How not to close a client

I love everything about sales and the psychology of selling and I read as much as I can on the subject. I always have a book with me to learn from, to inspire me and to keep me on the sales edge so that I am constantly refining the processes and strategies that I teach in my books, audios, DVDs and seminars…

As you might expect I am not particularly squeamish when it comes to closing people down however over the last few nights I have been reading a book on closing written in the mid-1980’s. It is appalling and what’s more some of the tactics in it are based on the cheesiest of theories. Here’s one tip from the sales training book…

Hold up the book and tell them that it describes customers like them!

One of the closes describes how when the customer objects saying that they need to think about it that you should hold up the book itself and tell them that the book describes customers like them and tells you exactly how to answer their objections! It then says to continue and tell them that it outlines their personality and attitude and that you know that they don’t really have to think about it. Infact all they’re really worried about is the finances! It then says to talk to them about money!

Is this sort of rubbish still being taught?

Did this ever work? I doubt it! Is this sort of rubbish still being taught? I hope not! But then maybe it is as the book’s still for sale because I bought it not 2 months ago! And it has dozens if not hundreds of equally creepy closes within it’s covers! This is by no means the worst!

Is it any wonder that some people see salespeople as slimy and uncaring when there are lines like this being spouted around the globe?

This approach is not only cheesy, it also makes massive assumptions about what the client’s real (money in the writer’s opinion) objection is. Manipulative, cheesy closes like these should have sunk with the Titanic. When you care about your clients and understand what they need and want then simply asking for the business is all the closing that you should be required. I think I am going to write a book on closing one day… it will be short.

Find out what the client needs and why they need it and then ask for the business!  

I’m afraid that much of my musical taste is still stuck in the 1980’s but sad as that is, it doesn’t affect my sales. If your sales techniques, like my musical tastes, are stuck in the 1980’s then maybe now is the time to catapult yourself into the 21st century!