home-grown, alternative fuels like ethanol and spur the production ofmore fuel-efficient cars. We can set up a system for capping greenhouse gases.We can turn this crisis of global warming into a moment of opportunity for

innovation, and job creation, and an incentive for businesses that will serve as amodel for the world. Let's be the generation that makes future generations proudof what we did here.


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Most of all, l e t ' s b e t h e g e n e r a t i o n that never forgets what happened on thatSeptember day and confront the terrorists with everything we've got. Politicsdoesn't have to divide us on this anymore - we can work together to keep ourcountry safe. I've worked with Republican Senator Dick Lugar to pass a law thatwill secure and destroy some of the world's deadliest, unguarded weapons. We can

work together to track terrorists down with a stronger military, we can tighten thenet around their finances, and we can improve our intelligence capabilities. But letus also understand that ultimate victory against our enemies will come only byrebuilding our alliances and exporting those ideals that bring hope and opportunityto millions around the globe.

Most top sales reps Ive worked with use some form of repetition with worst and best casescenario visualisations. Used correctly they get prospects hyper about you and yourproduct. The prospect wouldnt even be able to verbalise why they like you so much, butyou will resonate with them, youll stick in their mind and youll be at the top of theirbuying list. If you can master the above, well, you could even be the President.

Voice Pace and Tone

Being able to modulate your voice to fit the moment is an incredibly valuable skill. To slowdown and enunciate important points or to quicken at the appropriate time is a skill peoplework their whole careers at perfecting.

Changing the intonation of the voice also can give more meaning to what you are saying.Its one of the first things you will learn in acting school.

Leaving out and but or for nor this helps quicken the tone and helps bring thepoint to a crescendo.

Some examples below,

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallowthis groundAbraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

you believe we can be one people, reaching for whats possible, building thatmore perfect union.Obama 2008

Obama is also adept at using pregnant pauses to focus the attention even more on animportant point, making them more memorable.

Three Times the power

Obama effectively emphases his sentences with three points, as shown below:

I know how hard it is, it comes w i t h l i t t l e s l e e p , l i t t l e p a y a n d a l o t o f s a c r i f i c e Obama Iowa caucus speech 2008

It will take y o u r t i m e , y o u r e n e r g y a n d y o u r a d v i c e to push us forward whenyoure doing right and to let us know when were notObama 2007

And above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation the onlyway it's been done in America for 221 years - b l o c k b y b l o c k , b r i c k b y b r i ck ,c a ll o u s e d h a n d b y c a ll o u s ed h a n d . Obama, Victory Speech 2008

For a really good example of Obama putting all the techniques together, check on Youtubefor his Iowa Caucus Victory Speech.


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Whole libraries have been written on how Obama won the 2008 Presidential election. Butwith all we know, it still amazes me that a young man, with little experience, couldovercome the titans of Washington to pull off one of the most remarkable political victoriesin modern history.

Many people will disagree, but I firmly believe that his gift of oratory was his major

advantage in his election win.

Part 3: The Master Close Step-by-Step

Bring it to a Logical Conclusion - Paying is merely a formality

If you have done everything that we have discussed in the previous steps then in manycases closing the sale should be a mere formality. Meaning, the final conversation couldlook something like the following.

Sales Rep: How did you go with the information/contract/proposal?

Prospect: Yes, no problem lets do it/Ive already signed it and sent it back toyou/yes just send me the invoice

Many times Ive put so much effort and thought into all the conversations leading into theclose that the prospect is ready to buy or they in fact contact me ready to go.


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Closing Conversation Structure Flowchart

When closing a sale the conversation structure you should use is in the following closingconversation flowchart.

Closing Conversation example

Sales Rep: Hi John, its Shawn from Delta College, how are you?

Prospect: Not bad, how are you?

Sales Rep: Yeah not bad, how did you go with that proposal I send over?

Prospect: Um, yeah it was good, but I have a few questions

Sales Rep: Yes of course, lets go through them

How did yougo with theInformation?

Answerquestions

Trial Close:Ok, Imorganising it foryou

Worst Caseand/or BestCase PersonalPlanVisualisation

Finalise sale by takingpayment details/gettingcontract signed/gettingPurchase Order number. Etc

Overcometheobjection

No Objection

ProspectObjection

Change thesubject and finish

the conversation

Hesitation withno specificobjection


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Prospect: Ok, as you know I dont have internet access at home so I will need a place tostudy, so Ill have access to the college resources and library when ever I want, right?

Sales Rep: Yes, thats right we are open from 7am to 11pm, 7 days per week. That will beespecially good for you, because during the week your classes normally will end at 6pm, so

you can stay and work up until 11pm. Thats what you want right?

Prospect: Yes, thats right.

Sales Rep: Ok, thats good, so, dont forget the plan for you is to do your regular classhours during the day, then do your individual study in the resource centre after that;youre going to be in a situation where you have everything you need to get a high markand get certified.

So, after you get certified in June, well help optimise your resume, well then send you tosee our recruitment partners, and if everything goes to plan you can get into aprofessional project management position by the end of this year. Thats what you wantright?

Prospect: Yes, thats it.

Sales Rep: Ok, let me do this enrolment form for you

Prospect: Ok

Sales Rep: So, you will pay with a credit card is that right?

Prospect: um, yes I guess so; you mean you want me to enrol now?

Sales Rep: Yes, I will enrol you now, because as you said yesterday, youve been lookingfor a job for 6 months; youve applied for over 100 jobs and had only 2 interviews.The problem is that, I just dont want you to be in a situation where I call you in 12months from now and youre still looking for a job. The problem is that I find that a lot ofpeople give up after 12 months and become long term unemployed. Do you know what Imean?

Prospect: um, yes, yeah I dont want that to happen.

Sales Rep: Ok, Ive filled in the form for you. So you said you wanted to use your creditcard, is it a Visa or Mastercard?

Prospect: um, Ill pay with my Visa Card.

Sales Rep: Ok, whats the expiry date?

Prospect: 16 April 2018

Sales Rep: Ok, whats the card number?

Prospect: 4569 28. So, you are going to get me an interview with a recruitment agency?

Sales Rep: Yes thats right. When you finish the course successfully, the first thing we do ishelp you re-write your resume. These days you need a highly optimised resume in order toget a phone interview.Then, we organise a face-to-face interview with 2 recruitment agencies, these agencies are2 of the top project management recruiters in the country. Thats what you wanted, right?

Prospect: Yes, exactly.

Sales Rep: Ok, good, dont forget the reason we are doing this is that, I dont want you tobe in a situation where I call you in 12 months from now and you are still unemployed. The


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problem is that I find that a lot of people give up after 12 months and become long termunemployed. Do you know what I mean?

Prospect: um, yes, yeah youre right.

Sales Rep: Ok, so you have given me half your credit card number 4569 28, whats the

rest?

Prospect: 4569 2845 2000 000

Sales Rep: Ok, I will have that enrolment and receipt of payment sent to you shortly. Thenext step is that I will contact you tomorrow with your welcome kit, so you enjoy the restof the afternoon, and well talk tomorrow at about 4pm ok.

Prospect: great, Ill talk to you then.

Sales Rep: Ok, bye.

Leave it aloneWhen the sale has been agreed upon, you should either change the subject to somethingthat has nothing to do with the sale, or you should finish as quickly as courtesy will permit.

You dont want the prospect to say:

On second thoughts just hold off on that for a few days, I have to talk to the HRManager

Maybe I should check with my dentists sister, she said she knows a lot about it

You know, now that you bring that up, maybe I should wait another 6 months,when the new Financial Manager starts

Do not under any circumstances continue on discussing the deal or your product. This willonly bring up more questions and more hesitations. The prospect has already received allthe product and deal information, any questions they have now are merely hesitations.

Conclusion

By continually analysing and tweaking your sales method and style, youll be able tocontinually make improvements.

There are 1000s of variables in any sales cycle, many are outside or your control, the keyis to identify what you can control and then work to master them.

In any conversation there are literally infinite possibilities in the words that could bespoken. Words and conversations must be crafted; the better you are at crafting them, thebetter your outcomes will be.

I hope you have got some useful information out of this abridged ebook version. We arecurrently in negotiations to publish the full version of this book, so look out for it in thefuture.

We also offer our own face to face Sales Training through our company:

www.SalesVision.com.au

We are based out of Australia, please feel free to contact us through our website; wed

love to hear from you.

Go o d l u c k w i t h y o u r S a le s !

Documents

A Master Class in Closing Sales V1