Closing the Sale After You’ve Closed the Sale – by Mike Boyette

You’ve heard the magic words; “It’s a deal.” You’ve shaken hands. Maybe you’ve even popped some champagne and started thinking about what you’re going to do with that big commission check. You’ve closed the sale, and nothing can possibly change that.

Right?

Wrong.

Turns out, when the buyer told their current vendor they were being shown the door, the sales rep turned on the charm, promised to put an end to the botched deliveries and missed deadlines. Reminded your buyer why he chose them to begin with. Suddenly, that deal you firmly grasped in your hands is now slipping through your fingers.

The worst part? You could have avoided the whole disaster.

Don’t sell past the close. You’ve heard that a million times. But no one’s ever told you not to close past the close. It might sound strange, but a technique called The Post Close can help ensure your buyer doesn’t have second thoughts after you’ve left the room.

Here’s how it works:

When you find out you’ve been chosen for the business, your response should sound something like this:

“Thanks for the opportunity. But I do have a question. Your current vendor will probably attempt to keep your business. So…how are you going to respond to them?”

If the buyer’s response is anything short of a firm declaration that they’re switching to you, then you still have some work to do. You have to remind them of the pain and frustration that drove them to this sale in the first place. Acknowledge any hesitation, and then point out any mistakes and failures your buyer mentioned while working on the sale.

The key is to get them to revisit the frustration and anguish that made them look for a new supplier, and remind them of the consequences of inaction. What will happen if they don’t switch vendors and there’s another screwup?

Done correctly, The Post Close technique does three things:

• It strengthens the reasons in the buyer’s own mind for choosing to switch.

• Repeating the reasons out loud why they left increases the psychological commitment to make the change.

• It acts as a rehearsal for the complicated discussion with the vendor.

It’s a brave task to challenge a consumer who’s said yes. But when you open this discussion with your consumer, you secure their commitment and protect your business.

The Post Close technique, of course, doesn’t always guarantee that a consumer will never change his or her mind. However, it can lessen the chances and help you close more sales. And that’s something to celebrate.

 

Michael Boyette is the executive editor of the Rapid Learning Institute Selling Essentials e-learning site and editor of the Top Sales Dog Blog. Contact Michael via email at topsalesdog@rapidlearninginstitute.com  or connect via Twitter

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