By Fred Martel

Regardless of the brand names you offer, they all have to be sold. The marketing efforts of the manufacturers provide name recognition, but you have to close the sale.
The amateur sales person, defined as someone who thinks that selling requires no training or education, goes out and echoes the marketing points. He or she leaves behind brochures and a quote and hopes for the best. It is a case of all effort and no control.

Many have heard the term closing the sale, but it sounds harsh. They equate the term with forcing someone to buy against their will. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As a professional you are a believer in your products and your mission. You lead the prospect down a path of understanding and you meet at the destination with the same thoughts and conclusions. You arrive at a common ground. You agree on a plan which will work best for both of you, not “whether or not” it will happen. Offering and settling on options makes deals. “Whether or not,” does not.

You can lead the prospect to water and make them drink, if you create the thirst. The thirst is created by offering comfort solutions that make sense with the uniqueness of your signature. Your language must be positive and the questions you ask should be in a form that require yes for an answer.

Closing the sale is a process of drawing out objections and satisfying them. The closing question should be something like “we can start the program in one week or two. Which would you prefer?